Shaw University News November 14, 2013 SHAW NAMES BUILDING IN HONOR OF PRESIDENT YANCY Shaw University’s Board of Trustees voted to name a campus building in honor of Dr. Dorothy Cowser Yancy, the University’s current president. The vote was passed during the October Board meeting. “As Shaw’s President, Dr. Yancy’s achievements have been remarkable and she has led this University during times of extraordinary challenges and circumstances,” said Dr. Joseph N. Bell, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “The Board thought it fitting to leave a permanent reminder of Dr. Yancy’s legacy at Shaw by naming a building in her honor.” Dr. Yancy began her first term as Shaw’s president on June 1, 2009. During her first year, she was able to stabilize the financial state of the University by securing a $31 million federal loan. She restructured and refinanced the University’s debt, balanced the budget, raised the Composite Financial Index (CFI) score to a positive number and recruited one of the largest freshmen classes in the history of the University. She arrived back at Shaw on September 1, 2011 after the campus had been destroyed by the April 16, 2011 tornado. By April 16, 2012, the devastation had been abated and all buildings were back in use. Currently, she is leading the University through five program accreditation reviews and the regular SACSCOC reaffirmation, with the social work program receiving re-affirmation last month. Her tenure at Shaw has been marked by an increase in alumni giving, endowment creation and academic enhancement. “I am deeply honored and humbled by this naming” said Dr. Yancy. “It has been a privilege to serve the Shaw community as president of this illustrious University and I am thankful to the Board of Trustees for this tremendous recognition.” Dr. Yancy is the fourteenth and sixteenth president of Shaw and was the twelfth president of Johnson C. Smith University (JSCU). She is the first female to hold each of these prestigious titles. As president of JSCU for 14 years, she completed two significant capital campaigns. From 1994 to 2008 she raised more than $145 million for the university. Additionally, during her tenure, the JCSU endowment more than tripled from $14 million to $53 million. In 1996, the university was awarded the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant. JCSU is the only HBCU that has received this grant. In addition, JSCU was the first HBCU to become an IBM “Thinkpad” University. At retirement in 2008, she left the university with a balanced budget and a $10 million rainy day fund. In September, the Board of Trustees announced the appointment of the Shaw University Presidential Search Committee. A national search has commenced to replace Dr. Yancy who will be retiring. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance <mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org>sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> <http://www.hbculibraries.org/>www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 <http://www.lyrasis.org/>www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.