In a phone interview yesterday, Dr. Sullivan Welborne, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, told The A&T Register that he would be retiring from his post at North Carolina A&T. The Register was the first official source to confirm this report.

After working at A&T for over 38 years, Welborne says he feels that he has served in his full capacity, and it is his time to go.

“I tried my best to do my job, in making sure that student affairs runs smoothly,” Welborne said.

“I wanted to give Dr. (Harold L.) Martin the appropriate time to have the right selectee. I did not just quit, it’s just that this is what I think I was supposed to do.”

Welborne started working at A&T in the Memorial Student Union, sweeping the floors.

From there he said that he became what was then known as the Dean of Students for Services.

He later went on to become the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, then the Vice Chancellor in 1989, and he remained in that position until 2001.   

In 2002, Welborne retired, but he came back to A&T as a professor in the Chemistry department, and he taught until 2006.

It was not until 2006 that Welborne would become Vice Chancellor again, at the request of then Interim Chancellor Lloyd “Vic” Hackley.

Welborne would hold this position until 2009, all while working for not two, but three Chancellors before retiring again.

“I’ve never worked anywhere else but A&T,” Welborne said. “This has been the greatest experience of my life.”

Chancellor Martin spoke with The Register at approximately 5:48 p.m. on Tuesday evening and shared his thoughts on Welborne’s decision to retire.

Martin said that he doesn’t think he can replace Welborne and the impact that he has made on the campus, but that he will do his best to find someone to fulfill the position.

“Dr. Sullivan Welborne has been a significant contributor to North Carolina A&T State University as an administrator. He has just been a major, major supporter of our students, and an excellent roll model for students,” Martin said.

“We have a great debt of gratitude that we owe to Dr. Welborne who served the institution, retired once, and because of his commitment to the institution, came out of retirement ot serve an additional three years.”

Martin said that he and Welborne had discussed his possible retirement nearly a month prior to today. At Martin’s request, Welborne agreed to stay on board and work until Martin had at least completed the search to find his replacement.

The official search committee was formed yesterday after Martin signed the memo to appoint one.

“I am certainly looking for an experienced administrator in student affairs matters. Someone that values the rule of our students, and has experiences in developing with a strong leadership team, and student support…that has demonstrated success in building leaders and preparing students for graduation.”

While Martin and Welborne both say that there is no rush to find a new Vice Chancellor, Martin said that it is potentially possible to fulfill the vacany as early as Jan. 1, 2010, but Martin wants to have someone in place by July 1 at the latest.

“I have charged the committee with a Jan.1 date, but if that is not plausible, we will work toward July 1,” Martin said.

Now that the search process has begun, Martin says that the University will begin to celebrate all of his contributions to the University before he leaves.

Welborne says he will miss the job, but he is ready to rest.

“I’m going home to my wife and my dog,” he said. “I’ve loved every minute of this.”

• Dexter R. Mullins