Nearly two months after a devastating tornado destroyed much of the Shaw University campus, the school is working hard to return to full operation.
A tornado struck the Raleigh area April 16, causing massive damage to Shaw, the South’s oldest historically black university located in downtown Raleigh. Without facilities to provide food or lodging for its students, Shaw’s president Irma McClaurin cancelled classes for the rest of the Spring—with only eight days of classes and a week of final exams left.
Shaw is, however, currently open for its summer session and will return to full operation by the end of July, university administrators said. They added that the university has also overcome an expected drop in summer and Fall enrollment.
“We anticipated an impact on the summer school, however there was [just] a trivial drop in registration for the summer,” said Mack Ward, chief of staff for the Shaw University president.
Mack added that application and enrollment rates for the university have not shifted dramatically from 2010 to 2011, noting that Shaw is “on track” for Fall enrollment.
Most of the students enrolled in summer courses are commuting to the campus, said Sherri Fillingham, interim director for strategic communication and marketing, because many of the dormitories damaged by the tornado have not yet reopened. Students in need of housing are using the dormitories at the nearby St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh, Fillingham added.
At the time of the tornado, McClaurin said administrators remained hopeful that the campus would be fully reconstructed by Fall 2011. Students were similarly hopeful, though also unsure.
“The first initial shock of when it happened, we weren’t sure if we were going to have classes for the summer or the Fall, and if so, would they be online?” said rising junior Cassandra Burney.
And though Shaw’s reconstruction is now near completion, the university will still face several challenges. This Fall, Shaw will use a modular cafeteria and receive temporary roofing and windows for the dormitories, said rising sophomore Vaughn Carrington.
Every university within a 40-mile radius has contributed to the clean-up and rebuilding effort at Shaw, Fillingham said. Duke’s Black Student Alliance organized a fundraiser with Panda Express that would donate 20 percent of its profits over two days to Shaw. Additionally, North Carolina Central University donated the proceeds from its annual Chancellor’s Concert to Shaw.
Financial contributions for the rebuilding efforts have also come from alumni. Walter Heaggans, who graduated from Shaw in 1998, said he hopes that this renewed interest from alumni and other donors may raise awareness of the university’s needs beyond the reconstruction of the campus.
“Maybe even some other things that are on the plate [for consideration] can now be [addressed] because alumni have stepped up,” Heaggans said.
Gaddis Faulcon, dean of the College of Graduate and Professional studies, also noted that the university’s academic programs, will not be affected given the damage to Shaw’s infrastructure.
“Despite the physical damage, the quality of Shaw’s academics remains undiminished,” Faulcon said.
Tong Xiang contributed reporting.
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