Howard University president Ben Vinson III is stepping down August 31 after just two years in the position. He began serving as president in September 2023.
In a statement released by the University’s board of trustees, Vinson said that he had “worked with unwavering commitment to advance the strategic vision I believe best serves the future of this institution, including in the areas of AI, data science and analytics, and global and diasporic engagement. He expressed gratitude towards the trustees, faculty, staff, students, and partners, saying, “It has been an honor to serve Howard. At this point, I will be taking some time to be with my family and continue my research activities. I look forward to using my experiences as president to continue to serve higher education in the future.”
Leslie D. Hale, Howard University Board of Trustees chair, thanked Vinson for his service and leadership and extended "our very best wishes to him in his future endeavors."
The university’s statement did not address the reason[s] for Vinson’s short tenure and abrupt departure, but his resignation comes amidst considerable student unrest over long-festering problems that may have pre-dated his arrival, including a shortage of student housing and unhappiness with the quality of student support services, especially in areas of tuition billing and fiscal accountability.
Over the past academic year, Howard adopted a new billing platform, which led to delays in approximately 1,000 student account updates between January and June of this year. The changeover led to several students’ accounts showing delinquencies of thousands of dollars, leading to registration holds being placed on the accounts of a significant number of students. Typically, students cannot register for classes or move into on-campus housing if they’re behind on their tuition and fees.
Howard’s total enrollment about 14,500 students, including graduate students. More than 70 percent of its undergraduates have “high financial need”, and more than 40 percent are Pell eligible. The university reports its current tuition and fees as being “just over $39,000.”
Student distress and anger around administration snafus and financial pressures have triggered a vigorous social media protest campaign, dubbed Whose Howard Is It?, aimed at school administrators.
Some critics, students among them, have suggested that Vinson’s lack of familiarity with an HBCU environment, made for a challenging experience. Vinson came to Howard from Case Western Reserve University, where he served as provost from 2018-2023. His alma maters include predominantly white institutions such as Columbia and Dartmouth College. He was also dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at George Washington University from 2013 to 2018. He previously served on the faculties of Barnard College and Penn State University and Johns Hopkins University.
Wayne A.I. Frederick, who served as Howard’s president from 2014 to 2023, will return as president on an interim basis starting Sept. 1. The school will conduct a national search for its next president.
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