Following just two years of service, Ben Vinson III, the eighteenth president of Howard University, has announced his resignation effective August 31.
Prior to assuming the Howard University presidency in September 2023, Dr. Vinson was provost and executive vice president of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Earlier, he was dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences at George Washington University. He has held teaching positions at Johns Hopkins University, Pennsylvania State University, and Barnard College. A historian of the African diaspora, he holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a Ph.D. from Columbia University.
“Over the course of my tenure as president, I have 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,” said Dr. Vinson. “My foremost priority has always been the well-being and success of this community, and I remain committed to ensuring a smooth and constructive transition. I am grateful to the board, faculty, staff, students, and partners who have supported the work we’ve undertaken together. 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.”
While the HBCU did not give a formal reason for Dr. Vinson’s resignation, some stakeholders are skeptical about the announcement. According to Capital B, Howard has a lack of available student housing, particularly for upperclassmen. Additionally, the HBCU recently switched platforms for billing, causing major discrepancies with accounts for some 1,000 students.
As Howard searches for its next leader, the board of trustees has appointed Wayne A. I. Frederick – Dr. Vinson’s predecessor – as interim president. A three-time Howard alumnus, Dr. Frederick served as the HBCU’s seventeenth president from 2014 to 2023, overseeing record-breaking fundraising initiatives and the modernization of academic curricula and facilities.
“As we move forward, the board of trustees and university leadership remain steadfast in our commitment to maintaining Howard’s mission of excellence, truth, and service and a vibrant, welcoming, and innovative academic environment where students continue to succeed,” said Leslie Hale, chair of the board of trustees. “Given our focus and commitment, the board has selected an interim president who is uniquely equipped to serve the university during this time of transition.”
Spare me with the narrative of Pres. Vinson’s PWI credentials and experience. It was quite apparent that Vinson was woefully lacking in several areas to leave so abruptly. In all fairness to Vinson, the entirety of his sudden departure should be on the those ole narrowed-minded and self-righteous Board Members and other upper echelon administrators who consistently have failed Howard University students on numerous fronts.
What’s even more ironic is that Howard has the Chutzpah to bring back the politically correct and failed former Howard president Frederick. For those who dissent, I challenge you to critically examine how Frederick mismanaged the Howard University Hospital (HUH). In fact, Frederick and many others upper echelon administrator hail from these Third World Caribbean and African countries in which they lack the skills (i.e., hard and soft) and vision for Howard. As a result, Howard is in a constant state of managed chaos year after year.
I would be remiss, if I didn’t mention the role of the Black Misleadership Class (shout out to “Glen Ford”[RIP]) has been intimately involved with the internal dismantling of Howard and many other beloved HBCUs. These would include these sellout so-called Black groups from the BGLOs, PHFAM, OES, and the Boule who embrace the practice of colorism, groupism, sexism, and definitely nepotism. As a result, Howard and other beloved HBCUs will remain in this almost unstoppable cycle of administrative, budgetary, operational, and planning quagmire.
In other words, Howard and other HBCU leaders, your time to Tom Foolery is up and don’t ever forget that you work for the students and not the other way around.