Chancellor Dr. David G. Carter, Sr.
David G. Carter has served as the chancellor of the Connecticut State University System since February 2006. He is responsible for seeing that the policies, directives and decisions of the Board of Trustees are carried out. He also is responsible for providing oversight for the management and operations of the Connecticut State University System, which includes four universities - Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven and Western Connecticut State University in Danbury.
Prior to being named chancellor, Carter served as the fifth president of Eastern Connecticut State University. Appointed in April 1988, he was the first African American president of a four-year institution of higher education in Connecticut. Prior to assuming the presidency he served as associate vice president for academic affairs, associate dean in the School of Education and professor of educational administration at the University of Connecticut during an 11-year period. Before joining the faculty at UConn, he was an associate professor in the College of Education at Pennsylvania State University for four years. Previous to his career in higher education, Carter was an elementary school teacher, vice principal, principal and unit facilitator responsible for overseeing more than 20,000 elementary, middle and high school students in 24 Ohio schools.
Carter has published numerous journal articles and chapters in books, and has edited several volumes. His articles have appeared in many publications among them the Journal of Education and Urban Society; the Journal of Black Studies; the NOLPE School Law Journal; Planning and Changing; Urban Education; Emerging Leadership; the Journal of Law and Education; and the NASSP Bulletin. He has been featured in the media, including interviews in Connecticut, Ebony, and Jet magazines, the New York Times, the Hartford Courant, the Norwich Bulletin and the New London Day. He also has appeared on radio and television broadcasts.
Carter is a recipient of the NAACP Roy Wilkins Civil Rights Award; the Outstanding Service and Leadership in Enhancing International Education Award; and the Americanism Award from the Connecticut American Legion. Some of his other awards include the 2003 Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award (The Urban Scouting Committee, Connecticut Rivers Council Boy Scouts of America); the Distinguished Service Award (Natchaug Hospital); the Points of Light Award (Charter Oak Health Care Center); the Image Award (Epsilon -Omicron Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority); and the Black History Community Service Award (the Urban League of Greater Hartford).
He received the Tapestry Award from the Hartford Courant in 2002, and the Good Citizen Award from the Connecticut Grand Lodge Order Sons of Italy in America in 2001. He was selected "Man of the Year" in 2000 by the African American Affairs Commission and received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Briarwood College and received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Goodwin College.
Carter is also active in state and local organizations and agencies. Several of the civic and community organizations to which he gives considerable time are the Eastern States Exposition (member; past chair of the Connecticut Trustees), the Hartford Club (member), and the Governor's Steering Committee on the Task Force of the Connecticut Center for Science and Exploration (member). Carter has served as chair and member of the Board of Visitors of the Marine Corps University, and as chair and member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the American Council of Education and chaired its Finance Committee. He completed his final term as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Presidents Council, in January 2006.
More recently, he was appointed to the board of directors of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the Higher Education Cabinet established by the Chronicle of Higher Education and The New York Times. He also serves on the Connecticut Public Schools Task Force on Financial Education (member), Treasurer/Secretary of the National Association of System Heads (NASH), and the Board of Delegates of the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE).
Born in Dayton, Ohio, Carter completed Edison Elementary School and graduated from Roosevelt High School. He earned a B.S. degree from Central State University in Ohio, an M.Ed. from Miami University in Ohio and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University.
Carter and his wife, Dr. Sandra C. Holley, reside in Connecticut. They have four children, Ehrika Carter Gladden, B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; David Holley, B.A., George Washington University and M.S., Southern Connecticut State University; David George Carter, Jr., B.S., University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and D.D.S., the University of Connecticut; and Jessica Carter, B.A., Spelman, and JD and MBA, Duke University.