Miss WSSU steps down because of GPA

For the first time in WSSU history, Miss Winston-Salem State University has been stripped of her title.

Tiffany Richmond, 22 and a senior mass communications major, was asked to step down because her grade-point average dropped below 2.5, according to Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Melody Pierce.

And Richmond is not the only one: She is one of 13 students who held key titles or positions on campus who were told to vacate their post. "After the official posting of semester grades, the Office of Student Activities verified all the grade-point averages of the Student Government Association (SGA) and the organization presidents, Pierce said.

"According to the SGA constitution, all members of the executive committee must maintain a 2.5 grade-point average. All students who did not meet the qualifications, we asked to step down and select a replacement immediately.

"There were many students that did not meet the qualifications," Pierce added, "but Miss WSSU is such a public position that it seemed to many students that she may have been singled out. She was not."

Stephanie Robinson, a 21-year-old psychology major, has replaced Richmond as Miss Winston-Salem State University.

Robinson said she wants students to accept her, not as a replacement, but as a role model humbled to step into the position.

"I hope students do not put emphasis on this specific situation, " Robinson said. "I would prefer that students understand that this situation merely illustrates that academic performance is the first priority of student leaders at WSSU.

"Leading by example is not the best way, it is the only way," she added.

Richmond, who was voted into the position by 432 students last spring, said she was informed of her need to relinquish the title on Jan. 8.

"I am still in school, I will still graduate on May 6, and I am looking forward to the rest of the school year like everyone else," Richmond said. "I really appreciate their (the student body) support from April and even now that I am no longer Miss Winston-Salem State.

"I understand now that you don't necessarily need a title to be a student leader . . . I am grateful because no matter what, when I graduate from State, I will know how to handle different obstacles I will face."

Pierce said three of the 13 students who failed to keep their positions were from SGA -- Miss WSSU, the Vice President for External Affairs and treasurer. "Ten were from other organizations, including key organizations such as yearbook and the Campus Activities Board," Pierce added.

As for Robinson, she said, "I hope to fulfill all expectations to the fullest and even exceed them. I want my peers to understand that I am honored to continue to represent WSSU in a more public capacity."