Shenandoah University was founded by private interests at Dayton, Virginia, in 1875. The first charter was granted in 1884. At that time the school had ties to the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, which in 1946 joined with the Evangelical Church to become the Evangelical United Brethren Church. In 1968, the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to form the United Methodist Church.
Originally known as Shenandoah Seminary and concentrating on secondary education, the school later added post-secondary courses and changed its name to Shenandoah Collegiate Institute and School of Music. In 1924, the name was changed to Shenandoah College, with the provision that the music department be known as the Conservatory of Music at Shenandoah College. In 1937, the Conservatory received state approval to grant baccalaureate degrees. In 1960, Shenandoah was moved from Dayton to a new campus in Winchester, Virginia.
Two significant events occurred in 1974. First, junior-college status was dropped, and the college became a four-year degree-granting school. Second, the two separate institutions (Shenandoah College, and Shenandoah Conservatory of Music) were merged under one charter as Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music.
In 1991, the name of the institution was changed to Shenandoah University. In 1994, the Board of Trustees gave the approval to begin the development of the first doctoral degrees, in Pharmacy and in Music.
Shenandoah is incorporated as a non-profit institution, with the corporation electing the Board of Trustees, which is the ruling body.
(Approved by the Board of Trustees October 2003; structural revision approved by Board of Trustees Oct. 2007, Revised Fall 2016)
Mission
Shenandoah University educates and inspires individuals to be critical, reflective thinkers; lifelong learners; and ethical, compassionate citizens who are committed to making responsible contributions within a community, a nation, and the world.
Vision
Shenandoah University will be nationally recognized for forward-thinking programs that produce competitive and purposeful graduates.
Shenandoah University will be highly valued for:
- particular strength, both academically and institutionally, in the performing arts, healthcare, and entrepreneurship
- education that prepares students not only for the present but for the future
- a commitment to intellectual and creative rigor and liberal arts-infused curricula
- a campus culture of compassion, responsibility, advocacy, and justice which graduates are inspired to replicate in communities beyond Shenandoah
- a sustainable educational and financial model within a changing educational market
Goals
-
Inspire Students Through Transformative Learning
Shenandoah University will focus on rigorous, innovative programs and engaged student learning.
-
Prioritize Student Success
Complementing transformative learning is Shenandoah University’s unwavering commitment to student success. Shenandoah University will dedicate its time, ideas, and resources to provide the highest level of quality in career and graduate school preparation, life preparation, and degree completion.
-
Build/Create a World-Class Learning Environment
Shenandoah University will aggressively seek to provide facilities, infrastructure, and a supportive culture to facilitate and inspire transformative learning and student success.
-
Achieve an Adaptive and Sustainable Financial and Educational Model
Shenandoah University will improve the value equation for the student while increasing the University’s financial viability in a changing educational market (in a changing marketplace).
1.3.1 College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts & Sciences supports the university’s mission to prepare individuals to be critical, reflective thinkers; lifelong learners; and ethical, compassionate citizens who are committed to making responsible contributions within a community, a nation, and the world. In order to accomplish this mission, the college has adopted the following learning objectives: knowledge, critical thinking, information literacy, communication skills, and technology.
1.3.1.1 Division of Applied Technology
The mission of the Division of Applied Technology is to foster the development of individuals to become creative problem solvers who possess a pioneering spirit and are ready to engage in entrepreneurial enterprises. Our graduates will be proficient in the use of technology, they will be good communicators, and will have a solid foundation for ethical decision-making. They will also have learned the value of inclusivity, multiple perspectives, and collaboration through teamwork, experiential learning, and real-world experiences.
1.3.1.2 Division of Education and Leadership
The mission of the Division of Education and Leadership is to educate current and aspiring professionals for success in their chosen vocations; integrate theory, research, and practice; promote academic rigor; and nurture reflection, a caring approach to the professions, and collaboration across and within the communities served by the university.
1.3.2 School of Business
The mission of the School of Business is to educate its students to become successful, principled leaders with a global perspective. Students in the School of Business will graduate with confidence in their ability to solve problems, be effective communicators, and work successfully as individuals and team members.
1.3.3 Shenandoah Conservatory
As a community uniquely committed to rigor, nurture, and innovation, Shenandoah Conservatory inspires artistic and scholarly excellence, preparing talented students for successful careers in the arts.
1.3.4 School of Health Professions
The School of Health Professions educates and inspires developing professionals who enhance the health of individuals and communities.
School of Health Professions Graduates:
-
Practice compassionate, evidence-based care
-
Advocate for the health of individuals and communities
-
Demonstrate sensitivity to individual and cultural differences
-
Engage in inter-professional collaboration and life-long learning
-
Provide service both domestically and globally
1.3.4.1 Division of Athletic Training
Shenandoah University’s Division of Athletic Training offers a unique combination of “hands-on” clinical training, classroom teaching, distance-based education, and clinical research. Clinical field experiences are available on campus as well as in other settings such as with professional sports organizations.
Facility resources and curricular design have been created to meet the standards for accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). In a professional master’s degree program, students are educated to prepare to take the certification examination given by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Certification, Inc. This is not an advanced master’s degree program for the certified professional.
1.3.4.2 Division of Occupational Therapy
Shenandoah University’s Division of Occupational Therapy offers three distinct programs in unique hybrid and online curriculum models to meet the needs of diverse learners. Our students graduate prepared to be a leader in the field of occupational therapy and make a difference locally, nationally, and abroad.
The Shenandoah Occupational Therapy program offers students the opportunity to learn all the skills they will need as entry-level occupational therapists. These skills include evaluation of clients, treatment planning, being an evidence-based practitioner, and specific treatment interventions such as adaptations to the client’s environment, splinting, and mobility skills.
1.3.4.3 Division of Physician Assistant Studies
Shenandoah’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies is a comprehensive graduate entry-level professional program that prepares you for primary care practice. The program emphasizes service to medically underserved populations and a team approach to the delivery of health care.
U.S. News & World Report ranks the Shenandoah University PA Program in the top 25 in the nation. We’re also the youngest program in this category and the only Virginia program at this level.
1.3.4.4 Division of Physical Therapy
Shenandoah University’s Division of Physical Therapy prepares students as doctorally educated physical therapists who are reflective, collaborative practitioners that provide evidence‐based, compassionate, and ethical care for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of movement dysfunction across the global community.
The Physical Therapy Program at Shenandoah University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
We accomplish this through an integrated, patient-centered curriculum with a low student/faculty ratio. Frequent patient care experience, community service by students and faculty, and the integration of current technologies are key components of PT education at Shenandoah University.
1.3.4.5 Division of Public Health
Shenandoah University’s public health graduate programs are designed to meet your needs as a student and professional, as you learn how to improve health outcomes for a wide variety of populations. Our graduate certificate and master’s programs are offered online, allowing you to complete a complimentary degree concurrently or as you continue to work in a healthcare field.
An MPH is a widely recognized and valued professional degree for those interested in entering the field of public health or pursuing continued work in health professions.
1.3.5 Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing
The mission of the School of Nursing is to educate life-long learners who provide holistic care and promote wellness, inspired by global health ideals.
1.3.6 Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy
The mission of the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy is to engage in scholarly activity, and service, and deliver a highly integrated, learner-centered curriculum and progressive instructional technology to educate and train students and pharmacists to become ethical and compassionate healthcare professionals who serve their patients, community, and profession of pharmacy.