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 JULY 2014
INSIDE
2
AROUND CAMPUS
3
EXCELLENCE AT HOWARD
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 7
Dear Howard University Community: As we close out the year, I am pleased to report significant progress in key areas. Last fall, we announced several objectives—boosting fundraising, improving graduation and retention rates, advancing our research priorities, stabilizing enrollment, seeking financial stabilization of Howard University Hospital (HUH) and creating more operational efficiencies. Fundraising remains a top priority.We exceeded our fundraising goals this fiscal year thanks to your generosity. As I have shared, we plan to significantly scale up our outreach and engagement to raise the funds necessary to invest in our bold vision.This robust effort will lay foundation for our 150th anniversary capital campaign. Next month, we will open the Center for Academic Excellence focused on student success as well as graduation and retention rates.This summer, nearly 50 researchers participated in a three-day retreat focused on increasing our sponsored research portfolio to $100 million.We are also making investments in grants management and research administrative services to ensure a more seamless system for principal investigators. We are making significant progress on streamlining our systems and procedures to improve service quality and delivery. As many of you know, Howard University Hospital plays a principal role in educating our health sciences professionals in medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing and allied health sciences. As such, we are actively seeking a sustainable solution for HUH which bolsters our medical education mission. Firmly committed to this endeavor, we are making steady progress and will keep the community apprised. In the interim, we will take a number of steps to align the hospital with best practices and improve efficiencies. In a few weeks, we will welcome the Class of 2018. August is one of my favorite times of year. I vividly remember when I first set foot on campus in 1988; I was filled with tremendous hope. Howard University made it possible for me to fulfill that potential, and consequently, my dreams.Without question, Howard is a special place—for all of us.To that end, you can be sure that we will work tirelessly to ensure that this historic institution fortifies its legacy as a gift for generations more. Many of you have shared your ideas and recommendations—please continue to do so.To effectively capture your best thinking, we have established a singular email account: presidentialtransition@howard.edu.We truly look forward to hearing from you.
In Truth and Service,
Wayne A.I. Frederick President
AROUND CAMPUS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND HOWARD HOST CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 CELEBRATION Howard University collaborated with the Department of Justice on Tuesday, July 15, to commemorate the signing 50 years ago of the Civil Rights Act. Students, advocates and public officials gathered in Cramton Auditorium to take note of the progress that has been made towards inclusion and racial equality since the landmark legislation was signed into law on July 2, 1964. The commemoration also posed the question: Where do we as a nation go from here? It served as a reminder that the promise of equality has yet to be fully realized and there is more work to be done. “Although we can be proud of the progress that has been made, even within our own lifetimes, we cannot accept these advances as an indication that our work is complete, that our long journey has been successfully concluded,” Holder said. Ambassador Andrew Young, the influential civil rights activist and Howard alumnus, also spoke, saying more work was needed to “redeem the soul of America from the triple evils of racism, war and poverty.”
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR VALERIE CHINESE GOVERNMENT PARTNERS WITH HBCUs IN JARRETT SPEAKS TO AFRICAN LEADERS GROUP AT HOWARD BEIJING White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett held an insightful question-and-answer session with fellows from the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) on Howard University’s campus on July 18. The discussion centered on leadership skills, navigating difficult decisions and the importance of professional development. Jarrett acknowledged that her position is demanding and carries an enormous amount of responsibility; but she said it also yields great fulfillment. She also told the fellows to not “underestimate the contributions you’ll make to the world.”
Howard University and seven other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) signed a memorandum-of-understanding with the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), the Chinese nonprofit that conducts international educational exchanges on behalf of the country’s Ministry of Education. The agreement formally acknowledges the 1,000 scholarships designated for HBCU students announced last year by Chinese leaders in Washington. “We are excited about the partnership between the Chinese government and HBCUs,” said Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick. “The first Chinese students enrolled at Howard in 1870, and we have had an enduring relationship for nearly 150 years. We look forward to expanding our strategic partnership with China.”
EXCELLENCE AT HOWARD STUDENT ATHLETES SUCCEED IN THE CLASSROOM Howard student-athletes continued to be top performers in the classroom during the past school year. Howard intercollegiate athletes produced an overall grade point average of 3.02. In addition, 131 student-athletes were named to the 2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Commissioner’s All-Academic Team. Overall, the Athletics Department graduated its student-athletes at a 68 percent rate, far above the graduation rate of many other collegiate athletic programs.
3.02 OVERALL GPA
131
ATHLETES NAMED TO MEAC ALL- ACADEMIC TEAM
SPRIGGS HONORED BY NAACP WITH ‘KEEPER OF THE FLAME’ AWARD
William Spriggs, Ph.D., professor and former chairman of the Howard University Department of Economics, was recently selected by the NAACP National Board of Directors’ Labor Committee to receive the 2014 NAACP Benjamin L. Hooks “Keeper of the Flame” Award. Spriggs is the chief economist of the AFL-CIO, America’s largest labor federation. The prestigious award is given to recipients who have made significant contributions to racial equality and fairness in the labor movement and have fostered creative involvement to encourage positive outcomes. The NAACP honored Spriggs at the organization’s 105th annual convention in Las Vegas on July 23.
68%
STUDENTATHLETE GRADUATION RATE
“Having our student-athletes be successful in the classroom is just as important as winning on the field, so having the hard work of those student-athletes result in such impressive honors for the University is a cause for celebration,” said Howard University Director of Athletics Louis “Skip” Perkins. “We hope our student-athletes continue to excel in their studies and bring pride to the Bison community.”
FLEMING HONORED AS ‘ENGINEER OF THE YEAR’ Lorraine Fleming, Ph.D., interim dean of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Computer Sciences (CEACS), was named “2014 Engineer of the Year” by the District of Columbia Society of Professional Engineers (DCSPE). Fleming has led numerous research and intervention initiatives to engage and retain African-American talent in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). She serves as the director of the National Science Foundation-funded Global Education, Awareness and Research Undergraduate Program (GEAR-UP), which provides undergraduate STEM students with opportunities conduct research in abroad.
SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATORS PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH RETREAT A team of nearly 50 scientific investigators participated in a three-day retreat in Wintergreen, Virginia, to expand Howard University’s research initiative, create research synergies across disciplines and update participants on new research investments and infrastructure.
Participants made significant progress on concept papers and proposals in several core areas. A number of new initiatives and programs were unveiled at the retreat. These include expanding the University’s annual research day activities to a full-week format (April 13-17, 2015), and adding new research tools.