Inside DELTA: 5 Questions with Allison Harrison

Allison (Ally) Harrison is a two-time Pride of the Wolfpack Award recipient and has worked at NC State for more than 20 years. In this time, she has contributed to and witnessed enrollment growth of Online and Distance Education courses. While her time spent at the university is impressive, she doesn’t just serve the NC State community. She is dedicated to bettering the state and Raleigh and Wake County areas by giving her time as an avid volunteer.

How would you describe your job to someone outside of DELTA?

Harrison’s responsibilities as Faculty, Student and Program Specialist include:

• Serving as an assistant to the director toward flexible access funding processes.  
• Creating and managing semester and master files to calculate faculty compensation, departmental and college transfer files and teaching assistant funds.
• Collaborating with departments to confirm compensation status.

I understand you have been at NC State for 20+ years. What have been your different roles?

In addition to the previously mentioned duties, she manages Online and Distance Education Program enrollments for programs such as Leadership in the Public Sector and Foreign Language Spanish courses. “I also collaborate with Video Communication Services to schedule classroom and lecture recordings, communicate with departments as needed to ensure campus sections are scheduled in DELTA classrooms and serve as a liaison for copyright concerns,” she said.

What has been your favorite project at DELTA?

As for her favorite project with DELTA, Harrison’s involvement with managing enrollment for academically suspended students was at the top of her list. “That was my passion. The interactions with students and knowing that I was helping give them another chance to meet their educational goals was very fulfilling,” she said. Harrison collaborated with academic advisors and registration and records to ensure successful Online and Distance Education enrollment as she worked with more than 375 students on academic suspension annually.

How did you become involved in the Council of the Status of Women at NC State?

On campus, her efforts extend beyond the office and into other groups such as the Council on the Status of Women. Harrison was selected to serve on the council, filling an at-large staff seat for the 2015–2016 term, and works directly with the sisterhood dinner committee. “The council meets monthly to discuss ongoing projects, their progress and about how we, as a council, can live out our mission,” she explained. She has become increasingly interested in women’s rights and history as well as human rights since taking Women’s Gender Studies courses.

Not only is Harrison dedicated to the Wolfpack and her work here on campus, she is also a devoted community volunteer. “Beyond the scope of NC State University, I work to serve the community. I am a longtime volunteer at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and helped orchestrate a group service project there,” she said. Her passion for helping those suffering from food insecurity is evident through her work with various hunger relief projects. “I have volunteered for more than 15 years with the Food Lion Hunger Relief Day at the NC State Fair and at various post offices for the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Relief Day,” she said.

How do you balance volunteering with your work life, personal life and time spent on the Council of the Status of Women?

With everything Harrison is involved in, it may be impossible to imagine how she doesn’t spread herself thin. Fortunately, she has found balance between her work and volunteering schedules. “I volunteer every other Saturday and spend time at the Food Bank on the second Wednesday of each month. Work and the Council on the Status of Women are weekday priorities; therefore, they don’t interfere with my volunteer and personal life,” she explained.

Thank you, Ally for your many contributions to NC State, Raleigh, Wake County and the state as a whole!