Friday, April 06, 2018

message from Howard University's Board of Trustees Chairman: "End of Sit-in and Moving Forward"

From: Bennett, Maybelle T.

Sent: Friday, April 6, 2018 5:47 PM
Subject: FW: End of Sit-in and Moving Forward

Dear Neighbors:

Below you will find the announcement from the Chairman of Howard’s Board of Trustees regarding the outcome of the student occupation of the Administration Building.

Maybelle Taylor Bennett

Director
Howard University Community Association
Office of External Affairs
2400 Sixth Street, N.W. Room 323
Washington, D.C. 20059
Ph: (202) 806-2661
Fx: (202) 667-4340

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Office of University Communications

April 6, 2018

Dear Howard University Community,

On behalf of the Howard University Board of Trustees, we write this letter today to affirm our collective commitment to moving our beloved institution forward inclusively and with integrity.
While recent days have been traumatic for our entire Howard University family, they served as an inflection point. Despite the challenges we have faced and the differences of opinions amongst us, we recognized the importance of coming together to best serve our institution. Representatives of the University’s Board of Trustees took the concerns shared by student protesters seriously and met in good faith with them on numerous occasions, both face-to-face and by telephone.

As all of us are aware, Howard University has a long history of healthy debate and discourse on our campus and it’s a tradition we fully support. We want to continue to encourage dialogue and we are committed to providing a safe space for all voices to feel comfortable to speak freely.

While conversations were ongoing with student protesters, members of the Board of Trustees and President Frederick spoke with many groups within our community to ensure their voices were also being heard. A member of our Board of Trustees engaged alumni via an Alumni Insights call. President Frederick held meetings with various student groups, the Dean’s Council and spoke to the Faculty Senate. He was actively engaged around the clock to support this process.

We also heard from alumni, parents, donors and other stakeholders near and far in e-mails, texts, phone calls and on social media. We listened. We heard you, and we thank you for being so engaged. Your support of our students and our University moved everyone at the Capstone.

During our many conversations with various members of our community, we also discussed the positive developments that are already ongoing at our institution. These include improvements in operations and infrastructure, increases in resources and the fostering of a positive environment for our students.

Additionally, we discussed new opportunities to further strengthen our campus and engage with even more members of our community. These new commitments, informed by our conversations with many of our Howard family, follow this letter. Furthermore, we are pleased to announce the sit-in is over and the A-building is once again open for all members of our community.

My fellow board members and I charged President Frederick with making progress on the critical issues facing our university. While he has made significant advancements, we all acknowledge there is much more work to be done. He is committed to stewarding this institution, and he continues to have our unequivocal and unwavering support.

When our community is at our best, we are active. We support one another. We are respectful. We are proud. This is what makes Howard unique and admired. All of us need to commit to actively uphold our values, even during difficult times. Even when we have differences of opinion, one thing always remains very clear – all of us love this institution, and only want the best for our fellow Bison. We look forward to continuing to work with our students and our entire community to achieve progress and continue to move our community forward.

Excellence in Truth and Service,

Stacey J. Mobley, Esq.
Chairman, Howard University Board of Trustees