Through campus town hall gatherings and a six-city speaking tour, President William M. Downs is listening to the Campbell community and laying the groundwork for an ambitious Strategic Plan
His message was clear the day he first stepped on campus on a cold, gray mid-February day just minutes after officially being announced as the sixth president in Campbell University’s 138-year history.
Dr. William M. Downs was ready to get to work.
“I have studied as much as I can about Campbell University,” Downs told a chapel full of faculty, staff and students that day. “I have absorbed the data; I have watched every YouTube video possible. I’m an up-tempo guy, and the moment I arrive on July 1, we’re going to get busy. I’m excited about that.”
True to his word, the first five-plus months of Downs’ tenure in Buies Creek have been productive. A six-city speaking tour from the Queen City to the coast. Three town hall meetings dedicated to laying the groundwork of a five-year strategic plan. Meetings and guided tours with every dean and nearly every program on campus. Immediate improvements to the student experience on campus. A well-executed staff appreciation awards program. New admissions initiatives for both undergraduate and graduate programs. A record-breaking Giving Day.
And those are just the public-facing events.
Downs says his goal from Day 1 has been to bring “eager ears, fresh eyes and a jolt of energy, optimism and positivity” to his role as president, as well as a willingness to search and ask for the resources that are needed. In his first Campbell Forward speaking tour stop in Charlotte in September, he laid out three priorities for the coming months — strengthen and defend what works well at Campbell, fix what doesn’t work well and “have the audacity to dream big about Campbell’s future and the determination to deliver on those dreams.”
THE TOUR
The Campbell Forward tour stops in Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Fayetteville, Wilmington and on campus in Buies Creek were designed to be “meet the president” events for Campbell’s growing list of alumni in those cities. They were also a chance for Downs to present an early blueprint of his vision for Campbell. At his first stop in Charlotte, Downs declared that the University’s days of being “North Carolina’s hidden gem” must come to an immediate end.
“Campbell has become the quintessential ‘best kept secret,’ and in my view, that’s a problem,” he said. “Not enough people know about us, and they can’t choose you if they don’t know about you.”
In Winston-Salem, Downs encouraged alumni to step up and become a bigger part of the formula for Campbell’s success and to use their talents to support their alma mater. In Fayetteville, he asked alumni to help in expanding Campbell’s footprint in Cumberland County. And in Buies Creek — in front of a large audience of faculty, staff and nearby residents — Downs spoke of Campbell’s important distinction of enrolling more North Carolinians than any private university in the state.
“There are schools that have been successful in our state that have simply turned their back on North Carolina students in order to attract students from elsewhere. We will never do that,” he said. “That means we have got to be physically present, both in our high schools and in our churches. … We are inextricably tied to one another, town and gown. They say that fortune favors the bold, and when Campbell has been bold, our county, our region and our community have all benefited.”
At his final stop in Wilmington in November, Downs said he and his wife, Kimberly Downs, thoroughly enjoyed getting to know a Campbell community that deeply loves its alma mater and has genuine interest in Campbell’s future.
“We shook a lot of hands, learned many new names, and shared countless laughs with the Campbell faithful who remember their campus experiences with great fondness,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate to hear alumni success stories at every visit. Those are mic-drop worthy moments. Hearing their stories speaks to our incredible mission and the important work we do at Campbell.”
THE PLAN
Downs says Campbell University is “long overdue” for a strategic plan. In September, he announced the launch of a process that will lead to Campbell University 2026-2031: A Strategic Plan for Renewal, Growth, and Recognition.
According to Downs, the strategic plan will “clearly and succinctly map out a set of institutional priorities that will guide us into a bright future.” He said it will reaffirm core commitments, sharpen institutional identity, pinpoint a set of unexploited opportunities and help direct resources in ways that will maximize impact.
“The best plans are those that focus on a limited number of ambitious but achievable objectives that will facilitate forward progress,” he said. “The best plans are bold, distinctive and authentic.”
Downs hosted town hall-style meetings with students, faculty and staff on campus between Oct. 28 and Nov. 5, allowing interested members of the Campbell community to offer their input and elaborate on questions asked in a survey sent out earlier this fall (a survey that garnered more than 2,000 responses). The Nov. 5 event was attended by more than 150 staff members and focused on discussions surrounding enrollment growth, fiscal sustainability, community engagement and strengthening the University’s identity.
Asked what Campbell could do better moving toward the future, staff members spoke on topics like career development, student retention programs and better communication with prospective students and the existing Campbell community.
Much of the discussion focused on ideas to increase undergraduate enrollment, which Downs has consistently pointed to since becoming president as a top priority both now and in the coming years.
Downs said a good university strategic plan should be no more than five pages and should set out to focus on three to five big commitments. Once written, vetted and revised, it will be presented to the Board of Trustees, and the plan will be to “transform vision into action.” The second phase will involve “unit-level planning,” with more detailed five-year plans created by 14 schools, colleges and major departments on campus.
Downs talked a lot about rolling up his sleeves and hitting the ground running when he was introduced to the Campbell community back in February. The last five months have shown they weren’t just words.
“Campbell University has been at its best over the years when it has dared to dream … and then set out to deliver on those dreams,” he said. “This strategic planning process invites us all to dream again … I cannot wait to see what we can build together.”
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
- July: Two weeks into President Downs’ tenure, Campbell’s residence halls saw the installation of more than 365 new washer and dryer units, all outfitted with modern amenities and each replacing outdated machines.
- August: Downs announced the overhaul of old HVAC and boiler systems on campus with more reliable and energy-efficient cooling and heating systems. These improvements and replacements are ongoing.
- August: Campbell launched its new MyCampbell app over the summer, touting it as the “digital front door” to the university. The app provides easy access to event calendars, financial services and grades for students and convenient HR, IT and health services links for faculty and staff.
- September: Campbell announces changes to the J.A. Campbell Scholarship in an effort to garner more participation in the contest portion of the four-year full-ride scholarship named after Campbell University’s founder.
- September: College-bound students who want to take part in the Campbell’s new Early Campbell Commitment Program will not only have early access to housing and course registration, they’ll receive priority financial aid packaging and other benefits. The initiative was launched this fall to encourage incoming freshmen to commit to Campbell University earlier in the admissions process.
- October: In the lead-up to his five-year Strategic Plan for Renewal, Growth and Recognition for Campbell University,
President Downs held three town hall gatherings for students, faculty and staff between Oct. 28 and Nov. 5. The 90-minute forums allowed interested members of the Campbell community to offer their input and elaborate on questions asked in a survey sent out earlier this fall. - November: The College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences announced a new Guaranteed Pathway for Admission into its Doctor of Pharmacy program for undergraduates, part of Downs’ initiative to strengthen Campbell’s undergraduate programs and retain those who seek graduate school.
- November: Campbell and Cape Fear Community College signed a new articulation agreement — the Campbell Assured Admission Program — which provides CFCC students with a “direct and seamless” pathway to continue their education at Campbell. “This is a win-win for both schools and for degree-seekers who will go on to strengthen our workforce,” Downs said.
- November: Sparked by several challenges led by Downs, Campbell’s Giving Day set a record for most donors (2,381) and raised more than $1.2 million to support student scholarships, programs and the future of Campbell University.
COMING HOME
Downs has said on multiple occasions that coming to Campbell was like coming home. A native of Raleigh, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from NC State University before earning his master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from Emory University in Atlanta.
His career in higher education has sent him to Georgia State University in Atlanta, Harvard University’s Minda de Gunzberg Center for European Studies, East Carolina University and, most recently, Gardner-Webb University, where Downs served as president for over five years. Throughout his journey in higher education as a research fellow, faculty member, dean and president, Downs has faced struggles brought on by events like the Sept. 11 attacks, the economic collapse of 2008, multiple hurricanes and the COVID pandemic.
He says if the old adage, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is true, he comes to Campbell “pretty strong.”
“And from those experiences, I come to Campbell with a strong belief that we can live out this institution’s motto — to the stars, through difficulties — regardless of what comes our way. We can navigate anything if we do it together.”