Shaw resumes classes after tornado closed campus

RALEIGH -- Shaw University students have returned to classes about five weeks after a tornado swept through the campus and forced the school to suspend the spring semester two weeks early.

School officials say about 400 students began classes for the summer session last Monday, with another 200 awaiting clearance. Summer attendance is down however, about 700 students registered for the 2010 summer session, school officials announced in a Monday press release.

University officials opted not to open student housing this summer. Instead, Saint Augustine’s College has partnered with Shaw to offer housing to Shaw students. Shaw is providing shuttle buses to and from the nearby Saint Augustine’s campus.

University officials also reported that admission and registration figures for the upcoming fall semester are on pace to match last year’s numbers.

On April 16, a tornado ripped through the downtown Raleigh campus, devastating the Willie E. Gary Student Center – which houses the cafeteria – and two dorms on the main campus yard. Almost every building on campus received at least minor damage.

The insurance assessment is ongoing, but damage figures are into the millions. Emergency repair work began in the hours after the storm and is continuing.

The summer session continues through June 30. Classes begin on August 17 for the fall semester.

For more information on Shaw University, visit www.shawu.edu.