BISON BEAT
A Monthly N e ws l e tte r f r o m the O f f i c e o f the P res i d en t VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 Dear Howard University Community: This is the first edition of the Bison Beat, a monthly publication I will use to keep you abreast of key campus activities and initiatives.
INSIDE ENROLLMENT UPDATES
2 EXCELLENCE AT HOWARD
3
AROUND CAMPUS
4
APPOINTMENTS
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HOMECOMING
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Over the last several weeks, I have met with a number of stakeholder groups as part of an ongoing effort to engage members of the campus community and the broader Howard family. I am encouraged by the support they have offered and their commitment to advancing this great University.The leadership team, which I introduce in this edition, will work with me to achieve the University’s mission by focusing on these major objectives for 2013-14: boosting fundraising, improving graduation and retention rates, advancing our research priorities, stabilizing enrollment, seeking financial stabilization of Howard University Hospital and creating more operational efficiencies. The fall semester has been filled with activities that represent the best of our mission.The “Nelson Mandela: Character, Comrade, Leader, Prisoner, Negotiator, Statesman” exhibit had its U.S. premiere at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center. Twenty-one Howard physicians were named Washington Post Super Doctors. Howard University student Angel Rogers was awarded the Luard Morse Scholarship to study at Oxford University in England. Prominent attorney James L. Hudson convened the Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King Endowed Chair Lecture Series featuring White House Advisor Peter Rouse. Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg launched her ‘Lean In’ Initiative at Howard University.You can read more about these activities in the “Excellence at Howard” and “Around Campus” sections of this newsletter as well as on our website, www.Howard.edu/Newsroom. Additionally, we have experienced a rebound in enrollment.This fall, 10,297 students are enrolled, up from 10,002 students last fall and 9,460 students in spring 2013.The strategy for next spring includes helping former students return, increasing the number of transfer students and ensuring strong retention of students from fall to spring.We are already experiencing a 15 percent increase in applications to our undergraduate programs as we compare yearover-year. Our students need our support. Far too often, I come across a student in excellent academic standing who cannot afford to stay in school. Please invest in our future through the Bridging the Gap Campaign. Faculty and staff can have payroll deductions made through the Family Fund.Will you Answer the Call? To learn more, visit www.howard.edu/bridgingthegap. We are working aggressively to manage costs, maximize efficiency and achieve key learning outcomes despite the impact of sequestration and the 16-day government shutdown. As we aim to diversify our revenue streams, the goal is to increase support from fundraising as well as revenue from innovation and monetizing research.These challenges are surmountable if each of us accept a role in strengthening the Capstone. And finally, on behalf of the Howard University family, I would like to congratulate one of our esteemed alums and current member of our Board of Trustees, the Honorable Kasim Reed, on his recent re-election as Mayor of the great City of Atlanta. As a son of Howard, he embodies our core values of leadership, excellence, truth and service. As the third Howard graduate to serve as the Mayor of Atlanta, he brings tremendous pride to the Capstone. Every corner of the world in which you may travel will possess footprints from Bison hooves.That rumble is loud, joyous, rhythmic and leaves a BLUE trail of excellence to which I am deeply committed. I ask you to continue to commit in your daily living and in your support of alma mater. In Truth and Service,
Wayne A.I. Frederick, M.D., MBA, FACS Interim President
BY the NUMBERS
1594 1221
855
SECOND LARGEST FRESHMEN CLASS IN 15 YEARS The average SAT score for scholarship recipients is 1221, and those students have an average GPA of 3.5. The average SAT score for all U.S. testtakers who self identify as African American is 855.
OUR FRESHMEN COME FROM 44 STATES AND NEARLY TWO DOZEN COUNTRIES
$380 MILLION 2008 ENDOWMENT
$514 MILLION
2013 ENDOWMENT
ENDOWMENT PERFORMANCE
HOWARD’S ENDOWMENT HAS EXCEEDED PRE-RECESSION LEVELS
ENROLLMENT UPDATES While other institutions around the nation are seeing their numbers decline, we experienced a nearly 3 percent increase from fall 2012 to fall 2013, and a more than 8 percent increase from the spring 2013 enrollment of 9,460. This fall, we have 10,297 students enrolled. We welcomed the second-largest freshman class in 15 years this semester. The class of 2017, which is 1,594-student-strong, will graduate during the University’s 150-year anniversary celebration. With an increased attention on retention and recruitment, our goal is to graduate this class in four years. Class members have a superior academic profile, including the highest average SAT score in University history, 1,107, based on the traditional SAT scoring of 1,600 at Howard. We also had an exemplary cohort of freshmen scholarship recipients, totaling 682 students. Their SAT average is 1,221, and their high school GPA average was 3.5. More than 11,000 students applied for approximately 1,600 spots. The number of fall 2014 applications has surpassed year-to-date fall applications for prior years as well. We are proud that the demand for a Howard education continues to be high. We saw similar trends in our graduate and professional schools, including high and competitive scores for the LSAT and MCAT for the law and medical schools. We have a robust plan in place to continue growing our enrollment. Last year’s decline to 10,002 students can be attributed to a number of economic factors, including diminished access to resources to offset the cost of higher education and changes to the federal requirements for the Parent PLUS loans. There are many reasons to give to Howard. During the 2013/14 academic year, the University will administer $90 million in institutional aid. Currently, 1,200 of our students have a financial balance of less than $2,500. These students have an average GPA of approximately 3.0. With your assistance, we can clear their balances and help ensure their educational success. Aid from unrestricted and restricted (e.g., donor/endowed funds) are provided to students in each of our schools and colleges. To give, please visit howard.edu/bridgingthegap.
EXCELLENCE AT HOWARD
STUDENT RECEIVES BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA 2013 YOUTH OF THE YEAR AWARD
UNIVERSITY HONORED WITH MAYOR’S ART AWARD The Howard University Division of Fine Arts was honored by Washington’s Mayor Vincent C. Gray and the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The award was given in recognition of Howard’s outstanding contribution in the field of education and support of D.C.’s arts, entertainment and creative industries. Several Howard graduates were featured during the tribute.
(MS) 2 NOTED AS A “COOL SCHOOL”
The Howard Middle School of Mathematics and Science (MS) 2 was featured as a “Cool School” by WUSA 9 News in Washington for its Start Up Entrepreneurial Program. The program teaches students how to start their own business. One unique component of the program is tailored towards helping students develop their own mobile applications that will solve a problem in their respective communities. The program highlights Howard’s commitment to developing students for the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) pipeline. Located on the main campus, the (MS) 2 mission is to provide a sound foundation in all academic subjects, and a concentration in mathematics and science.
Howard.edu
HOWARD STUDENT AWARDED LUARD MORSE SCHOLARSHIP TO OXFORD UNIVERSITY Howard University student Angel Rogers was awarded the Luard Morse Scholarship and will spend the spring 2014 semester of her junior year studying at Oxford University, St. Edmund’s College, in England. A biology major from Jacksonville, Fla., Rogers said she plans to pursue a medical degree and a doctorate in biomedical and biochemical studies. She plans to use the knowledge from her training to study disease and disease prevention. The scholarship is named in part for Howard alumnus Laurence C. Morse (B.A. ‘73), a former Luard Scholar.
twitter.com/HowardU
Howard University freshman Kiana Knolland was recently recognized as the Boys & Girls Club of America’s “Youth of the Year” for her community leadership, academic achievements, and ability to overcome challenges. “I feel blessed to be named Youth of the Year because it is an opportunity for me to give back to the organization that has had such a profound impact on my life,” she said. Knolland, a native of Wichita, Kan., studies public relations and political science and aspires to be a federal prosecutor. She will receive more than $50,000 in college scholarship funds from Tupperware Brands, the national sponsor of the initiative, a car from Toyota, and other generous gifts. She also is now the Boys & Girls Club of America’s national teen spokeswoman, advocating on behalf of its 4 million members.
DR. EDWARD CORNWELL NAMED SECRETARY OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS Dr. Edward E. Cornwell, III, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the Howard University College of Medicine, was named the Secretary of the American College of Surgeons in October. Dr. Cornwell is the second Howard faculty member to serve as Secretary of the American College of Surgeons. The first was Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall.
facebook.com/howarduniversity
AROUND CAMPUS
Sheryl Sandberg is chief operating officer of Facebook
Facebook’s Sandberg Launches ‘Lean In’ Initiative at Howard Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer and author of the bestseller, Lean In:Women,Work, and theWill to Lead, launched her ‘Lean In’ initiative at Howard University. In her remarks to students in the Howard University School of Business, she announced that she was expanding her LeanIn.org programs to college campuses. “I’m launching the LeanIn.org campus program right here, right now,” Sandberg said, adding that Howard University would be the first location for the program. LeanIn.org promotes the creation of small professional women’s groups whose members support each other in making career moves. The new campus program will expand that effort to colleges, in a push that will include virtual appearances by Sandberg. Howard University School of Education Celebrates 125th Anniversary The Howard University School of Education recently held a gala to commemorate its 125th Anniversary. Hundreds of national and local luminaries attended and helped launch the school’s Make Miner Major! Campaign, which seeks to raise $1 million to improve Miner Hall. Washington, D.C.’s Mayor Vincent Gray also issued a proclamation declaring Oct. 24, 2013, Howard University School of Education Day.” The Howard University Board of Trustees has issued a similar proclamation. Education
alumni have recently been honored with many prestigious awards, including the U.S. Department of Education’s Terrel Bell Award for Outstanding School Leadership. King Lecture Series Dr. James L. Hudson was recently selected as facilitator of the Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King Endowed Chair Lecture series. Hudson is a prominent Washington attorney and the former United States executive director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Hudson will lead several interrelated programs focusing on the global economic and political impact of the recent recession. Established in 2008 with Gwendolyn S. and Colbert I. King’s $1 million donation to Howard University, the chair is intended to encourage highly accomplished individuals to come to Howard to share their experiences with current students. The Kings, who are both Howard alumni, inaugurated the chair to reflect their years in public service and the media. 97th Annual School of Divinity Alumni Convocation Held The Howard University School of Divinity recently hosted its 97th Annual Alumni Convocation. The theme for this year was “Black Megachurches: Preaching, Politics & Possibilities.” Through sermons, lectures and panel discussions, participants examined theological teachings about Black
Megachurches. Keynote speakers included Dr. Jonathan L. Walton and Dr. Tamelyn Tucker-Worgs. U.S. Premiere of a New Nelson Mandela Exhibit Unveiled at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center In honor of its upcoming 100th Anniversary, Howard University’s MoorlandSpingarn Research Center (MSRC) is hosting the U.S. premiere of an electrifying, internationally acclaimed photographic exhibition. Curated and produced by the Apartheid Museum, “Nelson Mandela: Character, Comrade, Leader, Prisoner, Negotiator, Statesman” confirms, in vivid detail and intimate portraiture, the multidimensional significance that this enduring leader—now facing health challenges in his 95th year—holds in the eyes of his fellow citizens and the world. Organized around six powerful themes, this multimedia exhibit traces Mandela’s phenomenal trajectory from militant revolutionary to peacemaker to first president of a newly democratic South Africa. The MSRC Gallery is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturdays, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays until April 27, 2014.
UNIVERSITY APPOINTMENTS Interim Provost Kurt Schmoke, Esq., Vice President and General Counsel, will serve as Interim Provost. Former Mayor of Baltimore, Mr. Schmoke was dean of the School of Law from 2003-2012. He will be supported by two Deputy Provosts for Academic Affairs and Health Sciences. Chief Operating Officer Artis Hampshire-Cowan, Esq., Senior Vice President and Secretary of the Board of Trustees, will serve as chief operating officer. Mrs. Hampshire-Cowan has extensive leadership experience in higher education, government, corporate, non-profit and civic organizations. She will direct the departments of Auxiliary Enterprises, Enterprise Technology Services, Facilities, Human Resources, Public Safety, WHUR and WHUT. Chief Financial Officer Mr. John Gordon is the Interim Chief Financial Officer. He previously served as Controller where he oversaw the dayto-day operations of the finance team. Mr. Gordon is a seasoned executive with more than two decades of finance and auditing experience and most recently served as Senior Vice President of Finance and Controller of BET Networks. Deputy Provost for Academic Affairs Barron Harvey, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Business, will serve as Interim Deputy Provost for academic affairs. His career has produced a number of firsts — he was the first African American to receive a doctorate in business at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and his consulting firm, Harvey & Co., was among the first minority consulting firms to provide services to international clients. Deputy Provost for Health Sciences Leo Rouse, D.D.S., Dean of the College of Dentistry for more than a decade, is responsible for seven accredited programs within the college. Dr. Rouse has been named Interim Deputy Provost for Health Sciences. He previously served as President of the American Dental Education Association. An alumnus, Dr. Rouse seeks to provide exemplary education, service and research that promote patient-centered, collaborative care and advocacy for the elimination of health disparities.
Assistant Provost for International Programs Since his appointment as Dean of the College of Pharmacy in 2011, Anthony Wutoh, Ph.D., R.P., has been responsible for the day-to-day leadership and operation of the college’s programs. Dr. Wutoh also serves as Director of the Center for Minority Health Services Research and co-director of the College’s Center of Excellence, both of which were designed to strengthen the national capacity to train under-represented minority students in various health professions. His extensive experience will be of great use in his new position as Assistant Provost for International Programs. Assistant Vice President for University Communications and Marketing Kerry-Ann Hamilton, Ph.D., has been selected as the Assistant Vice President for University Communications and Marketing. Since 2006, Dr. Hamilton has served in a number of roles including Media Relations Manager, Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing and most recently as Interim Executive Director. Prior to Howard, she worked at the U.S. Agency for International Development and as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press. Director of Admission and University Registrar LaTrice Byam, MBA, is the new Director of Admission and University Registrar. Mrs. Byam joined the Howard team in 2004. She previously served as the Associate Registrar and currently leads the Admission and Recruitment team. She earned her MBA from the Howard University School of Business.
SPOT THE BISON STAMPEDE This academic year, I will visit several cities to meet with alumni and to provide an update on alma mater. I truly look forward to seeing you. We have a number of new and exciting initiatives for alumni including student recruiting interviews and opportunities to reconnect and continue your support of the Capstone. Go Bison! North Carolina Alumni Reception: Dec. 15, 2013 Baltimore Alumni Reception: Dec. 19, 2013 New York Alumni Reception: Jan. 10, 2014
HOMECOMING WRAP-UP
This year’s Homecoming was filled with excitement as thousands of alumni and friends descended on the Capstone. Although I have been affiliated with this great institution for 25 years, I must say that I was heartened and energized by the show of support and love given to me by our alumni throughout the Homecoming weekend. Their generosity and dedication to Howard propels our University towards greatness. Our recent Homecoming celebration also provided opportunities for alumni engagement that were well attended. As alumni return home, it is clear to us that our celebration must be holistic. We enjoy the friendship, the memories, the game and many activities. We plan to expand that experience and to provide opportunities for reunion and continued personal enrichment from the Capstone. These may occur in the form of workshops on financial planning, health and wellness, philanthropy and other issues that are pertinent to alumni as well as updates about alma mater. Student Activities The tradition continued with the first-ever Homecoming pep rally at Greene Stadium; an exciting Entertainment Power Summit; glamorous fashion shows; an energetic step show; and amazing performances by Erykah Badu, Brandy, Trey Songz, Eric Benet, Mary Mary, and Migos; hilarious comedy acts from Marlon Wayans and Lil’ Duval; and a funfilled parade. Alumni Activities I had the privilege of attending several wonderful alumni events, including the Bison Express kickoff and reception. This event featured keynote speaker and Howard alum Rock Newman, who shared dozens of stories about the legacy of Howard University. It was truly great to see so many former student athletes rekindle their love for alma mater.
Yardfest Yardfest attendance was more than 15,000 this year. Our attempt to cap the attendance was mandated by District of Columbia officials, including the Fire Marshal, as we secured the necessary permits for the event to ensure a safe capacity. Unfortunately, these efforts were not successful. I have convened a task force to examine Homecoming, generally, and Yardfest in particular, going forward. We will continue to refine and restructure it to ensure greater success in subsequent years. Parade One of my favorite events of the weekend was the Homecoming Parade, which featured Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson (B.A. ‘95) and actor Lance Gross (B.F.A. ‘04) serving as Grand Marshals and Marlon Wayans serving as Grand Ambassador. Hundreds of Bison and supporters lined the streets of Georgia Avenue and throughout the historic LeDroit Park to show their love and support of Howard University. The Game Always thrilling is the Homecoming Football game. This year, our Bison defeated the Morgan State University Bears 28-14 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup! Again, congratulations to our football team, coaches, and Intercollegiate Athletics staff. Thank you for making Howard’s 89th Homecoming memorable. See you next year! -Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick