Shaw University
Shaw University is the first historically black university in the Southern United States. Shaw is a private liberal arts institution affiliated with the Baptist Church and among the oldest HBCUs in the nation.
Founded in 1865, our university has a rich history steeped in tradition, activism and service. We were the first college in North Carolina to offer a four-year medical school; the first institution of higher learning established for freed men after the Civil War and the first historically Black College in the nation to open its doors to women.
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Shaw University Selected for Inaugural HBCU Promise+ Legacy Accelerator Program
Shaw University has been selected as one of six Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to participate in the inaugural HBCU Promise+ Legacy Accelerator Program, a two-year initiative designed to strengthen institutional resilience, support long-term sustainability and expand economic opportunities for students, alumni and surrounding communities.
Launched by Self-Help, the program brings together leaders from Benedict College, Bennett College, Johnson C. Smith University, Livingstone College, Shaw University and Voorhees University to collaborate on innovative strategies that will help position their institutions for continued success.
Shaw University President Dr. Paulette R. Dillard represented the University during the inaugural convening in Chicago, where participants engaged with technical advisors and higher education leaders on topics including financial resilience, campus asset planning, energy efficiency and institutional strategy.
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Shaw University Launches Doctoral Program in Ethical AI Leadership
Shaw University, a UNCF-member institution, has launched a new doctoral program: the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Artificial Intelligence and Moral Agency, housed under Shaw University’s Divinity School, will begin in Spring 2027. Applications for admission will begin this summer.
The program—the first of its kind at an HBCU—aims to prepare ethical leaders to shape the future of AI and society. This new doctoral degree offering positions Shaw University School of Divinity as a leader at the intersection of theological ethics and emerging technology. >>Read More
Shaw University has produced outstanding professionals who have contributed to the advancement of society. Our graduates include college presidents, academic vice presidents, judges, lawyers, recording artists, school principals, pastors, and other notable persons, such as:
- Ella Baker (1927), civil rights activist & co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
- Willie E. Gary (1971), multi-millionaire attorney, motivational speaker, businessman
- James “Bonecrusher” Smith (1975), 1st heavyweight boxing champion to earn a college degree
- Shirley Caesar (1984), Grammy Award-Winning Gospel singer
- Shawn “CoCo” McMillan (1995), 2010 Stellar Award Winner
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Shaw University Staff
