History
We’ve come a long way.
From our beginnings in Dayton, Virginia in 1875 through our move to Winchester, Virginia in 1960, our journey unfolds from the past to the present. Throughout this timeline, we have we have grown, expanded, evolved, excelled. Our trajectory remains forward, as we continue into the future.
The Historic Name “Shenandoah”
The origin of Shenandoah– The name of the institution and the valley where it is situated derived from the indigenous legend of Zynodoa, a chief whose life of strength and courage and his appreciation of beauty resulted in having a river and a valley named for him.
Shenandoah University Historic Timeline
1875 • • •
Rev. A.P. Funkhouser establishes a school in Dayton, Virginia, sometimes referred to as Dayton High School, for “a group of young men, eleven in number” to assist in “some special studies from February 12 to June 11, 1875.” Prof. J.N. Fries joins the school in September.
1877 • • •
The institution’s name changed from Dayton High School to Shenandoah Seminary in the autumn of 1877. Discussions about changing the name began the previous year, but the name change was not finalized until the beginning of the 1877-1878 academic year by the Virginia Conference of the United Brethren in Christ.
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ (U.B. Church) began sending an annual visiting committee to monitor its progress. The school provided young men and women in the U.B. Church with educational opportunities closer to home than denominational colleges in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
1878 • • •
On April 25, Rev. J.E. Hott delivers a lecture in Dayton to support “the purchase of a library for Shenandoah Seminary.”
1879 • • •
On April 2, Shenandoah Seminary was incorporated by the Virginia legislature. The bill was introduced by Senator John Paul in February.
1883 • • •
During the institution’s early years only rudimentary subjects were taught. By 1883, Shenandoah Seminary offered four courses of study – preparatory course (intended to prepare students for the seminary), classical course (a college preparatory course), scientific course (a similar college preparatory course somewhat similar to the classical course but it did not require the study of Greek, and replaced Greek with studies in science, mathematics, and history), and the English course.
On Aug. 29, the Virginia conference of the United Brethren Church expressed its desire to have Shenandoah Seminary transferred to conference control.
1884 • • •
On June 13, Judge William McLaughlin, 13th Judicial Circuit of Virginia, certifies the charter making the Virginia Annual Conference of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ owners of the institution. The institution was re-chartered as the Shenandoah Institute. The United Brethren of Christ Church became the Evangelical United Brethren Church and finally the United Methodist Church – Shenandoah University’s present-day affiliation – in the 1968 merger of the EUB Church and the National Methodist Church.
1886-1893 • • •
Shenandoah Institute experienced rapid growth in facilities, programs and student body. The addition of James H. Ruebush to the staff in 1887 stimulated the growth of a strong music tradition.
1895 • • •
Elmer U. Hoenshel inaugurated as president of Shenandoah Institute.
1902 • • •
Shenandoah was renamed Shenandoah Collegiate Institute and School of Music.
1909 • • •
James H. Ruebush, previously head of the music department, became head of the institution and was given the title general manager instead of principal.
1915 • • •
The Virginia State Board of Education fully accredited the high school department, which ceased operation in 1937.
1916 • • •
Shenandoah provides a 26-piece band, under direction of William Ruebush, to accompany the Second Regiment Virginia Volunteers to the Mexican border. Colonel Robert F. Leedy, commanding the Second, wrote that “this band was composed of men who were easily the peers of any and the superiors of many in like occupation on the Border. I believe that by common consent the band stood second to none in the entire service.”
1918 • • •
“Practically all the young men,” according to James Ruebush, over the age of 18 who enrolled at Shenandoah were drafted to serve in the United States military during World War I. Shortly after the 1918-1919 academic year began, the Spanish flu pandemic reached Virginia. Ruebush took great pride, justifiably so, that Shenandoah did not lose “a single” student to the Spanish flu. At the end of the academic year Ruebush informed the trustees: “The year just closing in many respects has been the most difficult of all our years.”
1921 • • •
Junior college curriculum added.
1922 • • •
David T. Gregory accepts the reins of the institution from James H. Ruebush.
1924 • • •
The certification of a junior college curriculum paved the way for a change in name from Collegiate Institute to College in 1925.
1926 • • •
Arthur L. Maiden leads as president of Shenandoah College.
1930 • • •
Vernon L. Phillips assumes leadership of Shenandoah College.
1933 • • •
Wade S. Miller named president of Shenandoah College.
1937 • • •
The board of trustees authorized the separate incorporation of Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in order that it might offer four-year degrees in music and music education.
1942 • • •
Elmer N. Funkhouser is named president of Shenandoah and is succeeded by Lycurgus P. Hill in 1943.
1944 • • •
Conservatory of Music accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). In the mid-1940s Shenandoah College became a full member in the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
1946 • • •
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ became part of the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) Church and a study group recommended the closing Shenandoah College and Shenandoah Conservatory of Music because of its financial instability.
1952 • • •
Troy R. Brady assumes the presidency of Shenandoah College and Shenandoah Conservatory of Music.
1953-54 • • •
Discussion between James R. Wilkins and Shenandoah’s president, Troy Brady, paved the way for the relocation of the institution to Winchester in 1960 with approval of both the General Conference and the Virginia Annual Conference of the EUB church.
1956 • • •
Winchester-Frederick County Chamber of Commerce launches Shenandoah College Building Fund Drive.
Dr. Forrest S. Racey takes over as president of Shenandoah College and Shenandoah Conservatory of Music and oversees the move to Winchester.
1958 • • •
Ground is broken for the Winchester campus.
1960 • • •
Shenandoah College and Shenandoah Conservatory of Music move from Dayton to Winchester over the summer and in the fall open their 86th session with the Armstrong and Gregory buildings on a 30-acre site.
The board of trustees purchases 12 acres of land for future expansion.
1961-63 • • •
The first residence halls are built on campus.
1962 • • •
Shenandoah assumed responsibility for the nursing program from the Winchester Hospital’s (now Valley Health) School of Nursing. It was the fourth school in Virginia to offer an Associate of Science (ASN) degree in nursing and the second-oldest ASN degree program in the state. All liberal arts and sciences classes were brought on campus and all nursing classes were held in the Winchester Memorial Hospital’s nursing classrooms.
On June 21, President Racey expresses his intention to integrate Shenandoah in a letter to Dr. Elmer N. Funkhouser. Shenandoah admits its first Black student during its “summer school program.”
1963 • • •
The board of trustees purchases 12 acres of land for future expansion.
1968 • • •
The EUB Church participates in United Methodist merger and Shenandoah finds new support for expansion.
1969 • • •
Dr. Robert P. Parker takes over as president to continue the development of the Winchester campus.
Shingleton Health and Physical Education Building opens.
1973 • • •
Musical Theatre program is launched under the direction of Harold (Hal) Herman.
1974 • • •
The college and conservatory become a single institution — Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music — with four divisions that were the beginning of the Conservatory, the School of Arts & Sciences, the School of Health Professions, and the School of Business. Dorothy Ewing Dance Studio built, thanks to donations from Ms. Ewing and her friend Mary K. Aulick.
1975 • • •
The Century II Program, a bold fund-raising effort, was launched in 1975, the school’s 100th anniversary. A challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation in the amount of $75,000 made it possible for Howe Library to be upgraded and renovated.
1976 • • •
The institution changes its name to Shenandoah College and Conservatory.
1978 • • •
Ground is broken for Goodson Chapel-Recital Hall.
The first graduate programs are put in place for master of music education and master of business administration.
1980 • • •
The first graduate programs are put in place.
1981 • • •
First graduate degrees are awarded.
1982 • • •
Dr. James A. Davis becomes Shenandoah College and Conservatory’s 15th president.
Shenandoah acquires the John Kerr Building in downtown Winchester for just $10.
Shenandoah Athletics receives Division III status from NCAA.
1983 • • •
The official inauguration for President Davis is held on April 9. Special guests include former Shenandoah presidents Wade S. Miller, Troy R. Brady, Forrest S. Racey and outgoing president Robert Parker.
Shenandoah begins an $850,000 restoration project on the John Kerr Building in downtown Winchester to save the c. 1883 structure. The building serves as the new home for the Allied Health program and the Gallagher Community Arts Center.
Shenandoah purchases an additional 18 acres of land east of I-81.
Gore Hall, a 60-bed residence hall, is constructed and opened.
Construction begins to enlarge the dining hall.
The School of Health Professions moves to the John Kerr Building in Winchester.
1984 • • •
The business school is named the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business to honor Senator Byrd, who is also a distinguished professor in the school.
Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre, the only professional musical theatre in the Shenandoah Valley, opens its inaugural season with “Shenandoah.”
1985 • • •
The cafeteria is enlarged and renamed the Allen Dining Hall.
1987 • • •
The successful $10 million Campaign for Shenandoah concludes well ahead of schedule.
Dorothy Ewing Studio of Dance is constructed adjacent to Shingleton Gymnasium.
Construction begins on Mary M. Henkel Hall.
School of Nursing is renamed the Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing.
1988 • • •
Mary H. Henkel Hall – home of the School of Business – is dedicated.
Enrollment hits 1,000 students for first time.
1989 • • •
Shenandoah begins program planning for a master’s program in physical therapy.
1990 • • •
Shenandoah opens a Northern Virginia Campus facility in Leesburg, offering degree and non-degree programs for adult students.
Wilkins Building is expanded; new addition on north end houses offices for admissions, financial aid, business and the president.
Shenandoah is admitted to the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges.
1991 • • •
Shenandoah College and Conservatory becomes Shenandoah University on Jan. 1.
Shenandoah moves from the Eastern States Athletic Conference to the Dixie Conference (now USA South Conference). The university becomes associates in the conference in 1992 and full-time in 1993.
McCormick Civil War Institute and the Blue Ridge Institute for Environmental Studies are formed.
Construction begins on Harry Aikens Field behind Parker Hall, requiring tons of fill dirt.
Shenandoah adds programs in occupational therapy and physical therapy.
1992 • • •
Shenandoah University registers its Internet domain name, www.su.edu.
Alson H. Smith Jr. Library is dedicated in September.
University physical therapy program is accredited.
Durell Institute of Monetary Science begins operations in the School of Business. (Durell Institute is later relocated to the Alson H. Smith Jr. Library.)
Athletics adds men’s lacrosse; the team plays its first game in 1993.
1993 • • •
Shenandoah buys the C&P Telephone substation building on Millwood Avenue and uses it as the conservatory’s costume shop.
University admits the first students into its occupational therapy program. First class of physical therapy students graduate.
The Lin Rong-San Institute for Journalism is formed.
1994 • • •
The Durrell Foundation awards the university’s Durell Institute of Monetary Science a $4 million 10-year grant.
The Center for Organizational Excellence is formed.
Shenandoah University’s newspaper – The SUN – is established and begins weekly publication.
Athletics adds women’s lacrosse; the team plays its first game in 1995.
Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy programs move into 333 Cork St. (former site of the Winchester Memorial Hospital).
1995 • • •
SU is approved to offer the Doctor of Pharmacy and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Education degrees.
SU adds program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
Athletics adds cross country for men and women.
1996 • • •
The Health Professions Building, leased by Shenandoah, opens on the campus of the Winchester Medical Center. It is home to SU’s nursing, respiratory care and pharmacy programs.
Shenandoah admits its first class of doctoral pharmacy students – 63 in all. IBM laptops are distributed to all pharmacy students and an internet-based pharmacy curriculum is implemented. Pharmacy students are provided digital books, online databases and access to internet-based resources to utilize during the experiential phase of their education while miles away from traditional classrooms and libraries.
Construction begins on new building and theatre for Shenandoah Conservatory.
Working out of space in Handley High School, WCT cable television debuts on Feb. 14. WCT is a partnership between Shenandoah University, the City of Winchester and the Winchester Public Schools.
The Chaplain’s Office organizes the first Spring Break Mission Trip.
1997 • • •
Shenandoah’s James L. Bowman Building, a former bank located on the north end of the Loudoun Street walking mall, is dedicated.
The John O. Marsh Institute for Government and Public Policy is founded and is housed in the Alson H. Smith Jr. Library.
Shenandoah announces new Doctor of Musical Arts in performance and Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education programs.
1998 • • •
Shenandoah launches its first online degree program. The online Nontraditional Doctor Of Pharmacy (NTDP) pathway allows practicing, U.S.-licensed pharmacists who have a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy the opportunity to earn a Doctor Of Pharmacy degree.
Ruebush Hall and the Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre are dedicated as Shenandoah Conservatory’s hub for vocal music and theatre program.
The school of pharmacy at the site of the Winchester Medical Center, is renamed the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy. Dr. and Mrs. Bernard J. Dunn Jr. give Shenandoah the largest single gift in its history – $10 million. The school’s name honors Dr. Dunn’s father.
Enrollment surpasses 2,000 students for the first time ever.
1999 • • •
Shenandoah University purchases a commercial motel adjacent to main campus and converts it into a new 206-bed residence hall, the University Inn.
Shenandoah’s Northern Virginia Campus, which began with business classes in the 1990 and expanded into other graduate-level areas, moves into the old hospital building in Leesburg.
WCT is moved to Shenandoah University’s new Television Center on Millwood Avenue.
Shenandoah adds football to its roster of intercollegiate teams; the Hornets play their first game the following year.
2000 • • •
The Hornets finish their first football season 4-6, ranking them number one among four new NCAA Division III football programs.
The university breaks ground in Loudoun County for its new Northern Virginia Campus facility, and it breaks ground for its new football stadium and field house on main campus to house a vastly expanded athletic program.
The university dedicates its Aikens Athletic Center field house.
Shenandoah announces new Doctor of Musical Arts in performance program.
Shenandoah announces new Doctor of Education: Administrative Leadership program.
SU dedicates its new Television Center south of campus and unveils Winchester Community Radio under the leadership of the Mass Communication program.
2001 • • •
Shenandoah welcomes first class in new Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
Shenandoah admits students for two new master’s programs in the School of Health Professions: athletic training and physician assistant studies. The Physician Assistant Studies program is housed in the Winchester Medical Center’s Medical Office Building II.
The Hornets open their second football season in the university’s new Shentel Stadium. The $750,000 naming-rights agreement with Edinburgh, Va.-based Shenandoah Telecommunications Company is the first of its kind in NCAA Division III. The Hornets won their first game in Shentel, 37-6.
The university dedicates its new Northern Virginia Campus facility on Route 7 east of Leesburg, Va. The campus delivers programs in business, nursing, teacher education and technology.
Continuing Education establishes the College for Lifelong Learning.
Shenandoah launches the Willa Cather Institute to support the development of academic programs for students, public lectures and discussions devoted to Cather’s work.
Emergency telephones are installed across main campus, completing the President’ Seven-Point Safety Plan, which was drafted in 2000.
2002 • •
Shenandoah acquires the Fairfax-Cameron Building on Cameron Street in downtown Winchester, a press box is added to the Shentel Stadium facility.
Continuing Education becomes the School of Continuing Education.
The Wilkins Administration Building gets a new brick façade.
The five original residence halls – Racey, Cooley, Parker, Gore and Funkhouser – are retrofitted with sprinkler systems.
Shenandoah University receives a $1.3 million unrestricted gift of commercial property in Martinsburg, West Virginia, from the Schmidt Baking Company, Inc., of Baltimore, Md.
2003 • • •
School of Arts & Sciences is renamed the College of Arts & Sciences.
The first class graduates in athletic training master’s program.
The History and Tourism Center at Shenandoah University (The Knowledge Point) celebrates its opening in April at its Fairfax Cameron Building location in downtown Winchester.
Shenandoah establishes a Mathematics Learning Center for pre- and in-service high school teachers.
Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre celebrates 20 years of musical theatre.
The first class of physician assistant studies students graduates in December.
University buys the Millwood Avenue Fire & Rescue Squad building. When the rescue company moves to its new facility, Shenandoah will construct a new building for the School of Business.
2004 • • •
The Doctor of Education in administrative leadership program graduates its first class.
Shenandoah’s enrollment hits 3,000 for the first time.
Shenandoah graduates its first doctoral class in physical therapy.
Shenandoah announces its unique Global Citizenship Project (GCP), which sends 60 members of the campus community to destinations around the world over spring break – all expenses paid by the university. Individuals write essays stating why they would like to travel abroad, a committee selects the best, and then announce travel destinations.
2005 • • •
Over spring break, the first Global Citizenship Project participants head to Taiwan, Mali, India, Costa Rica and the Netherlands.
The SU Statue was installed in the center of the quad in May and began to star in Commencement photoshoots.
Construction renovations begin on the Wilkins Administration Building to install new heating and air condition systems and upgrade administrative office space.
Shenandoah University and The George Washington University collaborate to launch unique program in pharmacogenomics, the study of how genetics affect a body’s response to prescription medications.
Shenandoah breaks ground for the History and Tourism Center, a history, tourism and scholarly research facility located near Abrams Delight Museum on South Pleasant Valley.
In the fall, Shenandoah University approves its new mission statement, which includes six core values that provide a foundation for the decisions it makes and the programs it offers.
2006 • • •
The Institute for Church Professions is formed to cultivate and nurture new leaders for the church, and the Institute for Entrepreneurship is formed to encourage young entrepreneurs.
The university breaks ground for a 273-space parking garage (which opened in August), a new business school facility, an end-zone building at Shentel Stadium, a new student center, an expanded Television Center and a pedestrian bridge over Abrams Creek on main campus.
The Edwards Residential Village – formerly the Quality Inn – is dedicated. The new 158-bed residence hall is named in honor of H. Robert Edwards and his wife Betty for their many years of service and support of Shenandoah University.
The Kathryn Perry Werner End-Zone Building is dedicated at Shentel Stadium.
Shenandoah’s athletic department adds men’s and women’s track and field.
The Romine Living Center – formerly the Holiday Inn Executive Center –is dedicated. The new 48-bed residence hall is named in honor of former trustee George L. Romine.
Shenandoah University breaks ground for the Brandt Student Center on main campus.
The university now owns 123 acres – considerably more than the 45 acres when Dr. Davis arrived in 1982.
2007 • • •
The Vickers Communication Center – an expanded television center on Millwood Avenue – is dedicated. The facility is home to both WCT (Shenandoah’s cable television station) and TV3 Winchester (an ABC affiliate).
Shenandoah University earns initial AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) International accreditation for its business program.
The Dayton Bridge, funded in large part by alumni from Shenandoah’s Dayton, Va., era, is dedicated on main campus. The bridge spans Abrams Creek between Smith Library and Ruebush Hall.
School of Continuing Education becomes School of Education and Human Development.
Dr. James A. Davis publishes his book, “Rules of Civility for a Modern Society.”
President Davis announces he will retire June 30, 2008, after 26 years at Shenandoah University, and the board of trustees announces its selection for his successor. Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons, Shenandoah’s current senior vice president & vice president for academic affairs, becomes the university’s 16th president and first female president on July 1, 2008.
Shenandoah University and TV3 Winchester dedicated the Vickers Communication Center.
Shenandoah Conservatory announced two significant appointments to the faculty. The Audubon String Quartet will serve as quartet-in-residence and renowned Irish concert pianist John O’Conor will join the faculty as a distinguished visiting artist.
2008 • • •
Shenandoah University’s Spirit of Shenandoah comprehensive campaign reaches $55 million milestone toward $65 million goal.
The Marsh Institute for Government & Public Policy is renamed the Institute for Government & Public Service.
The School of Education and Human Development celebrates the opening of the Claude Moore Center for Literacy, which promotes literacy in the region.
The university celebrates the dedication of three new facilities, Halpin-Harrison Hall, the home of the School of Business; the History & Tourism Center and the Brandt Student Center, all components of the Spirit of Shenandoah campaign.
Halpin-Harrison Hall opens on Jan. 14 at the start of the spring semester. An official opening event is held on March 28.
The Shenandoah University History & Tourism Center opens on Jan. 14 at the start of the spring semester. On May 6, the building is officially named Davis Hall, in honor of President James A. Davis.
The School of Business hosts its first-ever Business Symposium.
The Chaplain’s Office at Shenandoah University evolves into the Spiritual Life team, under the direction of the dean of spiritual life and director of church relations. The team includes a bishop-in-residence, a spiritual life coordinator, two chapel interns in mission, a coordinator of faith community nursing, and administrative assistant and a number student workers.
President James A. Davis signs the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, promising Shenandoah will do its part in the fight against global climate change. This pledge would be renewed in 2009 by Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons.
Dr. James A. Davis retires at age 63, after serving as Shenandoah University’s president for 26 years. His vision and leadership took the institution from 874 students and 14 buildings to more than 3,300 students and almost 40 buildings from 11 undergraduate and two graduate programs to more than 80 undergraduate programs, 24 master’s programs and nine doctoral programs. He helped build endowment from less than $500,000 to more than $50 million.
Mitchell “Mitch” Moore is hired as the new vice president for advancement (the position formerly known as vice president for development).
Bryon Grigsby is named Shenandoah’s new senior vice president & vice president for academic affairs, replacing Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons who becomes the university’s president on July 1. Dr. Grigsby begins his appointment on July 1.
Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre celebrates 25 years of musical theatre.
Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons becomes Shenandoah University’s 16th president on July 1. Her official inauguration is set for Sept. 25 and 26, 2008.
SU’s Northern Virginia Campus moves to a new location in Loudoun County, Virginia.
After playing on natural grass since the 2,500-seat football stadium was built in 2001, the Hornets now play home games on an artificial turf in-fill system. The nearly $750,000 project started in early May and was completed by late June.
Shenandoah University is completely wired for broadband network and Internet access. Most buildings have wireless access.
2009 • • •
Shenandoah University forms a collaborative affiliation with Inova Health System of Falls Church, Virginia, to support the university’s second-degree BSN program. The program is offered at the new Northern Virginia Campus facility, adjacent to Inova Loudoun Hospital.
Shenandoah University and Shenandoah Telecommunication Company (Shentel) extend their existing naming rights for the university’s football stadium to stipulate the stadium and field are now known as Sprint Field at Shentel Stadium.
Shenandoah now has 20 varsity sports. The 10 men’s sports are: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, indoor track & field, lacrosse, outdoor track & field, soccer and tennis. The 10 sports for women are: basketball, cross country, field hockey, indoor track & field, lacrosse, outdoor track & field, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.
The Shenandoah University baseball team qualifies for its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division III World Series. After the NCAA championship, SU finishes its most successful season in school history with a No. 6 ranking in the final American Baseball Coaches Association poll, the highest finish ever for any SU athletic team.
Shenandoah University’s board of trustees votes unanimously to award the honorary title “president emeritus” to Dr. James A. Davis, the institution’s 15th president. In Shenandoah’s 134-year history, only one other former president has been given emeritus status; Dr. Forrest Racey, the institution’s 13th president.
Shenandoah University participates in the 82nd Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival Grand Feature Parade on May 2. This is the first time since 1988 the university participated in the parade with a full-fledged float.
The university dedicates its new 19,864-square-foot Northern Virginia Campus (NVC) facility.
The McKown Plaza is officially dedicated on April 28 with its benefactor, Trustee Emerita Suzanne White McKown, and members of her family in attendance. The multi-level leisure, performance and learning space overlooks the soccer field behind Shingleton Gymnasium and surrounding trees and Abrams Creek.
The Winchester Armory property is officially turned over to Shenandoah University on July 11. The building on Millwood Avenue opened on Dec. 8, 1940.
The women’s track & field team earns the nation’s highest team GPA according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The Hornets had a cumulative team GPA of 3.676 to top a group of 100 schools earning Division III All-Academic team honors.
The National Jazz Workshop, designed for students, educators, professionals and jazz enthusiasts of all levels and abilities, is held at Shenandoah University for the first time.
The School of Business’ weekend Master of Business Administration program is relocated from the Northern Virginia Campus in Leesburg to the Winchester campus.
iMLearning project begins at Shenandoah, with MacBook laptop computers issued to all incoming full-time freshmen, some graduate students and a select group of full-time faculty. Students also select either an iPod touch or an iPhone as part of the integrated mobile learning package.
Going Global: First-Year Seminar (FYS) completes its inaugural semester. FYS encourages all full-time freshmen to expand their cultural awareness and provides a common experience for them, which helps them transition into college life together. The overall goal is to have students demonstrate an increased capacity to realize development as global citizens able to make responsible contributions within a community, nation and world.
Concluded a $65 million capital campaign, opening several new facilities including Halpin-Harrison Hall, Davis Hall, the Brandt Student Center and the Kathryn Perry-Werner End-Zone Building at Shentel Stadium.
Admits the largest undergraduate class in institutional history for the fall semester.
Launches an aggressive five year-strategic plan 2008-2013 with four main goals to provide an exciting and valid roadmap for the university’s journey over the next five years: Goal 1: Academic Excellence (making academic excellence and learning success the highest priority); Goal 2: A Place of Choice (for study, work and collaborative partnerships); Goal 3: Recognition and Reputation (enhancing recognition and visibility); and Goal 4: Align Resources (develop and align resources–financial, capital and human–to enhance, promote and strengthen the university).
Shenandoah University’s Northern Virginia Campus welcomes students for the beginning of the fall semester on Tuesday, Aug. 24. This is the first fall semester of classes in the new Northern Virginia Campus facility, located at 44160 Scholar Plaza in Leesburg, Virginia.
2010 • • •
Shenandoah University celebrates its 50th anniversary in Winchester, and honors its first 85 years in Dayton with the unveiling of the “We’re Golden” logo, signage throughout the community, 52 historic ads and a 16-page tabloid donated by The Winchester Star and the 50th Anniversary Gala held during Homecoming Weekend. The year 1960 is at the center of it all – when the last group of students graduated on the Dayton campus and the first group of students attended classes in Winchester.
The university announces the results of a study estimating the overall economic impact of Shenandoah University at $90 million annually with 1,342 jobs supported by the institution.
For the second year, the largest undergraduate class in institutional history is admitted with the highest academic profile. Selectivity increases considerably with an average student GPA of 3.37, an SAT score of 1034 and more students denied admittance than ever before.
Shenandoah University earns its first-ever USA South Conference baseball championship with a 7-4 win over Christopher Newport University on April 18.
New green space now exists where an old asphalt road used to be along Abrams Creek, and new bridges cross between the Racey Ponds near Armstrong and Gregory halls.
After 16 years of weekly publication, the Shenandoah University newspaper – The SUN – is published for the last time on May 5. Student-writers unveil a new, student-run publication called The ’Doah during the fall semester.
Shenandoah creates more green space for the university community by de-constructing the residence hall parking lot near Parker, Racey, Cooley, Funkhouser and Gore halls and the creek-side road.
Accepted membership to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), making the Hornets the 14th member of the ODAC, effective July 1, 2012.
Shenandoah University announces the purchase of the former Jno. S. Solenberger Co. building on the Loudoun Street Mall, in partnership with the City of Winchester, as future graduate student housing.
2011 • • •
Shenandoah University launches a new brand platform and a new institutional signature to express its unique mission, vision, values and personality. Shenandoah’s brand platform is founded on broadly held and deeply felt core values and competitive advantages expressed by faculty, staff, students and alumni, and provides language and concepts that tell the university’s story in simple and direct words.
The Feltner Community Foundation and the Wilbur M. Feltner family donates The Feltner Building, to Shenandoah University. The historic property in downtown Winchester, formerly known as 9 Court Square, is a complex of buildings situated at the northeast corner of Loudoun and Boscawen streets. This donation is the university’s largest-ever property gift to this point.
Clarresa Morton is named Shenandoah’s new vice president for enrollment management & student success, a new vice president position overseeing the Office of Admissions, Academic Support Services, Career Services and the Wilkins Wellness Center. Morton served as Shenandoah’s vice president for student affairs since 2004.
Rhonda VanDyke is named Shenandoah’s new vice president for student life (previously student affairs). VanDyke is now responsible for the Office of Residence Life, the Department of Public Safety, the Office of Spiritual Life and all aspects of Student Activities, including the operations of the Brandt Student Center, outdoor programs, recreational sports and intramural sports. VanDyke served as dean of spiritual life and director of the Institute for Church Professions since 2006.
The university opens Solenberger Hall, available as apartment-style, contemporary student housing for graduate students and upperclassmen, although much of the late-19th century building was preserved during the renovation process and its charm retained.
Shenandoah introduces a new multidisciplinary minor in International Studies, intended to provide students with a foundational knowledge of an increasingly interdependent world.
Reintroduced a new tradition – New Student Convocation – and upgraded check-in services for students and their families during Welcome Week.
Won the USA South title for women’s cross country, while baseball and softball teams went to the NCAA Regionals; a school-record number of student-athletes earned Academic All-USA South honors.
Recognized as one of just two universities specifically cited for excellent programs in athletic training by Education-Portal.com.
Expanded green spaces, built rain gardens and constructed the first green roof on campus.
Completed a year-long celebration of 50 years in Winchester.
Completed renovations to Funkhouser–Gore residence halls, providing students with better spaces to interact, learn and socialize.
Created the Dayton Gallery in the Brandt Student Center to house memorabilia commemorating the university’s 85 years in Dayton.
2012 • • •
The School of Business earns its maintenance of accreditation from the AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The business school earned its initial accreditation on April 22, 2007.
Shenandoah Conservatory launches its initiative to become an All-Steinway School.
As part of the iMLearning project, all full-time undergraduates now use MacBook laptop computers and other Apple technologies to complete classwork.
Shenandoah becomes the 14th member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) on July 1. The change in membership is the first for the university since it joined the USA South Athletic Conference (formerly the Dixie Conference) as an active member in July 1993.
Apple Inc. honors Shenandoah University’s Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy and Shenandoah Conservatory for Apple Distinguished Programs in pharmacogenomics and music production and recording technology (MPRT) for the 2011-12 school year. Apple renewed this honor again in 2012-13 school year as well.
Shenandoah launches a student-run radio station, SU Upstream Radio, to entertain and inform the campus community with music, current events, weather, traffic and news from noon to midnight.
The university forms a Staff Council as the representative body for all staff members, to advise, communicate, advocate and make recommendations to senior administration related to staff issues.
The university signs a letter of understanding with the City of Winchester, transferring management and oversight of Comcast Channel 20 to the city. Established in 1996 as “Winchester Community Television,” the channel served as a joint partnership between Shenandoah University, the City of Winchester and Winchester Public Schools. The partnership ended in 2009, after the withdrawal of both the city and city schools for financial reasons.
The women’s soccer team wins a first-ever NCAA Tournament bid and its first-ever USA South Conference championship.
Shenandoah’s School of Education & Human Development hosts its first-ever doctoral student conference.
Dr. W. Randy Boxx retires as dean of the School of Business. During Boxx’s tenure, the business school earned AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation and Halpin-Harrison Hall, the $13 million facility housing the business school, was built, dedicated and opened.
Dr. Miles Davis assumes the role of dean of the School of Business, becoming Shenandoah’s first African American dean.
The College of Arts and Sciences launches a new outdoor leadership and education (OLED) program.
Sarah’s Glen is constructed, with gardens, a domed structure and a pavilion in memory of the late Sarah Brandt, daughter of Trustee Bill Brandt and his wife, Elaine.
Shenandoah University, together with Our Health, is awarded the Americorps Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) grant. The three-year Vista grant is intended to enhance the level of community engagement by university students and 56 members of Our Health.
Shenandoah University celebrates 50 years of nursing excellence and officially names the Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing. Preliminary studies begin for the construction of a new health sciences building on main campus.
Shenandoah University receives its first-ever National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant. The grant aids university and Virginia Department of Health (VDH) researchers in their desire to address the issue of infant mortality in three Virginia localities – Winchester City, Frederick and Page counties.
The Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing acquires a $2.58 million federal grant, representing the largest competitive grant ever received by Shenandoah University. Funded in part by the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program, the grant will provide $645,000 in scholarships for full-time undergraduate nursing students each year for the next four years.
2013 • • •
Shenandoah University and Inova announce a collaboration to bring to Northern Virginia medical education programs designed to grow and strengthen the regional workforce. The partnership will offer graduate programs in occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT) and physician assistant (PA) studies at the university’s Northern Virginia Campus, near Inova Loudoun Hospital in Loudoun County, Virginia.
The university enters a public-private partnership with The Civil War Trust to permanently protect 195 acres along the Shenandoah River that played a crucial role in the July 18, 1864, Battle of Cool Spring.
The university breaks ground for the 71,000-square-foot, $25 million Health & Life Sciences Building.
The Janette E. Ogg Research Center is dedicated. The center is the fifth university voice research facility in the United States and the first on the East Coast.
Shenandoah is awarded a three-year grant, in excess of $1.1 million, for a project to integrate interprofessional education into its advance practice nursing curriculum and prepare health professionals for rural health care initiatives. The funds are provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The university is one of nine institutions across the country participating in a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Shenandoah’s project, for which more than $1.2 million in federal funding has been recommended, aims to identify and enroll veterans who received medical training and gained experience while they were in the service, and to help those individuals transition into the civilian workforce as bachelor degree-prepared nurses.
Adrienne G. Bloss, Ph.D., previously associate dean for academic affairs and institutional relations at Roanoke College, was named Shenandoah University’s next vice president for academic affairs and began her new position on July 8.
On Oct. 11, Gabriella Miller, a 10-year-old national childhood cancer awareness advocate, spends a “Day in College” and is conferred with an honorary Bachelor of Arts degree and presented with the President’s Medal for Outstanding Service in Cancer Awareness.
Shenandoah’s Pharmacogenomics and Music Production & Recording Technology (MPRT) programs are renewed as Apple Distinguished Programs for 2013-15, a recognition first achieved in 2011. The designation is reserved for programs that meet criteria for innovation, leadership and educational excellence; and they demonstrate a clear vision of exemplary learning environments.
Shenandoah joins a consortium of Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV) institutions entering into a landmark agreement with Richard Bland College of the College of William and Mary. The agreement guarantees admission for graduates of Richard Bland College into a number of CICV colleges and universities.
2014 • • •
Adjunct associate professor of French horn Joe Lovinsky completed a 100-mile run to raise scholarship money for current and future Shenandoah Conservatory French horn students.
The Millwood Avenue Public Improvement Project is completed, achieving significant stormwater management improvements, the realignment of University Drive and the creation of a free-flowing right turn lane on Jubal Early Drive.
The new Health & Life Sciences Building is completed. This is the home of the Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing, respiratory care, athletic training, biology and chemistry programs, as well as all pre-health programs; graduate health programs will access the 16-bed cadaver lab on the third floor of the building.
Shenandoah and Inova join to expand graduate health education programs and strengthen the regional workforce in Northern Virginia. Inova provides $3.2 million in seed money for the university to accommodate graduate programs in OT, PT, and PA studies; build an eight-bed cadaver lab; and lease space for up to two years at the university’s Northern Virginia Campus-Scholar Plaza in Ashburn, Virginia.
Timothy Ford, Ph.D., becomes the first dean of the School of Health Professions on July 1, 2014, with responsibilities for leading the divisions of athletic training, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies and physical therapy at two campus locations.
Under the direction of Associate Professor of Music Theatre Jonathan Flom, M.F.A., Shenandoah Conservatory premiered Green Day’s “American Idiot” on Sept. 26. “American Idiot” is a groundbreaking new rock musical, utilizing hit music from the California punk band’s 2004 album of the same name as well as their 2009 album “21st Century Breakdown.”
The Collins Music Learning Suite, an innovative learning space for undergraduate and graduate music education students, was dedicated in October. The learning suite, located in rooms 209 and 211 of Ruebush Hall, provides enhanced instruction and access to technology for music education students, and is named for exemplary Shenandoah alumni, Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus Charlotte A. Collins ’85, Ed.D., and Professor Emeritus Verne E. Collins ’84, Ed.D.
Shenandoah University is selected by the National Writing Project (NWP) as the official site for the Shenandoah Valley Writing Project (SVWP). The SVWP joins a network of nearly 190 local sites of the National Writing Project, serving all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
2015 • • •
Shenandoah University is one of 15 Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV) member schools to participate in the Solar Market Pathway for Independent Colleges of Virginia (SMP-ICV) program through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative.
In January, legendary jazz trumpeter, music educator and GRAMMY Award-winning musician Wynton Marsalis completed his 2014-15 residency at Shenandoah Conservatory. On Feb. 4, the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Jan Wagner, performed the world premiere of his newly revised, complete “Blues Symphony” presented by Washington Performing Arts at The Music Center at Strathmore.
Shenandoah Conservatory Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Theatre Harold “Hal” Herman, B.A., founder and producing artistic director of Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre (SSMT), retires from his role with SSMT and accepts the new position of artistic director emeritus. Long-time SSMT Music Director Thomas “Tom” Albert, D.M.A., is named artistic director. Shenandoah Conservatory’s Theatre Division Production Manager Elizabeth “Liz” Albert, Tom’s daughter, is named associate managing director of SSMT.
The Shenandoah University Intercollegiate Athletics Department unveils a new graphics identity in April 2015. The new identity consists of a primary mark, two secondary logos and sports-specific tertiary logos as well as wordmarks and a custom typeface. The identity, the first extensive redesign in more than 20 years, provides the athletics department with a consistent style. The process of updating athletics’ graphic identity began in February 2014. Created by New York City-area design firm Skye Design Studios in conjunction with a university-based committee, the identity’s custom typeface is inspired by early 20th-century Shenandoah sports uniforms.
President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D., receives the 2015 Francis Asbury Award for fostering United Methodist ministries in higher education from the Virginia Conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministries. According to the organization, Dr. Fitzsimmons “has been a supporter of the office of Spiritual Life since she started at Shenandoah University over a decade ago. Additionally, her continual vision to provide an atmosphere and a community of care has permeated through the campus culture.”
Shenandoah University’s Children’s Literature Conference celebrates its 30th year.
Marjorie Lewis ’81 is first alumna and woman to lead the university’s board of trustees.
Jeff W. Coker, Ph.D., former dean of undergraduate studies at the University of North Florida (UNF) in Jacksonville, Florida, is named Shenandoah University’s next dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and began his new position on July 1.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awards a grant expected to total $935,393 over three years to Shenandoah. The university’s Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy leads an effort to provide interprofessional education aimed at preparing future health care providers to identify patients’ behavioral health issues related to substance abuse and to effectively intervene and refer patients for treatment when appropriate.
The All-Steinway Initiative is completed, adding 35 Steinways and 56 Steinway-produced Bostons to Shenandoah Conservatory’s fleet of concert, studio, and rehearsal pianos. Shenandoah joins an elite roster of All-Steinway schools, affirming its commitment to excellence in pre-professional training for all students.
The university is awarded a $52,000 grant from the National Park Service’s (NPS) American Battlefield Protection Program to gather information on the history and cultural landscape of the Shenandoah River Campus at Cool Spring Battlefield. An illustrated historical and cultural landscape narrative will be generated, leading to the development of a strategic rehabilitation plan for the site.
The university announces (Oct. 2015) and breaks ground (Nov. 2015) on The Village, a new on-campus housing initiative that, when all is said and done, will comprise five buildings and house a total of 120 students. Designed by Earl Swensson Associates (ESa) of Nashville, Tennessee, The Village will be constructed by OakCrest Companies and will be located behind Goodson Chapel and the Aikens Athletic Center. The first building will be named “Caruthers House,” in honor of Preston C. Caruthers and the late Jeanne Caruthers for their longtime support and commitment to the students of Shenandoah University.
Robert L. “Bob” Keasler Jr., vice president for finance and treasurer at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, is named the new vice president for administration and finance at Shenandoah University. A native of Altavista, Virginia, he replaces Richard C. Shickle, who retired Sept. 1, after serving in the post for 31 years. Keasler began his new position Dec. 1.
In partnership with Wesley Theological Seminary and the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church, the university is awarded a $600,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish the Shenandoah University Youth Theology Institute. The program is part of Lilly Endowment’s High School Youth Theology Institutes initiative, which seeks to encourage young people to explore theological traditions, ask questions about the moral dimensions of contemporary issues and examine how their faith calls them to lives of service.
The baseball team wins its first-ever ODAC championship.
2016 • • •
Shenandoah University marks 25 years of university status, which became official on Jan. 1, 1991.
Ground breaks on a 77,000-square-foot Athletics & Events Center next to Shentel Stadium. The facility, designed to accommodate athletic practices, games, and university and community events, features 63,000 square feet of multipurpose field house space, retractable seating for 1,600, and theatre-style seating space for 5,000. A late 2017 completion date is anticipated.
The first two residence halls in The Village, Caruthers House and Roni’s Roost, open. The former is named after Preston and the late Jeanne Caruthers, while the latter is named for Roni Flett Wilkins, whose husband, James R. Wilkins, Jr., has served on the Board of Trustees since 1990, and whose father-in-law, James R. Wilkins, Sr., was a founder of the modern-day Shenandoah. The Village is slated to feature five apartment-style buildings to house upperclass students who also agree to mentor their fellow students.
The Wilkins Portals, flanking the University Drive entrance, are completed as part of the Eastern Gateway Project, which also featured the construction of stone garden walls at Halpin-Harrison Hall and Vickers Communication Center, the laying of underground conduit and the completion of additional landscaping.
Robert DiCenzo, Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCP, begins work in late June as the second dean of the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy, after having served previously as professor of pharmacy practice and interim dean of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Albany, New York. Dr. DiCenzo succeeded founding dean Alan McKay, Ph.D., who retired from Shenandoah after 21 years of service to the university.
Kathleen LaSala, Ph.D., RN, PNP, CNE, joins Shenandoah as dean of the Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing in late June, after having served associate dean of academic affairs and professor of nursing at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing in Columbia, South Carolina. Dr. LaSala succeeded Kathryn Ganske, Ph.D., RN, who retired from Shenandoah after 22 years of service to the university.
The School of Education & Human Development (SEHD) launches a new center to serve as a resource for public and nonprofit organizations. The Center for Leadership in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors supports the work of area organizations including local school systems, higher education institutions, nonprofit entities and public sector agencies. It serves organizations in the quad-state area extending from the northern Shenandoah Valley to south-central Pennsylvania along the Interstate 81 corridor. The center also focuses on professional development and mentoring opportunities across the board, and gives Shenandoah University faculty and students a chance to conduct field-based research. Faculty and students can also provide assistance to organizations in the form of strategic planning, program evaluation, topic-specific research, and quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
The physician assistant studies (PA) program begins offering classes at Scholar Plaza, Loudoun, in July, with 12 students joining the class of 2018, which also includes 42 students studying in Winchester. The program adds a full-time faculty member to accommodate the program’s expansion.
An in-depth study conducted by TischlerBise estimates the annual overall economic impact of Shenandoah University on the Winchester-Frederick County area at more than $145 million, with about 1,500 jobs supported by the university. It updates a 2010 study, in which the university’s overall economic impact was $90 million annually, with 1,342 jobs supported by the institution. The initial study was conducted as part of the institution’s celebration of 50 years in Winchester.
Shenandoah University acquires a former Bob Evans restaurant at 816 Millwood Ave., adjacent to the Winchester main campus, from Bob Evans Farms, LLC, in August. The site became available after the Winchester Bob Evans location, along with 20 other Bob Evans restaurants across the country, closed on April 24.
The field hockey team wins a first-ever NCAA Tournament bid and its first-ever ODAC championship. The win was a record-setting 13th of the season for the program. It also marked the second-ever ODAC title in school history. Baseball won the first for the department in 2015. With the win, field hockey becomes the seventh program in the department to earn an NCAA bid. Baseball leads with seven trips while men’s basketball has been three times, women’s basketball twice and football, women’s soccer and softball once each.
2017 • • •
Karen Abraham, Ph.D., begins serving as Shenandoah University’s interim dean of the School of Health Professions in January. Dr. Abraham succeeded Timothy Ford, Ph.D., the university’s first dean of the School of Health Professions, who left to serve as chair of environmental health sciences in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Abraham, who is the university’s fellow for academic excellence and a professor of physical therapy, previously served as director of the university’s Division of Physical Therapy from 2008 to 2015, and has been a member of the faculty since 2001. She will continue in the interim role through the 2017-18 academic year.
Shenandoah University and Inova announce a collaborative partnership to educate the next generation of healthcare professionals with an emphasis on population health, pharmacogenomics, and other new healthcare technologies. The partnership builds upon the individual strengths of Inova and Shenandoah and expands an existing partnership of 25 years. Inova commits to make a $5 million investment to support the partnership’s educational programs, including graduate nursing programs, a public health master’s degree and certificate, and a master’s degree in pharmacogenomics and precision medicine.
In June, the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy’s Northern Virginia Doctorate in Pharmacy, serving approximately 160 students, relocates to Inova’s Center for Personalized Health (ICPH) in Fairfax, Virginia. The pharmacy school’s Winchester program remains at the Health Professions Building on the Winchester Medical Center campus.
Shenandoah’s baseball team sets a record for wins in a season, with a 41-10 record. The Hornets also made their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance in the past nine years. In the midst of the season, the team held the nation’s top spot for Division III teams in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA poll for a school-record six weeks.
Shenandoah’s McCormick Civil War Institute and the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation (SVBF) announce a mutually beneficial partnership, providing opportunities for both entities to collaborate on a wide array of projects throughout the Shenandoah Valley National Historic District, as well as for Shenandoah University’s students to work on special projects with SVBF that will provide unique experiences in areas such as historical research, development of public history programs, and historic preservation. This collaborative effort—which will provide SVBF’s small staff with much-needed support for its projects—will present students at Shenandoah University an opportunity to move from the theoretical practice of history in a traditional classroom setting, to the real-world application in the field, while simultaneously gaining a deeper appreciation for the many valuable Civil War era resources in the Shenandoah Valley.
The Athletics & Events Center receives its official name: James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center, in honor of one of the university’s most ardent supporters, James R. “Jimmy” Wilkins, Jr., who is a member of the university’s board of trustees and co-chair of the Athletics & Events Center Steering Committee. Wilkins’ father, James R. Wilkins, Sr., was chairman of the College Project Committee which pushed for university’s move to Winchester in 1960, and served as chairman of the board of trustees for almost 30 years.
Within its first full year of existence, the university’s debate team wins the crossfire national championship at a National Educational Debate Association competition in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team also won Ball State University’s “Cardinal Clash,” in Muncie, Indiana, and took a championship trophy at the Squirrel Shooter Debate Tournament in Columbus, Ohio.
Associate Professor of Physician Assistant Studies Anne Schempp, PA-C, serves as the university’s first director of pre-health & interprofessional education (IPE). The office supports program-to-program interprofessional learning; large-scale interprofessional learning activities and international IPE experiences, as well as provides infrastructure to prepare students for the rigor of graduate school, offer courses to build skills essential for graduate school and supplement academic advising as undergraduate students explore or prepare for graduate programs.
The university’s budget surpasses the $100 million mark, by following its strategic plan to manage deliberate, sustainable and incremental growth.
The Shenandoah University Veterans, Military, & Family Center opens in Halpin-Harrison Hall. The center strives to provide a safe, inclusive space for Shenandoah veterans and active military members, their families and their allies by offering emotional/social support, streamlined services, and mentoring/advising, and more.
Shenandoah begins developing a “Shenandoah-centric” honors program for high-achieving students, expected to roll out over the course of several years. Several honors courses were offered in the 2016-17 academic year, and the program is expected to provide a fertile testing ground for new activities, courses and programs.
Shenandoah reveals plans to purchase, renovate and expand the Health Professions Building on the Winchester Medical Center campus. The university began leasing the 75,000-square-foot property in 1996.
Shenandoah University’s baseball team claims its second-ever ODAC championship with an 8-4 win in 10 innings over Roanoke College in May.
Construction begins on Dove’s Nest, the third building in The Village. The project is made possible by a generous gift from Shenandoah alumnus Wilbur Dove ’59 and his wife, Clare.
Shenandoah Conservatory holds a groundbreaking Student Performance Week (now ShenCoLAB). Classes are cancelled for the week for students to collaborate on student-led performances and projects, which were presented in a Dec. 1 Festival of Arts, Ideas & Exploration. It is the only week of such magnitude and scope offered by a university performing arts program in the United States.
Senior quarterback Hayden Bauserman is the first Shenandoah player to earn the Lanier Award as the top NCAA Division II/III/NAIA player in Virginia. He is also honored as the TD Club of Richmond Offensive Back of the Year, and the 2018 ODAC Offensive Player of the Year. During the football season, the Woodstock, Virginia, native also leads the nation in Division III with 355 completions in 555 attempts for 3,832 yards and 43 touchdowns. In 2018, Bauserman owns every significant game, season and career passing record at Shenandoah. The four-year starter finished his career with 1,093 completions in 1,768 attempts for 12,475 yards and 132 touchdowns. That last mark leads all active NCAA players.
Adrienne G. Bloss, Ph.D., is named provost, the university’s chief academic officer. Bloss began her tenure at Shenandoah on July 1, 2013, as vice president.
The Mosaic Center for Diversity (formerly intercultural programs) held its grand opening in early November, attracting more than 230 guests.The center hopes to engage all members of the Shenandoah community through education, celebration, advocacy and leadership development.
Shenandoah University’s mass communication department co-produced the film, “Santa Girl,” with Capital Arts Entertainment. This one-of-a-kind partnership, which is unheard of in academia, provided students with an opportunity to work as the crew, and much of the cast, on a commercial film production. The film stars established actors Jennifer Stone (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) as the title character, Barry Bostwick (“Spin City,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and the original Broadway cast of “Grease,”) as Santa, and Devon Werkheiser (“Ned’s Declassified”). Filming occurred on main campus and in the city of Winchester in October and November.
The first-ever Technology Fellows Program, empowered a group of 14 technology faculty to begin researching and piloting the use of immersive learning in their courses. The program was first initiated in June 2017 by the Office of Academic Affairs to encourage faculty to add AR, VR, and land, air and sea robotics (LASR), including drone technology, into their courses.
The university launched the Shenandoah Center for Immersive Learning (SCIL), an immersive learning initiative that infuses augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) simulation models into teaching and learning experiences to enhance how students learn, first responders train and health care professionals gain new skills. SCIL is housed in the Feltner Building.
Shenandoah and Wesley Theological Seminary announce a streamlined approach to a master’s degree for those who feel a call to leading the church and faith-based nonprofits from both a clergy and lay perspective. The 3+3 fast-track program allows Shenandoah University undergraduate students to forgo their senior year and take classes at Wesley Theological Seminary instead. The credits will then transfer back to Shenandoah as electives. The program begins in fall 2018.
Shenandoah University’s McCormick Civil War Institute (CWI) releases its inaugural volume of the Journal Of The Shenandoah Valley During the Civil War Era. The journal is Shenandoah University’s first-ever academic, peer-reviewed journal. It is published annually.
2018 • • •
The 77,000-square-foot James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center opens in January. The center hosts a scholarship gala and Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival events in its inaugural year. The center’s main court is named after late Athletics Director and Head Men’s Basketball Coach Dave Dutton and his wife, Kathy Dutton. The last intercollegiate athletics games are played in Shingleton Gymnasium in early January, although the space is still available for intramural and open play.
Karen Abraham, Ph.D., is named permanent dean of the School of Health Professions in January.
A new parking garage opens at the site of the former practice area known as “The Rock.”
The university announces the creation of two innovative major programs, esports and virtual reality design within its new Division of Applied Technology. The esports major features several tracks, and the university also establishes a varsity esports team. The virtual reality design program offers a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree, as well as a partnership with the Irish firm, Immersive VR Education.
Musical theatre student Roman Banks ’21 becomes the first person of color to portray the title character in the Tony-winning Broadway smash musical “Dear Evan Hansen.” Banks is an understudy for three roles in the Broadway production, including Evan Banks. During his first performance as Hansen, he appeared onstage with Shenandoah alumna, Garrett Elise Long ’91, who is also part of the Broadway company.
Music education alumnus Drake Stoughton ’18 wins a research-based award to study Raaf Hekkema, in The Hague, Netherlands and Shenandoah University Spanish/Global Studies alumna Niulka Franco Marin ’17 wins a teaching assistantship in Argentina, to teach English and assist with literacy in both English and Spanish.
2019 • • •
The renovation and expansion of the Health Professions Building is completed. The 11,000-square-foot addition includes classroom space, 10 offices and new common and meeting spaces.
Astrid Sheil, Ph.D, joins Shenandoah University as the new dean of the School of Business on July 1. Sheil is the sixth dean of the business school and the first woman to serve in the role.
The ODAC champion Shenandoah University women’s basketball team boasts the nation’s highest DIII team GPA, as revealed in results announced by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association in July. The Hornets, who won their first-ever ODAC championship in February 2019, posted a 3.764 GPA for the 2018-19 academic year to top Vassar College by .001.
The baseball team scores back-to-back ODAC championships with its 5-4 win over top-seeded Randolph-Macon on May 11. The team also captured the ODAC championship in 2015.
Dove’s Nest, the third house in The Village student residential complex, is completed. Ground is broken on the fourth Village house, “The Q.”
Shenandoah introduces the Shenandoah Conversations effort, which encourages civil dialogue throughout campus.
The Center for Islam in the Contemporary World, an independent, privately funded, academic center engaged in research, teaching, training, and outreach on issues related to Islam and Muslims in contemporary contexts, opens at Scholar Plaza, Loudoun.
The Loaf, Shenandoah’s improv group, beats out 127 other teams to win the National College Improv Tournament on Saturday, April 6, at the CSz Theater Chicago in Chicago.
Shenandoah introduces a Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree, as well as Bachelor of Education degrees.
“Santa Girl,” the film co-produced by Shenandoah and Capital Arts Entertainment, featuring students as cast and crew alongside Hollywood professionals and filmed at the university and in Winchester, is picked up for distribution by Gravitas Ventures, which acquired worldwide distribution rights for the film (except in Germany). The film premiered in theatres and online in August 2019.
Shenandoah adds its 22nd team, men’s wrestling, to its Department of Intercollegiate Athletics slate. The squad is expected to begin competition in 2020.
Shenandoah adds solar panels to the roofs of the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center, the Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre and the Alson H. Smith, Jr. Library on the main campus, making the university the largest institution of higher education with solar energy panels throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.
2020 • • •
The university’s McCormick Civil War Institute publishes its first book, “So Much to Say,” an account of the Civil War experience of Robert Bradbury, a Union corporal in Battery D, the First Pennsylvania Light Artillery, in February 2020.
Hornet cheerleaders earned Shenandoah’s first-ever national cheer title at the Reach the Beach Rec & School Nationals in the Intermediate Division in February 2020.
Shenandoah shifts to online learning and remote operations in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shenandoah donates ventilators to Valley Health. The university also donates 3,000 respirator masks, 12,000 surgical masks, 50 isolation gowns and 1,250 pairs of surgical gloves provided through the efforts of the university’s MBA program in China.
A university and City of Winchester agreement creates the first permanent home for Hornet baseball and softball in the city’s Jim Barnett Park.
Yolanda Barbier Gibson, D.A., who had served as vice president for student success at Shenandoah University since June 2019, expands her role to become the university’s vice president for student affairs.
Shenandoah’s trustees vote unanimously to remove Harry F. Byrd, Jr. ‘s name from the School of Business. While the Senator shared with many individuals later in life that he had changed his mind with regard to educational access, Byrd’s belief in the segregation of schools in the 1950s and his actions as a Virginia state senator on behalf of the Massive Resistance effort in Virginia run counter to the university’s strategic plan and its mission of establishing a campus culture that fully embraces inclusion and diversity.
Shenandoah’s School of Education and Leadership, which has always operated through the university’s College of Arts & Sciences, becomes the Division of Education and Leadership within the College of Arts & Sciences.
The Division of Occupational Therapy celebrates the first seven graduates from its Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy program.
Shenandoah’s first Black Alumni Network launches.
In August, Shenandoah greets its largest-ever student body of more than 4,000 students and reopens for in-person education using the hybrid, ShenFlex format, which allows for simultaneous in-person and online instruction when necessary. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the university also leases an additional facility adjacent to the main campus to provide additional residential rooms and classrooms, as well as another dining location. All members of the university community log their symptoms daily on the Shenandoah Go app, and the university makes additional changes, such as erecting tents to hold outdoor classes, as part of its efforts to break the transmission chain of the virus, which appears to spread through airborne emissions from the nose and mouth, as much as possible. Rooms are also set aside for quarantine and isolation purposes.
After holding its first virtual commencement in May, Shenandoah offers two small, socially distanced in-person commencement ceremonies in October.
Associate Professor of Music Therapy Hakeem Leonard, Ph.D., MT-BC, agrees to be Shenandoah’s first assistant provost for inclusion, diversity and equity.
Dahlia Ashford, M.S., joined the university as its first assistant dean of students for diversity, inclusion, and residential services.
Men’s wrestling debuts as the university’s 22nd intercollegiate athletics team.
The Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy develops a COVID-19 surveillance test that uses pooled saliva samples. The test is used for students and employees, and presumptive positive cases are referred for diagnostic testing.
Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies Adela Borrallo-Solis, Ph.D., receives the 2020 H. Hiter Harris, Jr. Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, the first time a faculty member at Shenandoah has earned this recognition from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges.
2021 • • •
Shenandoah opens a mass-vaccination clinic in the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center. By the time the center closes in early May, it administers more than 70,000 shots.
DeShon Foxx, M.S., joins Shenandoah as its first-ever assistant athletic director for student success, inclusion, and equity. In addition to those areas, Foxx serves as the department’s compliance director and has a leadership role with the department’s RED (racial equity and diversity) team.
In a first-of-its-kind partnership with the professional women’s soccer team, the Washington Spirit, Shenandoah agrees to provide free classes to players in exchange for internships, hospitality, and promotion. The Spirit went on to win the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) championship. Aubrey Bledsoe Kingsbury, a player who also took Shenandoah classes, was named the NWSL’s Goalkeeper of the Year. This kind of partnership is a first for both the Spirit and Shenandoah.
Elsebeth Birman, the assistant coach for the Shenandoah women’s basketball team, is named as the NCAA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
The Harold Herman Lab Theatre, named for the late Distinguished Professor Emeritus Of Theatre And Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre (SSMT) Founder And Artistic Director Emeritus Harold “Hal” Herman, opens.
Cameron McCoy, Ph.D., joins Shenandoah as the university’s second provost.
Shenandoah begins allowing pets in select residence halls.
SU Esports Program Director Joey Gawrysiak, Ph.D., is named the National Association of Collegiate Esports’ Program Director of the Year.
Shenandoah University Esports Assistant Director and Head Coach Zach Harrington is named the College Esports Head Coach of the Year by the National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors.
Shaun Evans, M.M., is selected as Shenandoah’s first-ever director of athletic bands. He will lead Shenandoah’s new marching band, slated to debut in the fall of 2022.
Shenandoah University’s second feature film co-production with Los Angeles-based Capital Arts Entertainment, “Cupid for Christmas,” premieres on the Hulu streaming service.
2022 • • •
Shenandoah’s baseball and softball teams begin playing at renovated, permanent facilities in Jim Barnett Park – Bridgeforth Field and Rotary Field. Shenandoah hosts a NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament regional round for the first time ever in May 2022 at Bridgeforth Field.
The Hornets’ women’s basketball team wins its second ODAC Women’s Basketball Championship in the past four years in February 2022 with a 56-43 win over the Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets.
Spring Break Global Citizenship Project trips return following pandemic-related delays; the project features domestic trips for the first time.
Shenandoah University School of Business receives its five-year accreditation renewal with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business in April.
Shenandoah University claims its fourth ODAC Baseball Championship in nine seasons of championship play in May 2022, with a 13-0 victory over Roanoke in the conference tournament.
The Shenandoah University Marching Band debuts at the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year with their inaugural march September 10, 2022.
Bridgeforth Field is renamed Kevin Anderson Field at Bridgeforth Stadium, in honor of longtime university baseball coach Kevin Anderson (September). As of fall 2022, the baseball team had the top winning percentage of any collegiate baseball program in Virginia.
Aikens Stadium is completed on the main campus, becoming the new home for the university’s field hockey and women’s lacrosse teams, as well as the practice field for the Shenandoah University Marching Band.
Development for the HIVE (Hub for Innovators, Veterans and Entrepreneurs) gets underway at the Armory Building on main campus. In late December, it was announced that the the city of Winchester had received a $4.5 million grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, through its Industrial Revitalization Fund, to support the project.
The university’s Honors Program expands to encompass not only undergraduate students in the College of Arts & Sciences, but also undergraduates in the School of Business and those studying in the four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
South Campus Commons is renamed Vaden Campus Commons in gratitude for a generous gift of real estate from the Don Vaden family, which owned the facility leased by the university. The donation and related bargain sale were finalized on Jan. 3, 2023.
2023 • • •
Shenandoah’s student body exceeds 4,300, and the university sets a record for residential students, with more than 1,200 living in campus housing.
Shenandoah adds a variety of new programs, including a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, three-year programs in both music and jazz and commercial music, an aviation concentration for the Bachelor of Business Administration, a Master of Science in Health Sciences and a Doctor of Medical Science.
The university partners with Valley Health for a joint NextGen Nurses Program, funded in part by GO Virginia, to train nursing students with the help of retired nurses and simulation technology.
Shenandoah University joins the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).
Haley Van Voorhis ’25, a safety on Shenandoah’s football team, received accolades and congratulations from across the nation for her appearance as a female non-kicker in the Hornets’ Sept. 23 victory over Juniata College.
Shenandoah moves up a level, to silver, in the Military Friendly® Schools Survey.
The golf program’s Singhass Simulator, funded by an anonymous donor, opens in Shingleton Gymnasium. The radar-based launch monitor, like the ones used by PGA tour players, helps golfers learn how far they can hit the ball with each club under a host of conditions. In addition to the simulator, the space houses an indoor putting green for the university’s golf team.
At an event held in the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center, Shenandoah’s marching band, cheerleaders and Conservatory Studio Big Band received an invitation to perform at London’s New Year’s Day Parade & Festival to celebrate the beginning of 2025.
The Health & Life Sciences Building is renamed the Cecil Pruitt, Jr. Health & Life Sciences Building in honor of Pruitt’s loyal support and significant contributions to Shenandoah University.
The Mirza-Barzinji Fund for Global Virtual Learning to support the Barzinji Institute for Global Virtual Learning was established through a gift from the Mirza Family Foundation, as was the Mirza Family Rotating Chair in Global Learning; Associate Professor of Virtual & Augmented Reality Mohammad Obeid, Ph.D., is the first holder of this chair.
Through the generosity of David and Lynn Baxa, Shenandoah has created the Baxa Family Chair for Stakeholder Capitalism. Associate Professor Giles Jackson, Ph.D., director of Shenandoah’s Institute for Business, Sustainability and Society, is the first to hold the new position, which will help the School of Business expand learning opportunities to promote sustainability in business.
2024 • • •
Shenandoah receives its largest single donation ever – $20 million – from alumnus Wilbur Dove ’59 and his wife Clare.
The Hazel-Pruitt Armory, home of the Hub for Innovators, Veterans, and Entrepreneurs (HIVE), is named and opened.
The Wilkins Health & Fitness Suite in the Pruitt Health & Life Sciences Building is dedicated.
Shenandoah’s field hockey team wins the ODAC Championship, and both hosts and wins a first round game in the NCAA Division III field hockey tournament. The NCAA tournament win is the first in the team’s history.
The university enrolls a record 4,454 students in Fall 2024.
Karen Abraham, Ph.D., is officially named the university’s provost after serving in the role on an interim basis. She is the university’s third provost.
“The Great Experiment,” produced by the Shenandoah University Center for Immersive Learning in collaboration with the history and virtual reality design departments, is released. TGE places users in the midst of the 1787 Constitutional Convention Electoral College debates. Featuring historically accurate representations of the debaters and what is now known as Independence Hall, TGE was five years in the making.
Shenandoah University is one of 11 schools, higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations to receive funding to run virtual exchange programs that connect young people in the United States and the Middle East and North Africa. Virtually Going Global is implemented by Shenandoah University and is supported by the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI). JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute.
Shenandoah earns the prestigious Apple Distinguished School designation, which lasts for three years, through 2027.
Assistant Vice President and former NFL player DeShon Foxx, M.S., is named Shenandoah University’s seventh athletic director. Foxx also is an adjunct professor of sport law in the School of Business and one of the university’s diversity officers.
Shenandoah University’s women’s lacrosse team earned a Pool-C bid into the 2024 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament for the first time ever in May 2024.
Shenandoah announces the addition of men’s volleyball as its 23rd intercollegiate sport.