Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) was among 30 winners in The Home Depot 2023 HBCU Retool Your School Program. The award was the university’s second consecutive year recognized as a participant and award recipient in the program.

SAU received $40,000 as one of the top 10 universities with the highest votes in Cluster 3 (student enrollment of 1,200 or less). With the support of the university’s stakeholders, SAU received 236,403 votes.

“On behalf of the Retool Your School Committee, I would like to thank all students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends for their dedication to this endeavor,” said Mr. James Lyons, Dean of the School of Arts, Social Sciences, and Communications. “Success would not be possible without their contributions.”

The grant will fund modernizing all classroom buildings by updating the existing fluorescent lighting to LED lighting with motion detection/photocells. According to a study by the US Department of Energy, using LED lighting in classrooms offers significant energy savings compared to the incumbent fluorescent system. In addition, it also provides faculty with an additional tool for facilitating classroom activities.

“I am proud of our stakeholders for using their collective efforts to support us in fulfilling our mission to sustain a learning community,” said SAU President Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail. “I also wish to thank Home Depot for providing the platform for SAU to obtain the tools necessary for student success and university sustainability.”

The Winner’s Ceremony was held in Atlanta on Tuesday, April 11, to celebrate the participating schools and the 2023 voting season.

Click here to view a complete listing of the winners.