Transition Update May 25, 2009

The following update on the transition to a new administration was distributed broadly today.



Transition Team Works to Name Interim President as Summer Session Progresses

The Shaw University Transition Team has been working tirelessly in order to ensure that a well-qualified Interim President is named, and that Shaw University's business and academic activities continue seamlessly during the transition.

The Team has met with a variety of individuals over the past week, including many deans, directors, department chairs, and other identified stakeholders, in an effort to gather information and gain multiple viewpoints concerning the current status of the University.

The team's primary mission is the selection of an Interim President. Dr. Joseph Bell, who serves as Chairman of the Transition Team, said "We have been reviewing resumes and doing full due diligence. We need to go through this process carefully . . . it cannot be flawed." The University will close out the fiscal year at the end of June, therefore identifying someone who can oversee that process is a priority.

The Transition Team has determined that the Interim President will likely serve 12-18 months, so they are proceeding cautiously in order to ensure smooth transitions into and out of the Interim President's tenure.

A Presidential Search Committee of the Board of the Trustees has been formed and will expand to include members of faculty, staff, students, and alumni. There will also be special advisors to
the search committee who will assist with the overall process. The committee is led by Dr. David C. Forbes, who has served on the Board of Trustees for 24 years.

Transition Team

(all Transition Team Members serve on the Shaw University Board of Trustees)

Dr. Joseph N. Bell, Chair
Dr. David C. Forbes
Dr. Maria Spaulding
Dr. James Nelson
Dr. Geneva Chavis
Mr. Thomas Elzey
Mr. Thomas Darden
Dr. Lorenzo Williams

Prioritizing Through Shared Sacrifices

In one of many team meetings, Attorney Willie E. Gary, who serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Shaw University said, "We are a community of distinguished scholars, talented students, dedicated faculty and staff, who are defined by our ideas and discoveries not by our financial resources."

And as such, when asked about Shaw University's debt, the Chairman of the Transition Team said, "Our challenge is to confront the new economic realities and intelligently adapt ourselves to them." He continued, "There is debt, but debt is part of doing business, and this university is a business. As long as the debt is both manageable and affordable, it is not necessarily a negative."

Even in a strong economy, financial sacrifices are often required. Shaw University faces the challenge of confronting new economic realities and intelligently adapting to them. The current economic environment dictates that the University be prudent in its financial management and that all Shaw University family share in this responsibility.

Right-sizing the University is necessary, and further staff downsizing may be inevitable. On May 21, 2009, the Transition Team, and the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees announced that there would be no university-wide furloughs at this time. Although downsizing is still a possibility, University officials are exploring more creative and equitable ways to deal with the deficit.

The Transition Team stressed that they are working very hard to preserve as much staff as possible, but there is a recognition that sacrifices will need to be made. The Team added that, while there is a hiring freeze, some key positions that have been vacated will be filled.

Over the next few months, the budget situation will continue to evolve, both in scope and complexity. Although Shaw University must meet the challenges with an appropriate sense of urgency, the Transition Team has said that they must also act with unity of purpose.

"The engagement and support of the entire Shaw University family will be essential to our ability to respond in a timely way to changing circumstances, and I am committed to communicating with our Shaw family as frequently as I am able on issues of importance to the University's future," said Dr. Bell.

Questions or comments? E-mail transitionteam@shawu.edu or call (919) 546-8300.