term institutional health, ASU is using a portion of the funds to grow its endowment. “We are using this moment not simply to solve short-term issues,” Dr. Ross said, “but to build a stronger institution for decades ahead.” FROM THE SENATE CHAMBER TO THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE The road to university leadership ran, somewhat unusually, through the Alabama State Legislature. Prior to becoming president of his alma mater, Dr. Ross had begun his fourth term in the Alabama State Senate after having been elected to his first term in 2002. In 2015, he was elected as the first African American male Senate Minority Leader and the first Minority Leader elected to a four-year term. That legislative background — understanding how power works, how policy gets made, and how to build coalitions across competing interests — has proven to be an unconventional but potent preparation for the HBCU presidency. Dr. Ross arrived at ASU at a moment when the institution was navigating significant fiscal headwinds. Since assuming office, he spearheaded a remarkable institutional turnaround, focusing on fiscal stability and debt reduction, which resulted in a significant financial transformation and restored confidence in the university's operations. The numbers tell the story. Fundraising at ASU increased by nearly 130 percent during the first two years of his administration, with more than $7.6 million raised over a two-year period through corporate and individual donations as well as increased legislative appropriations. More recently, Alabama State University experienced a 205 percent total giving increase. Under his leadership, ASU has witnessed over $20 million in comprehensive infrastructure enhancements, including vital campus- wide modernization efforts and strategic security upgrades. Dr. Ross’s strategic initiatives have propelled ASU to unprecedented heights, exemplified by its reaffirmation
" Every philanthropic investment in an HBCU strengthens not only an institution, but the communities and industries its graduates go on to serve.This is not simply philanthropy, it is nation-building. "
- DR. QUINTON T. ROSS, JR.
by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges through 2030. His peers in the HBCU community have taken note of both his longevity and his impact. “Dr. Ross has defied the modern trend of shortened presidential tenures at an HBCU, and Alabama State University is all the better because of it,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. “He's improved the university in transformative ways, focusing on fiscal stability and academic excellence. Through his work with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund as a board member and through numerous service appointments at every level, Dr. Ross is a steadfast advocate for the Black college community.”
appointed to state and national boards and councils, including the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities Board of Advisors, the HBCU Capital Financing Advisory Board, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Board of Directors. He has also served as Chairman of the Southwestern Athletic Conference commission and was honored with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s 2023 Educator of the Year award. For Dr. Ross, philanthropy is not a department or a campaign cycle. It is a culture that must be cultivated deliberately and sustained across every constituency connected to the institution. “We begin by recognizing that engagement precedes philanthropy,” he said matter-of-factly. “People support institutions where they feel connected, valued, and inspired.”
The recognition has come from Washington as well. Dr. Ross has been
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