At the beginning of the 1983 fall semester, in his first address as University President, Donald Ayo asked for an increased commitment toward academic quality and integrity, and he stated his goals for his presidency.
He said: “Nicholls has a tradition of a caring faculty. Our faculty has always been committed to working with the individual student to help students develop to their maximum capability. We must continue to strive for quality in our classrooms, our research laboratories and in advising students. Each of us must have the resolve to achieve such quality.”
According to an article in the 1983 edition of La Pirogue, his goals were to increase academic quality in campus programs, implement university-wide systems which capitalize on developments in high technology, continued physical development of the campus through building additions and renovations and development of a program to market the university to the public.
Ayo began his career at Nicholls when it was called Francis T. Nicholls Junior College of Louisiana State University. He was a student then and received his diploma in 1954.
In 1958, Ayo was an instructor of plant science in horticulture at Louisiana State University. He came to Nicholls that same year to take the position of instructor of plant science.
In 1964 he became the department heard of agriculture, and in 1968 he became an academic dean. Prior to being named president of the university, he was vice president and provost.
Ayo is the first Nicholls graduate to have become a university president.
The presidency opened up ideas for Ayo. According to an article in the 1983 edition of La Pirogue, he wanted to “focus the university’s next phase on fostering the academic growth of the university’s programs and faculty. He pinpointed the biggest challenge facing him as maintaining the level of quality and academic excellence the university is accustomed to, despite the budget cuts it may face in the future.”
His long range plans included gaining accreditation in various departments, offering workshops and short courses, enhancing the relationship between Nicholls and the business community and enhancing professorships.
That was 20 years ago, and Ayo was 48 years old.
Now 69, Ayo reflects on his time here at Nicholls and his decision to retire.
“I think it is certainly with mixed emotions, but I feel good that we are leaving the university in a wonderful position in the academic area,” Ayo says.
“I think we leave with a sense of accomplishment. It has been a team effort; a lot of people have worked together on this. Faculty, staff, students, and people in the private sector certainly have been very supportive.”
It is this support that Ayo hopes will continue to benefit Nicholls in the future. When he looks back at the things he has accomplished during his tenure as president, there are certain things Ayo seems particularly proud of.
“When I started my tenure as president we had two areas nationally accredited, now we have 100 percent national accreditation. We look at the student satisfaction reports from the Board of Regents, and that is very rewarding,” he says.
Ayo also touches on Nicholls’ clean audits, zero bonded indebtedness, fundraising success and endowed chairs as he reminisces through all of his years here.
He talks about the Center for Women in Government, the Dyslexia Center and the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, labeling them as innovative programs that Nicholls has to their credit. He also speaks fondly of the South Louisiana Economic Council that began 20 years ago housed on campus.
“We were the first school in the state of Louisiana to actually have that type of arrangement. Of course, that is the model that is being used now by the state government encouraging more regional universities to do more economic development,” he says.
These accomplishments are not the only ones, but are the ones that Ayo feels are very positive for the university.
“We are happy to have accomplished them, and we are hopeful that they will help move to the next level,” he says.
Aside from the academics, Ayo says he will miss the students of Nicholls.
“I enjoy commencement. I just love to see all of the families and friends and students at commencement. I think that is the ultimate celebration for students, faculty and all of us that are involved in the academic community. I will miss that tremendously,” he says.
Ayo has seen Nicholls grow and prosper, experiencing the University at each level of administration. Ayo says his fondest memories are the ones that have been with him from the very beginning.
“The quality of the faculty that I experienced as a student, the quality of the faculty I was associated with as a faculty member, and I think the quality of my associates in administration have all been very, very wonderful memories. In the administration, we have a great open process on the President’s Council where everyone can express themselves, and of course collectively, after we get a consensus of opinion, we are united on those decisions,” he says.
“I think the neatest thing is the interaction with the students.”
Ayo says that when things become overwhelming in the office he walks the campus to become rejuvenated. “You understand what it is all about. It is not a bureaucracy. It is serving the people,” he says.
For the future of Nicholls, Ayo sees the university continuing to improve by way of quality students that are better trained and very intelligent. He believes students will strive to become more prepared for college.
“I see a very challenging student body, one that will be challenging to the faculty. The better the student body, the better the environment for learning. If Nicholls continues in the same direction that they are going in, I feel very strongly that the quality factor is going to be well known,” Ayo says.
He says once this quality factor is better known on a national level things alumni are doing will come out as they make their mark in the professional world. Ayo says this will contribute to the university through growing endowments.
“There are going to be some challenging times, and there is going to be some tremendous needs for good management. There is also going to be tremendous need to ensure that the quality is going to move in the right direction,” he says.
As far as accomplishments are concerned, Ayo hopes that he has created an acceptable environment for faculty and students to be successful academically, and to perform to the best of their abilities. “Hopefully that is what I will be remembered as,” he says.
Throughout his tenure, Ayo says he would change the operating budget to have seven million dollars more than what the University has now. “If Nicholls were funded at 100 percent we would have over seven million dollars more which would allow us to come out with great enhancement programs, more outreach programs working with local school systems and local organizations to enhance the quality of life for our people,” he says.
Stephen Hulbert, president-elect of Nicholls, has already asked Ayo for some help, but any other involvement that Ayo is to have with the University will be up to the discretion of Hulbert.
Ayo does say he is willing to help in any way he can. “I enjoy the spirit of what Nicholls is about,” he says.
“I do not want to cast a shadow on his administration. He is the president and he is the one who has to make individual decisions. Any way that I can be of assistance to him I will, but I certainly do not want to be seen as interfering with his administration in any way. He has an awesome responsibility and ultimately he and he alone has to be the one to make the final decisions,” Ayo says.
Upon his retirement, Ayo says he has been afforded many options to fill his extra time.
“I have been offered an option to go to Washington D.C. There have been several options as far as dealing with the private sector. My first choice though is to stay in Thibodaux. I think I would like to stay in the Nicholls community area. I have developed some wonderful relationships over the years, and this is a very warm and giving area,” Ayo says.
“I have enjoyed being president, I really have enjoyed it. But the challenge to hopefully do something that would be of benefit to the people that I serve I think is the most rewarding thing in the world.”