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A Monthly Newsletter from the Office of the President
BISON BEAT August 2019 | Volume 8 Issue 6
Dear Howard Community, Fall semester is always an exciting time because of the promise and opportunity it entails. The uniqueness of this institution is very much rooted in our concern for one another. Generations of Bison made it to and through The Hilltop by the prayers, love, support and encouragement of members of this village. Howard University is at its best when we focus on service above self. Howard is not a monolith; the beautiful diversity of this place is another source of strength. Every person brings a unique life experience, upbringing and their own powerful story that answers the question, “why Howard?” Beyond our differences, we are connected by the legacy and continued relevance of this storied institution. Our common thread is one of care for others and demonstrates how service has become the sine qua non of Howard University. It is with an understanding of togetherness in mind that our new strategic plan was brainstormed. Howard Forward 2024 stands on five strategic pillars:
Inside AROUND CAMPUS
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Stephen Curry Partners With Howard University to Launch First Division I Golf Program Class of 2023 Move-In Day
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Enhance Academic Excellence; Inspire New Knowledge; Serve the Community; Improve Efficiency & Effectiveness and Achieve Financial Stability. As a triple alum, I and my administration are fully committed to deliver on the promises outlined to ensure that Howard remains, in the words of our 2019 Commencement orator, the Hon. Kasim Reed, a “dream factory” that allows everyone to pursue and realize their greatest aspirations. A Howard Bison understands that the education they receive here comes with a charge to use it to uplift others and ultimately change our world for the better.
May the quest for new knowledge, engagement, and a commitment to one another infuse our collaborative work throughout this new academic year. Best wishes for a successful semester. Together, we will move Howard Forward. Excellence in Truth and Service,
Wayne A. I. Frederick. M.D., MBA P R E S I D E NT
A Special Move-In Moment Between Mother and Daughter
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Legacy Pride
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One Legacy Family’s Story
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Efficiency & Effectiveness Photos: JKnight/Howard University
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Stephen Curry Partners With Howard University to Launch First Division I Golf Program At the start of the academic year, in a historic stride forward to grow the game of golf, six-time NBA All-Star and Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation co-founder Stephen Curry recently announced his commitment to the University, with a pledge to support the establishment of the University’s first NCAA Division I golf program for the next six years. Inspired by Howard senior and golfer, Otis Ferguson IV, whom Curry met during a campus visit earlier this year, Curry was compelled to act when Ferguson shared that his impassioned solo crusade to get a golf team at Howard proved unsuccessful. An avid golfer himself, Curry tapped into what is increasingly becoming his defining trait—the distinctive ability to connect and empathize with anyone, anywhere—and made the unprecedented decision to help bridge the gap between talent and opportunity. Utilizing his unique position, Curry will introduce and increase access to elite golf at a historically black college, while also calling on sport and community giants, such as Under Armour, Callaway, Eat. Learn. Play., and others, for help with equipment, uniforms and more.
“Golf is a sport that has changed my life in ways that are less tangible, but just as impactful,” said the NBA star. Adding, “It’s a discipline that challenges your mental wherewithal from patience to focus, and is impossible to truly master, so when you hear about these passionate student athletes who have the talent but don’t have a fair shot at the game, it’s tough.
I feel really honored to play a small role in the rich history
Howard University aims to debut the of Howard University, and look forward to building their first men’s and women’s golf teams first men’s and women’s golf teams with them.” in the 2020-21 academic year, with resources strategically allocated for — Stephen Curry talent scouting and training to have a competitive Division I team in place for its inaugural season, joining Howard’s other 19 Division I teams. The University previously had a Division II golf team and various intercollegiate and intramural club teams.
“Howard University is honored to partner with NBA Champion Stephen Curry to launch what is sure to become one of the best golf programs in the country,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA. “This program will expose the campus to a game with numerous benefits. Golf is unique because it can be played through various ages of life. Grandfathers can play with granddaughters. Expanding the competitive opportunities for student athletes, especially in arenas where they are underrepresented, is consistent with the University’s strategic plan.”
Stephen Curry Partners with Howard University to Launch First NCAA Division I Golf Team. Pictured L-R: Howard University Athletic Director Kery Davis, student Otis Ferguson IV, Stephen Curry, Calloway CEO Oliver “Chip” Brewer and Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick.
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Class of 2023
Move-In Day The Howard University campus community ushered in hundreds of freshmen students into campus housing in early August. College movein day is typically a special day for families and can bring a full range of emotions. This year’s freshmen class joins the Howard community from a variety of locations, both domestic and international, and is one of the biggest classes welcomed to the University in recent years, with more than 2,000 students.
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“Additionally, my mother and her closest friends have been encouraging me to attend their alma mater my whole life. At first, I didn’t want to follow in their footsteps, but I grew to love the college.” KenaMaat plans to study physics and mechanical engineering, due to encouragement from her uncle and the coursework from high school. For KenaMaat’s mother and alumna, N’Maat Ankhmeni ’89, as well as other alumni mothers, they noticed improvements, such as upgrades to bathrooms, the bedrooms and more that were needed. This was also a nostalgic moment for them too. “I lived in The Quad my freshman year, August 1985 to May 1986 and I had a wonderful time too. I lived in Frasier Hall and now my daughter will,” said N’Maat. “I remember the women from my floor who were from different parts of the country. I remember how we would pool our food and have a meal together as well.” N'Maat Ankhmeni (B.B.A. ’89), in 1985 inside her dorm room at The Quad. Photo: N’Maat Ankhmeni
Freshman KenaMaat Ankhmeni ’23, with her mother, N'Maat Ankhmeni ’89, inside her dorm after moving into the Harriet Tubman Quadrangle dorm room on Aug. 11, 2019.
A Special Move-In Moment Between Mother and Daughter The Class of 2023 has arrived at Howard University, and the new ladies of the Harriet Tubman Quadrangle, affectionately known as “The Quad,” have settled into their newly renovated dormitory. The Quad is a set of five of the oldest dorms on campus, named Baldwin, Crandall, Frazier, Truth and Wheatley. When students arrived during Move-In Weekend, they were privy to newly renovated rooms with upgraded furnishings and finishes. “I’m really excited to be here. My room is gorgeous! I wasn’t expecting it to look like this, but its brand new. I’m excited to be a freshman at Howard,” said KenaMaat Ankhmeni, who arrived from New York—one of the top state locations of the freshman class. “I chose Howard University for many reasons. Among other things, I love the rigorous yet fun atmosphere, the variety of ambitious and driven people, and the culture of the college. I feel as though I can reach my highest potential while attending this college and have fun along the way,” said KenaMaat.
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According to Anthony Freeman who leads Real Estate Development and Capital Asset Management for the University, “updates to The Quad focused primarily on extensive infrastructure improvements required to modernize the buildings. Additionally, during phase one, individual rooms, communal restrooms, and recreational/ lounge spaces received upgrades. During phase two, new building segments will be completed to interconnect the five residence halls with additional rooms, circulation and elevators. Additional amenities and student services are scheduled to be implemented as a third and final phase.
“I am so proud of my daughter. She is an excellent student and an amazing person. Howard has been developing and nurturing leaders for 152 years and I am so excited that now my daughter will be counted amongst them. She has had many varied experiences to this point, which has prepared her for this experience. Howard will provide an opportunity for her to test those ideas and develop relationships that she will carry with her for a lifetime.” — N’Maat Ankhmeni N’Maat smiled ear-to-ear as she walked through the halls leading her daughter through her memories to her new residence, adding a new chapter to their legacy. “I am very sentimental, and I think legacy means a lot. In so many families, and my family in particular, we have only four generations of history and only two generations of legacy where details have been passed down about our ancestors. This is a little thing in the scope of such big ideas, but it is a small step toward reclaiming ourselves and our culture,” she said.
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Legacy Pride Howard welcomed its incoming legacy students to campus during a Sunday evening reception during Freshmen Move-In Weekend. The yearly event serves as an opportunity for incoming legacy students to connect with each other and for alumni to introduce their family members to their beloved institution.
One Legacy Family’s Story The legacy of Howard’s newest Bison Ajani Collymore began when his mother, Juaná Derrick, came to Howard University in 1996 from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to study civil engineering. His father, Algynon Collymore, arrived a few months later in spring 1997 from Saint Lucia to study civil engineering. From 1997 to 1999, Juaná and Algynon took most of their civil engineering classes together. Then, Juaná noticed how smart Algynon was and asked him to be her study partner. She quickly learned that he was a great test taker and tried to learn his ways. As they studied together, Juaná’s scores improved and Algynon got a lot of home cooked meals. Eventually, they started to date and within 11 months, they were married. They both graduated in 2000, with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. Nineteen years and two sons later, they are happily married and elated that the boy who hasn’t missed a homecoming in 18 years and was baptized in Rankin Chapel by Dean Richardson, is now a Bison in the Class of 2023. Some of the advice the Collymores gave to their son Ajani, who was practically raised on Howard’s campus and knows the Chapel is the best place for his soul, is to: (1) know that professors have the key to his education and potential career opportunities, (2) make the campus better than he found it through participation in student organizations, and (3) find a friend or group of friends to study with, because students are stronger together.
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Efficiency and Effectiveness As the academic year gets under way, the Office of Undergraduate Services and the Division of Enrollment Management, shares information about their services and new programs to help make the fall and spring semesters an easy transition and success.
Enrollment Management The Division of Enrollment Management, under the leadership of Anthony Jones, associate provost and assistant vice president of enrollment management is committed to improving its service to the Howard Family year-after-year. Our vision is to be a high-performing team of collaborative professionals working with partners across campus to intentionally create the most user-friendly and accurate student service experience possible, thus exceeding our constituents’ expectations. To this end, rigorous work continues to be done to streamline our processes and offer easy ways to access the information and support the needs of our students.
Melanie Carter, Ph.D. Associate Provost, Undergraduate Studies
OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES Launched in 2014, the Office of Undergraduate Studies was created to ensure that all students have the academic support necessary to persist, flourish and earn their degree in four years or less. The mission of OUS is to facilitate the successful matriculation of undergraduate students by offering academic support services and programs that will result in improved persistence, retention and graduation rates. Academic performance in the classroom is at the center of every student’s university experience. However, earning a degree requires that students are informed about academic requirements, policies and procedures and have access to resources that will help them to consistently make good decisions. “In collaboration with our faculty, undergraduate schools and colleges, and the Enrollment Management offices (admissions, financial aid and registrar), OUS embraces a holistic and integrated approach to student success. We believe that investment in our students will result in more students who remain on track for graduation, more students who pursue opportunities that enhance their academic journey, and more students who complete their degrees early or on-time,” says Melanie Carter, Ph.D., associate provost, undergraduate studies. “A top priority this fall for OUS will be to promote and increase the use of our predictive analytics and advising platform, Bison Adviser. Specifically, they will focus on training faculty to issue early alerts at key intervals. Our plan is to begin with the math department.”
For the 2018-19 school year, we were excited to introduce Bison E-Line, a handy mobile tool that allows students to electronically sign-in to be serviced in the Office of Financial Aid and student accounts. Students now receive a text message when it is their opportunity to be seen, eliminating the need to wait in line. This year, we are as elated about the exciting offerings being released. Anthony Jones Associate Provost and Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management
THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR WILL OFFER TWO NEW FEATURES:
Certified Electronic Diplomas (CeDiploma), an official portable and verifiable electronic version of your accomplishment that can be shared with employers and other institutions to validate your degree.
National Clearing House (NCLH) Transcript Fulfillment, an expedited, time-efficient method of delivery that sends transcripts requested by email to Howard directly from NCLH to the student without waiting for the Office of the Registrar to manually fulfill the order.
THE OFFICE OF ENROLLMENT SERVICES will offer the Student Services Tracker, designed to provide
real-time and highly personalized information regarding admissions, financial aid, and student accounts via a mobile application, reducing a student’s need to take time from their busy schedule to visit the office.
In addition, at the end of the registration period, Dr. Carter and OUS will share information about their GOT15? Initiative. The objective is to ensure that students complete at least 15 hours per semester so that they graduate in four years.
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On Beat with @HUPrez17
SOCIAL COLLATERAL FROM@HUPREZ17
HOWARD UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL opened a new women, infants and children center at Joint Base
Anacostia—Bolling, which will provide low income, military families with infants and children access to healthy foods, nutritional and educational counseling, breastfeeding support, health care and immunization resources, and community-based social services.
WHUR AND WELLS FARGO PARTNERED in August for “Pay It forward Thursdays,” where they carried
out random acts of kindness throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Howard and Wells Fargo hopes this small act of caring and sharing will become even more contagious around the DMV, helping to make the region just a little kinder.
WHUT, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL HARBOR, HOSTED FUN DAY! At the event, WHUR 96.3 and UniverSoul Circus brought a variety of children’s activities to the Waterfront District during the event located at the National Harbor. In addition to activities for kids, there were giveaways along with performances by the UniverSoul Circus from its highly acclaimed acts.
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HOWARD UNIVERSITY STUDENT AID FUND
I AM PLEASED TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING GIFT TO THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND. (Please make checks payable to Howard University.)
Enclosed is my gift of $ Name: _____________________________________________________________ Title: ______________________________________________________________ Company/Organization: _____________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ______________________________________________________ If new address, please check: ¨
Home Phone: _______________________________________________________ Office Phone: _______________________________________________________ Mobile Phone: ______________________________________________________
JOIN US NEXT TIME… ON
“The Journey” “The Journey” is a weekly 15-minute program hosted by Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, 17th President of Howard University. A family man, scholar, surgeon, leader, servant of the world, Frederick engages in dynamic dialogue with local and national guests, learning about their journeys and their thoughts on a full range of issues of the day. Listeners can hear conversations about raising boys to manhood, encouraging women in leadership, detecting cancer, mentoring youth, preventing domestic violence, the value of a village and much more.
T U NE -IN HE R E
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Email: _____________________________________________________________ Class Year:__________ College/Program:________________________________ PLEASE CHARGE MY CARD: Visa
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Name on Card:_____________________________________________________ Credit Card Number: _______________________________________________ Exp Date:_______________ Security Code:______________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: _____________________________________________________ If same as above, please check: Signature: _________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________________________________________________ My and/or my spouse’s employer will match my/our gift. For online giving, visit: www.giving.howard.edu DIVISION OF DEVELOPMENT & ALUMNI RELATIONS HOWARD UNIVERSITY 2225 GEORGIA AVENUE NW, ROOM 901 WASHINGTON, DC 20059
Will you answer the call? AUGUST 2019 | Bison Beat Monthly Newsletter | PAGE 17