The Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics at North Carolina A&T State University has formed a new partnership with Forge Greensboro, a community makerspace and innovation hub where local entrepreneurs, artists, engineers, and community members work together to develop new ideas, build prototypes, and explore emerging technologies.
Through this collaboration with Forge Greensboro, students at the Deese College can participate in workshops, product development projects, and experiential learning initiatives tied to business and technology education. There will also be opportunities for students to explore entrepreneurial venture and network with entrepreneurs in the local Greensboro community. Students pursuing their own entrepreneurial endeavors will have access to Forge Greensboro’s resources and specialized equipment used for prototyping and a wide-range of advanced manufacturing processes.
“Business is the engine that allows innovation to succeed. The partnership with Forge Greensboro extends the learning environment into the Greensboro community,” said Kecia Williams Smith, dean of the Deese College. “Partnerships like this build bridges of opportunity between the Deese College students and local entrepreneurs and is consistent with our vision to provide global business education that transforms students’ lives.”
Before NC A&T State University (NC A&T) start delving into other partnerships with other organizations and other universities, NC A&T need to partner with itself in order to function more effectively and professionally. For example, Chancellor James Martin II, needs to explain how it’s possible for N C A&T in 2026 along with their newly minted doctoral degree recipients don’t receive an actual hardcopy of their degree until 3-4 months? For those who dissent, this happened during the Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Fall 2025 graduation for doctoral degree recipients which is unacceptable. As such, Chancellor James Martin, for you to allow this to happen is indicative of your own bigotry of low expectations at NC A&T.
Even more egregious was NC A&T inability to provide full hard copies of the graduation program for the graduating students and at least one copy for the families to keep for prosperity. Again, for those who say it was due to costs should be duly ashamed for espousing such nonsense. If NC A&T revisited their budget priorities, this type of amateurish decision making should not occur and again starting with the Spring 2026 commencement exercises. Furthermore, can somebody at NC A&T please explain how can you pontificate about being the “largest HBCU” when your Graduate School can’t even adequately notify graduate applicants if they were offered or denied admissions within a 4–5-month span? Again, this is unacceptable by any measurable metrics.
In close, the purpose of pointing this out is to hold the upper echelon administrators at NC A&T accountable on all fronts. In other words, lets establish high standards in every aspect of NC A&T because “AGGIES DO”.