For Kenneth ‘Buzz’ Shaw, the Quad is akin to a family room for the university. 

‘The Quad is a place to gather, a place for serious conversation or frivolous conversation, a place to be alone or with a group,’ he said. 

Syracuse University dedicated the Quad to former Chancellor Shaw in a small ceremony with the Board of Trustees on Saturday morning. The Quad will be renamed ‘The Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle,’ and a marker will be placed near Hendricks Chapel. Banners have been erected around the Quad announcing the dedication. 

Shaw acted as the 10th chancellor from 1991 to 2004. During his tenure, he restructured the university’s finances to eliminate a $38 million deficit, focused SU to be a student-centered research university and oversaw the construction of five new buildings, among many other accomplishments. 

All former chancellors, excluding John Corbally, have had buildings dedicated to them. Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for public affairs, said he does not know why Corbally, who was the chancellor from 1969 to 1971, has not had anything dedicated to him. 

Chancellor Nancy Cantor and the Board of Trustees chose to dedicate the Quad to Shaw because they felt it represents the focuses of his achievements well, Quinn said. 

‘His achievements fall in a wide range, from academics to athletics to student life,’ Quinn said. ‘Chancellor Cantor thought that the Quad represents the intersection of those three main areas.’ 

Shaw said he is delighted with the choice of the Quad to be dedicated to him. During his time as chancellor, he said he would often leave his office to go to the Quad and be alone to think. He said he enjoyed watching people walk by or talking with those who stopped to chat with him. 

‘It’s a great place to clear your head,’ he said. 

Shaw began teaching at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management after he completed his tenure as chancellor. This semester, he moved to Illinois to be closer to his three children and seven grandchildren, but continued to teach an online course for Whitman. Next semester, he will no longer be teaching. 

‘It was hard leaving Syracuse, but it was time,’ he said. 

The university felt now was an appropriate time to dedicate the Quad to Shaw because he is retiring, Quinn said. 

Shaw said just because he is officially retiring does not mean he will not come back to teach courses at Whitman in the future. 

‘I really wanted a semester off,’ he said. ‘But I really enjoy teaching.’ 

A permanent marker near Hendricks to show the Quad’s dedication is in the planning stages, Quinn said. He said it is too early to know the design. The university hopes to install the marker as soon as possible, but weather may play a factor into when it can be installed, Quinn said. 

Quinn said he anticipates more ceremonies in honor of the dedication when the marker is ready to be installed. 

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Published on November 7, 2010 at 12:00 pm