in 1895 the north carolina legislature appointed dudley to the board of trustees for the college. later that year he was made secretary of the board, he was secretary until 1896 when the president john o. crosby resigned. the next meeting of the board of trustees dudley was voted by all of the members to become the 2nd president of the college. while he served as president, dudley focused on making the information taught more relevant. he believed that it was best to aim what was taught towards jobs that were currently available. he wanted to give the men and women who attended his college to be able to get jobs and "raise the standard of living among their people." he expanded the curriculum to include carpentry, wood turning, bricklaying, blacksmithing, animal husbandry, horticulture and floriculture, mattress and broom making, shoe making, poultry raising, tailoring, electrical engineering, and domestic science. along with adding these specific classes dudley also added an entire teaching department to the school, that taught pupils to be a teacher while placing special emphasis on "courtesy, manners, and an appreciation to culture in general." dudley himself was praised for his politeness. he also added a summer school program to the college.