Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
The Office of the Provost at Norfolk State University bears leadership responsibility for the academic focus of the institution. It plays a central role in the articulation, development, initiation and continuing support of the educational philosophy of Norfolk State University which is articulated in its mission: “Through exemplary teaching, scholarship, and outreach, Norfolk State University transforms lives and communities by empowering individuals to maximize their potential, creating lifelong learners equipped to be engaged leaders and productive global citizens.”
Message from the Provost
It is my great pleasure and honor to serve as the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Norfolk State University, where we see the future in every one of our students. On behalf of the members of faculty, staff, and administrators, I welcome you to the Academic Affairs webpage.
Norfolk State University (NSU) is committed to transforming students’ lives through exemplary teaching, research and service by offering a supportive academic and culturally diverse environment which empowers our students to realize their aspirations and achieve their full potential as well-rounded and resourceful citizens and leaders for the 21st century. Following from this mission, all members of NSU are dedicated to the future success of our students as reflected in the excellent teaching, compassionate advising and encouraging mentorship provided by the University’s faculty and staff.
There is no better time than now to be part of the Spartan community. NSU offers a variety of academic programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels in many fields of studies both face-to-face and online. Our exceptional pool of faculty and staff will challenge your academic curiosity and engage you in a productive and exciting life journey of learning that contributes to your intellectual, professional, and personal growth. NSU continues to expand its range of program offerings in many fields that will spark your interests and prepare you for advanced studies or valuable career achievements.
Your Spartan experience will expose you to a variety of curricular and extra-curricular engagements that will enhance your personal growth in the coming years. Through internships, study abroad opportunities, conducting independent research, or community engagement, NSU students experience a wide array of activities that prepare them for success in the 21st century. I urge you to seize all the opportunities available to you by experimenting with new activities and getting out of your comfort zone. The NSU family is dedicated to leading and nurturing you in your educational journey to great success and a future full of excitement and discovery.
Best of luck and Behold!
Dr. DoVeanna S. Fulton
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Norfolk State University
DoVeanna S. Fulton, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. DoVeanna S. Fulton is a seasoned leader-teacher-scholar who has served since July 2020 as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Norfolk State University. Previously, she was Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Houston-Downtown and founding chair of the Department of Gender and Race Studies at The University of Alabama. Committed to diversity, inclusion, and social justice, Dr Fulton works for increased access and success in higher education for under-represented groups. She is committed to engaging communities for progress and enrichment and bridging communities through collaborations that reflect a consciousness of what bell hooks has called “education as the practice of freedom.”
Dr. Fulton is equally committed to student success through curriculum and service. She understands the impact of advising models that include professional academic advisors, faculty advisors and mentors, career counseling, healthcare services, and peer advising. This compounded approach contributes to significantly increasing retention and graduation rates. Improving retention and graduation rates is a major priority at Norfolk State University. Under her leadership, faculty and staff have worked to transform the general education curriculum to reflect the needs of our 21st-century era. Throughout her career, she has led the development of numerous academic and professional programs. Dr. Fulton brings extensive experience and leadership in international education, having lectured and established partnerships with universities in France, Ghana, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Spain, and Germany, and as a teacher at Jimma University in Jimma, Ethiopia.
Dr. Fulton has deep administrative expertise in organizational change for academic success. As Dean she led the reorganization of the College from three administrative units to four to accommodate the growth in students, faculty and the development of academic programs, and to create synergistic opportunities for collaboration and interdisciplinary research and teaching.
Understanding that research and scholarship are the bedrocks of knowledge production and a critical function of a comprehensive university, Dr. Fulton champions faculty scholarly research and creative activities. She has a proven track record of elevating academic prominence through strategic research initiatives. Dr. Fulton understands the importance of shared governance, disciplinary and budgetary alignment, and representation and efficiency needs. At Norfolk State University, Dr. Fulton spearheaded four crucial initiatives in Academic Affairs to improve institutional efficiency and effectiveness and transform the University. The Office of Research and Innovation is a by-product of one of these initiatives. To support our growing research profile and intention to become a high research activity R2 Carnegie designated institution, the Office of Research and Innovation was established. This office includes the position of Vice Provost for Research and Innovation to provide dedicated leadership that supports faculty research and intellectual property development and commercialization.
She is the author/co-author of three books, Speaking Power: Black Feminist Orality in Women’s Narratives of Slavery, (2006) and Speaking Lives, Authoring Texts: Three African American Women’s Oral Slave Narratives (2009) and Sapphire's Literary Breakthrough: Erotic Literacies, Feminist Pedagogies, Environmental Justice Perspectives (2012), which examine written and oral traditions in African American women’s life narratives in slavery and beyond. Additionally, she is the editor of the Bedford College Edition of Nella Larsen’s novel Quicksand (2016) and published numerous book chapters and articles in distinguished journals and anthologies. She is the recipient of over $1 million in grants and fellowships to support academic programs and scholarly research.
Dr. Fulton earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Wayne State University and her doctorate in American Studies at the University of Minnesota. Recently, she earned a Master of Arts in Religion from Union Theological Seminary.
Dr. Fulton is the immediate past President of the Society for the Study of American Women Writers (SSAWW), from which she received the Outstanding Leadership Award in 2018. Dr. Fulton is a fellow of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and the Golden Key National Honor Society, a recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Commission on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), and the Andrew Mellon Foundation. She and has served on many boards including the Society for the Study of American Women Writers (SSAWW) Advisory Board, and the Board of Directors for the Hampton Roads Biomedical Research Consortium; the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences; the National Society for Gifted and Talented; and Julia C. Hester House, Inc. in Houston, Texas.