Thirteenth President at SAU Makes an Immediate Impact; Raises Student Enrollment and Prepares for Campus Expansion

Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) will install Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail as its 13th president at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 28, 2022, at the Raleigh Marriott City Center.

Dr. McPhail will deliver an Installation address. A President’s Reception will also occur at the Raleigh Marriott City Center immediately following the ceremony.

Last year, the SAU Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail as the University’s 13th President. The announcement came after an extensive national search to fill the vacancy left after the untimely passing of her husband, Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail, in October 2020.

“We are excited and fortunate to have an innovative, proven credential leader of Dr. Christine McPhail’s stature to lead SAU to the next level of excellence as we reimagine a new model of the HBCU of the future,” said Retired Honorable Justice James E. Perry, Chairman of the Board of Trustees in a statement.

Since her arrival in 2021, Dr. McPhail’s impact as SAU’s new leader includes a 10-year high in Fall Enrollment, record-breaking alumni giving, and an outpour of federal funding to cover student account balances. In addition, SAU has secured grants of $499,000 and $400,000 to repurpose and preserve Hermitage Hall and St. Agnes Hospital, respectively.

“We have a responsibility to leave SAU better than we found it,” said Dr. McPhail. “I am honored to be a steward for the change and growth happening here.”

As a result of the upward trend of new student enrollment, plans are underway to launch a capital campaign to expand the campus and improve the student experience. The campaign involves improving current buildings and constructing facilities to house SAU’s newly formed Centers of Innovation in entrepreneurship, health and wellness, social justice, global competitiveness, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math).

“This is SAU’s season of impact,” said Veronica Creech, vice president of economic development and external engagement. “The ceiling for opportunity is high for us. We have incredible leadership and land to accommodate the growth we envision in the near term,” said Creech.

Additionally, case statements and updates to the University’s website and printed collateral are underway to create opportunities to engage philanthropic and corporate communities.

“We are fully aware of the growth opportunity before us. We spend hours making plans to build the best student experience possible,” said Dr. Carolyn Carter, vice president of institutional advancement, marketing, and communications.

Click here for a full itinerary of events surrounding the President’s Installation ceremony.