Under the leadership of President Ben Vinson III, PhD, Howard is absorbing the lessons learned through implementation of the highly successful Howard Forward Strategic Plan through a university-wide retrospective assessment which will lay the groundwork for a transformational strategic engagement approach as we work to build the next strategic plan and move the university to maximum strength.
The Office of Strategy, led by Rashad Young, senior vice president for administration and chief administration officer, launched the current strategic planning process with a comprehensive Bison community collaboration in partnership with the Education Advisory Board (EAB) to explore current trends in higher education. The framework was established by integrating Vinson’s overarching goals with insights from the retrospective assessment, focus group meetings, and feedback from campus groups. It will focus on a number of important thematic areas including biotechnology and STEM, the student experience, artificial intelligence and machine learning, the humanities, equity and social justice, physical plant and capital renewal, and public service, among others.
Howard's students have already identified key issues for them, demonstrating an eagerness to examine housing availability and ways to expand the university’s reach throughout the city. Likewise, Howard’s faculty and staff are ensuring the curriculum is not just rigorous, but timely and relevant as the university adapts to the evolving changes in numerous industries and in higher education.
With the priorities of stakeholders in mind, the university is developing a transformational approach that marries efficiency with innovation to build a road map toward progress with active steps that lead to success. This approach will take careful prioritizing, close management of our University’s resources, and the full effort of all Bison. The opportunities for Howard at maximum strength are numerous: new initiatives, stronger collaborations within and beyond our community, and propelling Howard University to be one of the top institutions nationally and internationally. The next strategic plan is expected to be released in Fall 2025.
To support the effort, President Vinson assembled the Bison Vision Council and Hilltop Architects as advisory groups. These decision-oriented and cross-representational groups will continue to gather feedback and input to guide the year-long engagement process.
This past September, the Bison community celebrated the notable success and sunsetting of the Howard Forward Strategic Plan. The university’s five-year strategic plan, implemented between 2019-2024, has cemented Howard’s positioning as a premiere institution developing the leaders of tomorrow.
Initiated by President Emeritus Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick (B.S. ’92, M.D. ’94, M.B.A. ’11), Howard Forward was built on shared goals to grow Howard into an even stronger and intentional institution of excellence. The Howard community worked collectively to increase research capacity, putting the university on the road to reclaiming R1 status, a designation determined by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, signifying “Very High Research Activity.” The university also enhanced resources and opportunities for students and faculty, surpassed enrollment goals years in advance of targeted dates, broke down internal silos that impacted efficiency and operations, and increased our endowment to nearly $1 billion. In addition, Howard has developed a pipeline of over $1.3 billion in commercial mixed-use projects that will add more than 200 units of affordable housing to our city while creating over 13,000 jobs.
The Office of Strategy promises that the strategic planning process will not just be another page in our university’s workbook. In Spring 2025, the office is rolling out another semester of “Bison Real Talks,” which are information gathering sessions, along with related programming. It promises to engage all members of the Howard community to ensure that the new strategic plan fills the needs of every Bison and helps build a stronger community.
Visit strategicplan.howard.edu for the latest information on Howard's strategic engagement, and for a wrap-up report of the Howard Forward Strategic Plan.
Article ID: 2216