Virginia State University extends president's contract through 2029
ETTRICK — Virginia State University's board of visitors has extended the contract of university President Dr. Makola Abdullah through the end of this decade.
The deal, which was approved by the board last week, would keep Abdullah in Ettrick through 2029 with an annual base salary of $422,000. It is the second contract extension awarded to him since he took the job in 2016.
In a statement, Abdullah said he was "happy the board has enough confidence in me to offer me the extension."
Abdullah's original contract was scheduled to end in 2021, but three years ago, he signed an extension that stretched that end date to 2024. If he stays until the end of the extension, Abdullah's tenure would be the fifth-longest of all VSU's 14 presidents, behind John Gandy's 28 years from 1914-1942, James Johnston's 27 years from 1887-1914, Robert Daniel's 18 years from 1950-1968 and Eddie Moore's 17 years from 1993-2010.
Abdullah, 53, came to VSU in 2016 from Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida where he was provost and senior vice president.
His time in Ettrick has seen the university secure millions of dollars in funding for various projects such as an $11.3 million redevelopment of Lockett Hall for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, and the construction of the VSU Multi-Purpose Center that now hosts VSU basketball games and other community events.
In 2019, VSU was ranked 19th among the nation's historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) by U.S. News & World Report.
Earlier this year, Abdullah was appointed to the White House Board of Advisors for HBCUs, a panel created to improve economic diversity and equity in higher education.
Abdullah is a Chicago native who holds degrees in civil engineering from Howard University in Washington and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Virginia State University president gets contract extension to 2029
