• Announcing the Lenoir-Rhyne Tuition-Free Guarantee

    Lenoir-Rhyne announces tuition-free guarantee for North and South Carolina students
    With the Lenoir-Rhyne Tuition-Free Guarantee, tuition will never stand in the way of your dreams. Starting in fall 2026, eligible students from North and South Carolina can earn a world-class education tuition-free—powered by scholarships and grants, not loans.

    View the Lenoir-Rhyne Guarantee

Presidential Search Process


View of campus flowers and brick building in summer

The appointment of President-Elect Dr. Summer McGee concludes a comprehensive and inclusive search process. The Board of Trustees formed an 17-member search committee comprised of faculty, staff, students and alumni, to lead the national search. The search committee was co-chaired by Madeline Dassow, chair of the Board of Trustees, and Cat Niekro, vice president for advancement and communications.

The process included more than a dozen in-person listening sessions and an online survey to gather input on the desired qualities and qualifications of the next president. The executive search firm, Coleman Lew Canny Bowen—with offices in Charlotte, North Carolina, and New York City— identified a robust applicant pool of more than 150 individuals. 

The search committee focused its intensive review on more than a dozen of the most highly qualified candidates, ultimately recommending Dr. Summer McGee as the ideal leader to advance Lenoir-Rhyne’s mission.

Regular updates were provided throughout the search process to keep the LR community informed. 

Lenoir-Rhyne University President Dr. Fred Whitt announced in August 2024 that he would retire at the end of the 2024-25 academic year, ending what will be 50 years of a distinguished career in higher education.

News & Events

Student in audience smiles to camera while attending commencement ceremony

Lenoir-Rhyne expands access to higher education with a bold initiative that removes tuition costs for families across the Carolinas.

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Rolanda Gilliard

At 72, Rolanda Gilliard blends decades of service in social work and teaching with a lifelong love of writing, sharing faith through her ministry.

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