Howard University’s president will retire from his post by June 2024, the school’s board of trustees announced Wednesday.
Wayne A.I. Frederick has been on the historically Black campus for more than three decades — first as a student, then a faculty member and administrator. He was named interim president in 2013 and assumed the position permanently a year later.
Laurence C. Morse, chair of the university’s board, thanked Frederick in a message to the campus for his “tireless, unwavering efforts to lead our university to greater academic excellence, fiscal strength and service to our community and country.” He added that “the board desired that he would have chosen to remain in office longer.”
Frederick did not immediately comment on his plans. He is scheduled to deliver his spring State of the University address Thursday.
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Frederick’s nearly decade-long tenure as Howard’s president has been one of successes — from securing record-breaking donations, notable faculty hires and navigating the pandemic — as well as turmoil. His administration has been criticized for the way it has handled issues including student housing, financial aid and faculty pay.
The news of Frederick’s departure comes amid leadership changes throughout the greater Washington region. Catholic University recently named a new president, who will take office in July after John Garvey ends his 12-year term. George Washington University installed an interim president in January following the departure of Thomas LeBlanc. At the University of Maryland Baltimore County, officials have named its first female president, who will succeed longtime leader Freeman A. Hrabowski III.
Hampton University also announced a new leader Wednesday. Its president, William R. Harvey, will retire June 30 after 44 years at the university’s helm.
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Howard officials did not say why Frederick is retiring or what he will do after leaving office. But the timing of the announcement will allow the university to ensure a smooth transfer of power, said Frank Tramble, a spokesman for the campus. Frederick’s predecessor, Sidney A. Ribeau, resigned abruptly in 2013 after months of internal debate over the university’s management and financial state.
“We appreciate that Dr. Frederick has given us ample time to find the next great leader of Howard University and remains committed to fulfilling key components of the Howard Forward Strategic Plan, along with other initiatives on his agenda,” Morse wrote to the campus. “Over the next two years, Dr. Frederick will continue to give his undivided attention to advance our collective interests, drive impactful initiatives, and support the people that comprise our growing university community.”
While leading one of the country’s largest HBCUs, Frederick has overseen dramatic enrollment growth — from 9,392 students in fall 2017 to more than 12,000 in fall 2021 — as well as rising graduation and retention rates. Among his faculty recruits are journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and actress Phylicia Rashad, dean of the fine-arts school.
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Frederick inherited a university in financial turmoil but has moved the institution toward fiscal health, Morse said. The university in recent years has doubled its number of research grants, and since 2018 secured more than $350 million in philanthropic support. The university recently revealed plans to spend $785 million on new construction and building renovations, the largest real estate investment in the school’s history.
But there have been challenges, as well. A faculty union, after years of negotiations with the university, recently threatened a work stoppage over issues including pay. The university narrowly avoided the strike after it reached a last-minute agreement with the union representing part-time adjunct and full-time nontenure-track faculty.
Frederick has also faced criticism for his handling of student protests — most recently in October when students occupied a campus building for 34 days over housing, student representation and administration transparency. During a separate wave of protests over financial aid and housing in 2018, a student emailed Frederick with concerns, and the president replied her “tone and tenor [were] inappropriate.”
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Shortly after that email exchange, the faculty senate expressed a vote of no confidence.
Frederick is a professor of surgery at Howard’s College of Medicine and a practicing cancer surgeon at the Howard University Hospital, according to his university biography. Frederick is among the highest-paid university leaders in the District, with a total compensation of more than $1.6 million in 2019, according to a salary database compiled by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
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