NCCU Renames Residence Hall in Honor of First Female Permanent Chancellor

Today, at 11:30 a.m., a campus ceremony unveiled the signage for the Debra Saunders-White Residence Hall, formerly Angus McLean Residence Hall. Named after Dr. Debra Saunders-White, the first permanent female chancellor of North Carolina Central University (NCCU), the event featured remarks from NCCU Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye, NCCU Student Government Association President Cameron Emery and Paige White, Saunders-White's daughter.

It was approved by the NCCU Board of Trustees in 2023, following a petition by the NCCU Student Government Association in 2022 to consider renaming the McLean Residence Hall, named after former North Carolina Governor Angus Wilton McLean. The formal process involved various steps including the gathering of background information by the NCCU Archives and Department of History, stakeholder engagement, forums, surveys, among other protocols before the recommendation reached the NCCU Board of Trustees.

During the ceremony, Akinleye highlighted Dr. Debra Saunders-White's legacy, describing her as a "trailblazer, visionary and passionate advocate for student success. Her unwavering commitment to our university's core value of student success was unmatched, and her mantra 'Eagle Excellence,' became the fabric that defines NCCU - a symbol of aspiration, achievement and community."