In a Surprise, Stanley Battles Resigns as Chancellor at North Carolina A&T State University After Only Two Years on the Job

In a move that caught many observers by surprise, Stanley Battle, chancellor of North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro, announced that he would be leaving his post at the end of the academic year. Battle has held the chancellor’s post since July 1, 2007.

The official announcement stated that Battle was leaving for family and personal reasons. Battle’s mother had died on Christmas Day.

But there were also reports that Battle’s managerial style and plans for the university were at odds with faculty, students, alumni, and the board of trustees. The conflict apparently was due to Battle’s plan to raise admissions standards which many felt ran counter to the institution’s historical goal of providing higher education to a larger group of African Americans who had few options.

Battle had served as president of Coppin State University in Baltimore before taking the job as chancellor at NCAT.

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