Letter to the Community: Howard Forward Assesment

Dear Howard University Community,

Since launching the Howard Forward strategic plan under the leadership of President Emeritus Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick in 2019, we have witnessed a transformation of our campus. Over the years, we improved the University’s quality of education, expanded our research capacity and partnerships, invested in community support programs, and enhanced our administrative systems and facilities to meet the needs of our growing student body. As we mark five years since the implementation of the strategic plan, we need to reflect on our journey, acknowledge what worked, and assess how we can continue to improve as we plan for the future. 

To facilitate this reflection, the Office of the Chief Strategy Officer executed a comprehensive retrospective assessment of Howard Forward. This process involved online surveys, in-person workshops, and qualitative interviews with a broad cross-section of students, staff, and faculty. 

The feedback we received from the community on how to center diverse perspectives at Howard throughout the strategic plan formulation and execution process has been invaluable. Between this assessment and my Bison Engagement Tour, we now have a better understanding of the strengths of Howard Forward, and we are poised to commit to operational transformation, aggressively pursue innovation, and continue to strive for academic excellence in our next strategic plan. As we continue to work towards realizing our goal of Howard at maximum strength, we are committed to addressing areas of improvement to broader University issues, including enhancing stakeholder communication, further improving our facilities, and bolstering administration support for students, staff, and faculty.  

I look forward to continuing these conversations across campus and remain committed to fostering a culture where your voice directly impacts the future of this University. 

Warm regards, 

Ben Vinson III, Ph.D. 

President, Howard University