A Note From... President Wayne A. I. Frederick
At long last, we have returned to the Mecca, our beloved campus in Washington, D.C. This is an exciting and long anticipated moment, and we would be right to celebrate. I hope you all feel that sense of joy on your first day of classes.
However, we would do well to recognize that there are stark differences between what campus life will look like in the semester ahead and how it has looked in semesters past.
While the majority of our undergraduate and graduate students will be on campus for the Fall 2021 semester, some students will continue to study exclusively online. Those students who are studying and living on campus will be required to wear masks and maintain their social distance when appropriate. Even though many of our most cherished Howard traditions and pastimes involve large crowds, we will have to set limits on the size of our gatherings.
It was always my hope that the return of our student body to campus would coincide with the end or the imminent decline of the pandemic. Unfortunately, it is blatantly clear that COVID-19 remains a potent and lethal force upon our society. While we have every confidence that the protocols that we have put in place will ensure the health and wellbeing of our Howard community, we must be vigilant. We all have a role to play to ensure the safety guidelines are being adhered to and that our campus remains a safe space for our students, faculty and staff, as well as our visitors and guests. We must all complete the Bison Safe app entries EVERYDAY. This is an important reminder to all of us about the safety guidelines. Our safety is interdependent so we must keep each other at the top of our mind and our actions.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Howard has played a vital role in protecting, defending and advocating for the Black community. In order to continue to play that role effectively, we must become a model for ensuring the health of African-Americans by verifying that constituents on our campus are vaccinated and following all of the health and safety protocols. We will also continue to provide COVID-19 testing and vaccinations to those in our community to protect as many people as possible and to forestall any potential spread of the virus.
We have also returned to campus to highlight the importance of education and academics as a means of combatting the pandemic and ensuring the long-term health of our society. As much as COVID-19, inequality and injustice represent pandemic-level afflictions that threaten individual lives and suppress the potential of our nation. Not only must we continue to call attention to the ways in which our society lacks justice and equality, tolerance and diversity, but we must provide actionable solutions for how our nation can improve on these fronts.
Thank you for the boldness I know you will exhibit in your work and the precautions you will take to ensure the wellbeing of those around you. During all times, but especially during a pandemic, we are all responsible for one another. I hope that being on campus, and being surrounded by our fellow students, our colleagues, our mentors and our friends, will remind us of our grander missions in life. The purpose of our work is never simply to get good grades or promotions, but to make the world a better place.
To read more of President Frederick's Welcome Letter to campus, please click here.
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Howard Alleviates Debt from Tuition and Fees for Students in Need
Recently, the University announced it will clear the debts of juniors and seniors facing financial hardships as a result of the pandemic. President Wayne A.I. Frederick announced that students who have an expected family contribution of $0 and an outstanding balance for the Spring 2021 semester will receive a credit to their accounts that completely eliminates their current debt.
“Howard University is committed to holistically supporting our students and removing barriers they may encounter on the road to graduation,” said Frederick in an email to students. “During the course of the pandemic, we know that many students experienced unforeseen financial hardships that put their plans for pursuing higher education in jeopardy. In total, we have distributed over $27 million in direct cash payments, waived fees, emergency housing and meal assistance, and provided other supportive services to students since March 2020 to ensure they could afford their education and living expenses. I am pleased to announce that Howard is continuing these efforts by alleviating more student debt with the intent of increasing the chances for students to complete their degree programs.”
Howard University has already begun issuing credits to students who fit the criteria and other students who have demonstrated need will be assisted in the coming weeks. When they check their accounts, students will see that a credit labeled “HU COVID Need Support” has appeared on their accounts.
Students facing hardship are encouraged to contact the Division of Student Affairs at 202.806.2100 or via email at StudentAffairs@howard.edu.
To read more about this announcement, please visit the Howard newsroom here.
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As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, we aim to serve and protect our campus community by providing current policies and resources to maintain our wellness. In response, we have designed a page intended to provide the Howard community with up-to-date answers surrounding the University’s response to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.
We are committed to keeping our Bison S.A.F.E. and this page supports our plan to ensure safety by responding to common questions regarding vaccination, campus testing, masking, social distancing requirements for students, and the University’s expectations regarding student compliance to current policies and procedures.
Please click here to visit the Common Questions page which contains the most critical information needed to continue, safely, moving Howard forward.
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Pop-up COVID-19 Testing Sites
As we continue to monitor and adapt to COVID-19 safety protocols, it is critical that we continue to conduct robust COVID-19 testing of our student body. In an effort to increase testing, we are creating pop-up testing sites in convenient locations around campus, including:
- Blackburn Center, first floor gallery;
- Undergraduate Library, first floor; and
- Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library, first floor classroom.
Signage in the buildings will direct you to the testing pop-up locations. No appointments are necessary, and students should be prepared to provide their howard.edu email address.
If you have not been tested over the past seven days, please make sure to visit one of these locations during the hours of operation to get your test.
Today, we introduced new monitored self-testing procedures and open expanded satellite testing locations, including in residence halls and other facilities across campus.
To read more about our efforts to monitor and maintain safety among our community, please click here.
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Get your Truth and Service Classic student tickets now for the match off between Howard University and Hampton College, September 18 at 12pm EST.
For additional details and ticket purchasing, please click here for student tickets.
For Super Fan Season Tickets please click here and for general fan tickets at the rate of $20 per person plus fees, please visit Ticketmaster here.
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To get your events placed in the HU Happenings section, visit our calendar portal, click “submit event” and fill in the necessary information. OUC will select events from this section to also be included in the weekly newsletter.
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If you want to submit content to HU! You Know!, email ouc@howard.edu with the subject line "HU! You Know! Submission.”
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Howard University
2400 Sixth Street NW
Washington, DC 20059
(202) 806-6100
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