This next school year will be Ron Carter's last as president of Johnson C. Smith University. He plans to step down next June. The man hired to be a change agent says he's accomplished what he set out to with the school.
Carter took the reins of the private, historically black university eight years ago. During that time, he focused on connecting the university to the rest of the city and finding ways to revitalize the community around Smith.
In a 2014 interview with WFAE, Carter said the university should take an active role in shaping the surrounding neighborhoods.
"We use our bully pulpit to bring people together to have a conversation about what the agenda should be for the northwest corridor," said Carter.
He led the push to build Mosaic Village, a development with 80 apartments and shops near campus, and oversaw the construction of the school's new $26 million science center funded through a grant from the Duke Endowment.
Carter also has his critics, including a former Smith trustee who petitioned to have him removed as president due to concerns over big operating deficits.
Carter said in a statement Monday he's never "content to rest on the University's undeniable progress or on my laurels. If anything, they are signs—still, small calls—to move into my next service."
Smith's board of trustees plans to begin a search for Carter's successor in October.
