news-category: Campus News President Downs to Resign By Gardner-Webb University On February 17, 2025 Downs will resign from the office effective Feb. 18, 2025 BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb University’s President, Dr. William M. Downs, has announced he will resign from the office effective Feb. 18, 2025. Dr. Downs, GWU’s president since 2019, has accepted a new position as president at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., and will begin there in July. He wishes to devote his full energies to preparing to take on his new role. “Dr. Downs’ bold leadership and dynamic energy will leave a lasting mark on Gardner-Webb” said the Rev. Dr. Lamont Littlejohn Jr., chair of the Gardner-Webb Board of Trustees. “We wish him every success as he begins this next chapter.” The Board of Trustees will move with all deliberate speed to form a search committee that includes members of the Board as well as representatives from the University community. To help secure top-flight candidates for this all-important position, the University expects to retain an executive search firm to assist with the search process. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available. About Gardner-Webb University Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.
News Article Gardner-Webb Orchestra Concert Honors Alumnus Peter Strickland Event Features World Premiere of Commissioned Work and Piano Solo by Freshman Arturo Ayla BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—The Gardner-Webb University Orchestra concert on Nov. 24 is dedicated to 1997 alumnus Peter Strickland, director of the Crest High School Chamber Orchestra. For over two decades, the two orchestras have collaborated on 30 programs of classical and contemporary […] Office of University Communications | November 13, 2025
News Article Gardner-Webb Musicians Earn Spot in Elite N.C. Intercollegiate Band Four Students Selected to Participate in 85-Member Ensemble at N.C. Music Educators Conference BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—Four music majors from Gardner-Webb University joined 85 students from across North Carolina chosen to participate in the second biennial North Carolina Intercollegiate Band (NCIB). The group performed at the 2025 North Carolina Music Educators Association (NCMEA) State Conference on […] Office of University Communications | November 13, 2025
News Article Gardner-Webb Teacher Candidates Excel on edTPA Assessment, Surpassing National Average College of Education Celebrates 91% First-Attempt Pass Rate with Seven Achieving Highly Qualified Status BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—Faculty and staff in the Gardner-Webb University College of Education are celebrating graduates scores on edTPA, a national assessment that measures aspiring teachers’ readiness for the classroom. Dr. Donna Hamrick Suttle, instructor and edTPA coordinator at GWU, reported that […] Office of University Communications | November 12, 2025
