Lincoln University has found its new president from within the Oswego State faculty.

Jerald Woolfolk currently serves as the vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management as well as the interim chief diversity officer. June 1 will mark her first day on the job at Lincoln University.

Woolfolk has received plenty of congratulatory sentiments from students and faculty since the news was announced by the school.

“I’ve been hugging a lot of people over the last two weeks,” Woolfolk said.

Woolfolk has been working at Oswego State since January 2014 and has made many great memories here. Her son, Brandon, graduated from the college last May.

“I’ve had a wonderful run here at Oswego,” Woolfolk said. “I love this community. I love the students. It’s been just fantastic. I’ve developed very strong relationships with students.”

Prior to coming to Oswego, New York, for a string of interviews, Woolfolk had never seen the Oswego State campus. She met President Deborah Stanley and quickly made up her mind.

“When I met her, that was it,” Woolfolk said. “I knew where I wanted to be because she was so passionate about Oswego. She was so warm, and I knew I could do well under her and I could learn a lot under her. I’ve never regretted that decision.”

Working as the vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, she oversees 14 departments of student involvement, some of which include Campus Life, Residence Life and Housing, the Dean of Students office, the Counseling Services Center and intramural sports. She also supervises admissions and recruitment.

Her duties as interim chief diversity officer includ leading the development of the strategic diversity and inclusion plan. This covers all aspects of the college in all of its divisions, according to Woolfolk.

“We have increased our diversity on campus,” Woolfolk said “Not only are we more structurally diverse, but we have become a more inclusive campus by celebrating the diversity that is on our campus and making sure that there is a place for everyone.”

Woolfolk said she originally had no aspirations to work in higher education. Jackson State University awarded her a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1981. She also completed her master’s degree in counselor education at Iowa State University. Working as a graduate assistant there helped spark her interest, and she has worked in higher education ever since.

Several years ago, Woolfolk decided she wanted to prepare herself for the opportunity to hold the position of president at a college. She saw this particular job offer in the Chronicle of Higher Education, but did not think much about it at first. Eventually, she was recruited for the position and was brought in to help increase enrollment and raise private funds. Her leadership skills prove her experience from her numerous roles at Oswego State, Mississippi Valley State University and the College of Staten Island.

“The other thing that made me interested in Lincoln is that it’s a historically black college and university, which I have strong passions for since I am a graduate of HBCU,” Woolfolk said. “I am interested in their sustainability. Many of those institutions are losing enrollment and having difficulties, and I think they need quality leadership.”

According to Woolfolk, Lincoln University has 44 percent enrollment of white students and 43 percent of African American students.

“I saw it as a model of what other institutions can be. I saw it as a 21st century HBCU,” Woolfolk said. 

Stanley sent a letter to the Oswego State campus community on March 13, announcing the news to students and thanking Woolfolk for her time here.

“We wish her the best at Lincoln University and have no doubt she will inspire and cultivate a culture of excellence at Lincoln, much like she did at Oswego State,” Stanley said in the letter. “Congratulations Jerald on this well-deserved advancement, but please know that your ties to Oswego will always remain.”

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