ISSUED: 15 November 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University will freeze tuition for the academic year 2020-2021. The Shepherd University Board of Governors approved the resolution to hold tuition and other required enrollment fees to current year levels at its November 14 meeting. The move was made to allow Shepherd to provide financial relief to current students while remaining competitive in the recruitment of new students.
Other actions taken by the board included providing funding to focus on new student recruitment, current student retention, in addition to strategic expansion of athletics programs, and for marketing initiatives in tandem with area community colleges for a 2+3 associates degree to M.B.A. program, an associates degree to agriculture certificate, and for the development and marketing of an online R.N. to B.S.N. program.
Shepherd University will become a tobacco-free campus on January 1, 2020. The board approved a resolution that authorizes the president to implement the necessary administrative policies to establish a tobacco-free campus. The tobacco-free policy was endorsed by the Student Life Council, Classified Employees Council, Faculty Senate, and the Executive Leadership Team during the fall semester.
Representatives from the independent auditing firm of CliftonLarsonAllen presented the annual audit report. Shepherd’s audited financial statements showed no audit findings. Board of Governors Chair Eric Lewis attributed the clean audit to professional accounting staff managing and monitoring the financial transactions to conform to applicable laws, regulations, and generally accepted accounting standards. Lewis further recognized the improved performance resulting from monitoring the budget to actual comparisons throughout the year.
“Shepherd is on track to meet the board’s financial target,” said Shepherd President Mary J.C. Hendrix, “even as the institution is faced with the nationwide decline in traditional-age students and an impending 4.6 percent cut from the full-year state appropriation.”
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