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Former names | Shenandoah Seminary (1875–1925) Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music (1925–1991) Shenandoah Conservatory (separate institution 1937–1974) |
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| Motto | The Big Little University Rising |
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1875; 150 years ago (1875) |
Religious affiliation | United Methodist Church |
| Endowment | $85 million (2024)[1] |
| President | Tracy Fitzsimmons |
| Students | 4,343 students (fall 2023)[2] |
| Undergraduates | 2,590 (fall 2023)[2] |
| Postgraduates | 1,753 (fall 2023)[2] |
| 243 doctoral degrees conferred in 2022-2023 academic year[2] | |
| Location | , Virginia ,United States 39°09′58″N78°09′29″W / 39.166°N 78.158°W /39.166; -78.158 |
| Campus | Small city |
| Colors | Red and blue |
| Nickname | Hornets |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division III |
| Website | su.edu |
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  Location in United States Show map of the United States | |
Shenandoah University is aprivate university inWinchester, Virginia, United States. It has an enrollment of approximately 4,000 students across more than 200 areas of study in six schools and colleges. Shenandoah University is one of fiveUnited Methodist Church-affiliated institutions of higher education in theCommonwealth of Virginia.[3]
Abram Paul Funkhouser and John (Jay) Paul Fries founded the school as Shenandoah Seminary on February 12, 1875.[4] At the time, it was located on a 10-acre (4.0 ha) campus inDayton, Virginia, and classes were initially held in a two-room log cabin.[5][6] The school had 11 students enrolled in its first year.[6] Over the next 85 years, the institution changed names six times but always kept “Shenandoah” as part of its name.[7]
Shenandoah Seminary became ajunior college in 1924, changing its name to Shenandoah College the following year. Shenandoah Conservatory became a separate corporation in 1937 and began granting four-year degrees.
Intense competition from neighboring colleges and universities, along with increasing long-term operating deficits, created low morale. The college urgently required a solution to prevent its closure. On June 2, 1952, President L. P. Hill resigned, effective immediately. Eight days later Reverend Troy Brady[7] was elected as president by the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB)[8]
President Brady implemented various strategies such as student recruitment, expanding course options, fundraising, and slashing unnecessary expenses. Despite these efforts, the enrollment continued to decline and the possibility of closure was imminent.[9]
In a desperate move, Troy reached out to Washington and arranged a meeting with Democratic SenatorHarry F. Byrd at his office in Washington, D.C. Byrd recommended that Troy contact his son in Winchester, who ranThe Winchester Star Newspaper.[9]
Troy was then directed to the Winchester Chamber of Commerce, where he met with committee president and prominent local business leader,James R. Wilkins Sr. James assisted Troy in the endeavor of relocating the school to Winchester. He regularly participated in board meetings with Brady to engage with EUB members. Through Wilkins' efforts he secured a plot of land from Winchester's Jim Barnett Park for the college, where the main campus is currently located.
On June 28, 1956, the EUB approved the school's move to Winchester. Two days later, Brady resigned, and Dr. Forrest Racey, Class of 1923, took over as president. Continuing Brady's work with the City of Winchester.
On May 17th, 1959[8] Shenandoah College auctioned off its Dayton campus for $107,875[10] and construction began on the new campus on February 6th, 1958—opening in Winchester in September 1960,[6] with two academic buildings, Gregory and Armstrong Halls.[8]
The 360-acre Winchester campus[11] and began offering four-year degrees in 1974 (at which time the college and conservatory corporations were merged).
Shenandoah obtained university status on January 1, 1991. The university, as of fall 2023, had 265 full-time and 189 part-time faculty members. The student body represented 42 foreign countries as well as 48 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Over 70 percent of full-time faculty had a doctorate in their fields or other terminal degree.
According to the university's official history, the name Shenandoah is derived from theNative American legend of Zynodoa, a brave warrior whose life of strength and courage and his appreciation of beauty resulted in having a river and a valley named for him. Popular myth further ascribes translation of the word "Shenandoah" to mean "daughter of the stars".[12]
The university operates in five locations:
The main location of campus is in Winchester nearInterstate 81, and the Health Professions Building is located near the Winchester Medical Center. The Loudoun site inAshburn, Virginia, is home to graduate programs in business, education, leadership studies, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and physician assistant studies, as well as the accelerated-second-degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. There are also satellite offices and facilities located throughout Winchester.
In 2013, Shenandoah University accepted stewardship of 195 acres of land along theShenandoah River, now known as the Shenandoah River Campus atCool Spring Battlefield. Purchased by the Civil War Trust in 2012, stewardship of the property transferred to the university in spring 2013 to protect and preserve the former battlefield site. The property now serves as an outdoor classroom and living laboratory for the university community and the general public.
Shenandoah offers more than 200 areas of study at thebachelor's,master's, anddoctoral-degree levels, as well as through undergraduate and graduate certificates, across six schools. Its programming includes Virginia's first bachelor's degrees in virtual reality design and esports management, as well as the state's oldest music therapy program (offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels).
Shenandoah University no longer offers a tenure track for new faculty members. Instead, new faculty members undergo a 5-year probationary period, after which they are eligible for 3-year, renewable "career faculty contracts".[13]
The Shenandoah athletic teams are called the Hornets. The university is a member of theNCAA Division III ranks, primarily competing in theOld Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) since the 2012–13 academic year. The Hornets previously competed in theUSA South Athletic Conference (USA South) from 1992–93 to 2011–12.
Shenandoah competes in 22 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball.
The university announced the creation of a Marching Band in June 2021, which debuted during the fall 2022 semester.[14]
In fall 2023, football safetyHaley Van Voorhis became one of the first women to play a position other than kicker in anNCAA football game, at any level.
TheJames R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletic and Events Center is a 77,000-square-foot facility located on the main campus. Opened in 2017, the center serves as the primary venue for university athletics, large-scale events, and community functions. It features a multipurpose arena with seating for over 1,600 spectators, an indoor track, basketball and volleyball courts, and dedicated training facilities for student-athletes. In addition to athletic spaces, the facility includes classrooms, meeting rooms, and fitness amenities. The center was named in recognition of James R. Wilkins Jr.’s contributions to Shenandoah University and the surrounding community, reflecting his commitment to education, sports, and philanthropy.
The facility stood as a crucial frontline in the battle against COVID-19, serving as a mass vaccination site for the Shenandoah Valley and Northern Virginia. From January 12th to May 6th, 2021, the James R. Wilkins Athletic and Events Center witnessed the dedication of over 1,000 SU volunteers. Together with Valley Health and the Lord Fairfax Health District, Shenandoah University emerged as a pivotal force in Virginia's vaccination campaign, serving an essential role in the ongoing fight against the pandemic.
Operating for 12 hours each day, the center administered between 1,200 to 1,500 COVID-19 vaccine doses daily. Offering the Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer vaccines, the clinic delivered a remarkable total of 70,589 shots.[15]
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