Shaw University alumni have formed the Save Our Shaw Coalition and filed a formal compliant with the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, citing concerns with their alma mater’s administration and financial management, according to a report from ABC11 WTVD in Raleigh.
The coalition’s concerns include a financial audit that found some $2 million in endowed gifts were used for other expenses. The group are also wary of how administrators manage Shaw University’s real estate holdings. Alumni cite a redevelopment effort, approved by the Raleigh City Council in 2023, that would enable the HBCU to establish long-term leasing agreements allowing retail, office, and residential buildings on campus.
“I think the No. 1 question that we’re asking the attorney general to look into is, did they have a right to rezone this school from an institution into a business district?” Euguene Myrick, founder of the Save Our Shaw Coalition, told ABC11.
Additionally, the alumni group questions a recent university master plan, which they say lacks the detailed strategies often outlined in other institution’s master plans.
In response to the formal complaint, Shaw University President and CEO Paula Dillard issued a statement to the HBCU’s community. She says the school is aware of the concerns and will collaborate the North Carolina Department of Justice.
“Our responsibility is to support our students, steward the university’s resources, and sustain ShawU’s educational mission. That responsibility includes listening to concerns and addressing them with care and accountability,” reads the statement. “We recognize that ShawU’s alumni community holds a range of perspectives and that the concerns expressed by the Save Our Shaw Coalition do not reflect the views of every alumnus. We value hearing from all alumni as we work toward a strong future for ShawU.”
