Eight months into her interim presidency, Rev. Dr. Dycus reflects on progress made and the path ahead
When the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus took the reins as EMU鈥檚 interim president last July, she worried that she would lose the authentic relationships she developed with students over the years as the former head of student affairs. While it鈥檚 true there鈥檚 now a greater distance, both figuratively and literally, between Dycus on the third floor of Campus Center and the hundreds of EMU students who cross the Front Lawn below her, it hasn鈥檛 been as far as she feared.
Over the past several months, Dycus said, she鈥檚 found ways to engage with students and show up for them. And so when a pair of student clubs asked her last month to participate as a panelist in a Valentine鈥檚 Day-related 鈥淗ow to Flirt鈥� session, it was another reminder her approach was working.
鈥淢y initial reaction was, 鈥業s this something a president should do?鈥� And then I realized that they wanted someone who could speak honestly and authentically, so it was actually an honor they included me,鈥� said Dycus. 鈥淚t was a wonderful opportunity for me to be with students again and to talk about things that matter a lot to them.鈥�
Dycus isn鈥檛 the typical university president. The first Black woman to lead EMU in the role, even in an interim capacity, she鈥檚 brought courage and boldness to the presidential suite. That confidence comes from a deep devotion for the university and its mission, shaped by years of serving its students. She said she鈥檚 learned to love engaging with donors and stakeholders, sharing stories of the school鈥檚 successes and expressing what excites her, well beyond the corners of campus.
鈥淚鈥檝e actually found that to be one of the things I enjoy most about this role,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y passion for EMU gets concentrated in conversations I get to have.鈥�
As the calendar flips from Black History Month to Women鈥檚 History Month and she approaches the ninth month of her two-year appointment, the ordained minister and educator reflected on her leadership, the mentors who have molded her, and her goals moving forward.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP PHOTO: Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus leads a line dance at the Turner Pavilion in Downtown Harrisonburg during the fourth annual Royals Go Downtown in September 2025. | She greets students outside EMU alumna-owned Magpie Diner at the start of the cross-town culinary crawl. | Dycus chats with Jonathan Swartz, dean of students, at the Harrisonburg Holiday Parade in December 2025.
From conversations with faculty, staff, and students at a series of listening sessions held by the marketing and communications team in mid-February, it鈥檚 clear that people on campus feel a spirit of change in the air. A renewed energy courses through the veins of the university, and much of it stems from the new face in the president鈥檚 office. Dycus, ever the humble servant leader, brushes off the credit and heaps it on the leaders around her.
鈥淥ur Executive Leadership Team (ELT) is an adaptive and cohesive team,鈥� said Dycus. 鈥淲e identified our gaps in areas like branding or fiscal data and have launched shared responses, which is critical. Our team of four deans, with unique portfolios for teaching and learning, is also incredible. It鈥檚 a collaborative effort focused on what鈥檚 truly a priority for us as an institution.鈥�
That priority has been righting the ship through the headwinds and choppy waters of higher education. Dycus and the leadership team have worked to stabilize the university and guide it toward long-term sustainability, ensuring it can thrive for generations to come.
鈥淥ne of my goals this year, and as we keep moving forward, is to truly empower faculty and staff on campus to lead within the scope of their work and feel energized and excited about EMU鈥檚 identity and progress,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want them to know they have permission to advocate, both on campus and beyond, for the good things they see.鈥�
Lately, there鈥檚 been plenty of positive news to go around. The momentum from last year has carried into this one, said Braydon Hoover 鈥�11, MAOL 鈥�21, vice president of enrollment and marketing. Undergraduate applications have jumped 92% compared to last year, and offers of admission have risen 126%.
When Dycus looks back at the many mentors in her life, she can鈥檛 overlook her roots in the traditional Black church where she was raised. The granddaughter of a pastor in the Disciples of Christ denomination, she recalled the many Black women in her congregation who offered wisdom, corrected her, and challenged her in ways that were important for her formation.
鈥淚 felt loved and cared for by each of them,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey invested in me and poured into me, with their wisdom, time, and energy, in ways I still feel grateful for. How do I continue that investment with the next generation of young people? There鈥檚 a real responsibility and commitment in what they gave me.鈥�
One of the people who impacted her most was her high school guidance counselor. As a sophomore starting at her third high school, Dycus struggled to make new friends and figure out her identity. Her counselor, Marilyn Corbitt, was pivotal in helping her find a place where she belonged and in affirming the gifts she saw in herself.
鈥淚 left high school and started college hoping I could be a Marilyn Corbitt for someone else,鈥� said Dycus. She earned a degree in education and planned to become a guidance counselor herself.
Corbitt died in September 2019 at age 80. She was one of the only Black counselors at Dycus鈥� high school of more than 3,000 students and served as advisor to its Black Student Association.
鈥淪he did a wonderful job of teaching us many of the things we weren鈥檛 learning in the classroom and challenging us to live them out in real ways, from leading service projects in the community to expressing culture in ways that brought joy,鈥� Dycus said. 鈥淪he encouraged us to use our voices, even when it was uncomfortable.鈥�
鈥淚 still carry her spirit and the impact she had on me,鈥� she continued. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get a chance to go back and tell her 鈥榯hank you,鈥� but I carry the hope that I can be Marilyn for whichever young version of Shannon needs it.鈥�
Students at EMU say Dycus has supported them and helped them grow through her mentorship.
鈥淪he always chats and checks up on me and emphasizes my mental health,鈥� said senior Nia Boyd. 鈥淪he鈥檚 like an auntie for me. I always enjoy sharing a laugh with her.鈥�
As co-president of the Student Government Association last year, senior Genesis Figueroa worked closely with Dycus. 鈥淪he was always there to help us out, especially when it was hard being a woman of color on the executive team,鈥� said Figueroa. 鈥淚 saw how she not only did her job, but also supported and encouraged students to speak up for themselves.鈥�
For senior and first-generation college student Emily Suarez Nunez, Dycus has helped her recognize the value of quiet presence and support and become more confident speaking up for others.
鈥淚 appreciate that, even with her new role and responsibilities, she is still Shannon,鈥� said Suarez Nunez. 鈥淓very time I see her, she鈥檚 the same kind, genuine, listening ear she鈥檚 always been. When I talk with her, the world slows down for a few minutes, and sharing that moment feels like a deep breath that refills and recharges me.鈥�
A set of mosaic prints has adorned her EMU offices. The prints feature portraits of people throughout history who have inspired her in different ways.
Among the portraits are bell hooks, the educator and activist who shaped Dycus鈥� understanding of what it means to be a teacher; theologian and spiritual leader Howard Thurman, the first Black dean of a predominantly white institution; and two icons of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
鈥淚 come to this role of president not as a traditional academic, but as a leader who seeks boldness and truth, like Martin and Malcolm did,鈥� said Dycus. 鈥淚 come as an educator who is deeply concerned with the growth of humans, as bell hooks was. And I come as someone who pays attention to the spirit in people and in our community, as Howard Thurman did. Whenever I feel fragmented or unconventional in how I arrived here, they remind me how all the pieces can come together in meaningful ways.鈥�
Learn more about Dr. Dycus at听emu.edu/president.
This comment by an EMU student says everything about the type of human Shannon is: “When I talk with her, the world slows down for a few minutes, and sharing that moment feels like a deep breath that refills and recharges me.鈥� EMU is so fortunate to have her at the helm for this moment in time.