WASHINGTON – Howard University has completed the 2020 Self Study, an institutional reaccreditation process managed by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The two-year process to receive reaccreditation required the collaborative internal and external review of the University from all 13 schools and colleges by a 100-person team of deans, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. In Spring 2021, the determination for Howard University’s reaccreditation will be revealed.  

“Coordinating this review in the middle of a pandemic when our campus is largely closed created additional obstacles. But through the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in this process, we met the challenge head on,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “Based on the exit report shared today, the site visit team, in their judgement, indicated that Howard University appears to meet all standards with several complimentary commendations, and we remain hopeful we will receive our full re-accreditation.”  

Throughout the self-study, a thorough review of Howard’s offerings and plans were examined by Bison to identify opportunities and gaps the seven Middle States Commission on Higher Education standards: our mission and goals; ethics and integrity; design and delivery of the student learning experience; how we support our student body at all levels; the educational effectiveness; our planning, resources and institutional improvement; and the University’s governance, leadership, and administration. The Self-Study Steering Committee included broad and diverse membership from across the University, with members possessing key expertise relating to specific standards, educational programs, student support services, finance and operations, institutional research, and institutional policy and compliance. 

“Essentially, I have experienced a heightened sense of fulfillment and pride during my past two years working with colleagues and students from all 13 schools and colleges and from a suite of administrative offices across the enterprise, all with the singular goal of producing a self-study report that successfully demonstrates that Howard University is either meeting or exceeding Middle States’ standards,” said Rubin Patterson, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Middle States 2020 Self Study. 

Over time, several visits by MSCHE were completed, and the final visit was moved from April 2020 to October 2020, due to the pandemic. Although virtual, the expectations were the same: to deliver a smooth and efficient experience with Middle States Commission on Higher Education examiners. In preparation, the accreditation review team held over 50 sessions with 200-plus faculty, staff, administrators and students in prep-sessions days before the Middle States Commission on Higher Education site visit took place.  

“In those prep sessions, Howard participants listened attentively and asked insightful questions to learn how they could best help the University accomplish its reaccreditation goal. Participants read closely the sections of the self-study report related to the sessions in which they were to participate,” said Patterson. 

The intended outcomes expected by the 2020 Self Study team at Howard University through this process were to: 

• Achieve reaffirmation of accreditation  

• Identify innovations and efficiencies that will position Howard as a top 100 university based on established criteria 

• Further demonstrate the University’s commitment to student success by developing academic support initiatives that target specific populations (i.e., Pell-eligible students); aligning University policies and procedures with best-practice research on retention and degree completion strategies; and utilizing technology to efficiently monitor key academic performance indicators 

• Re-energize our research intensiveness and achieve R1 status 

• Demonstrate with ongoing survey data improved actual and perceived stakeholder engagement of major constituent groups in shared responsibility for the success of the University 

• Provide improved development, teaching, and research support to faculty to enhance their impact on student success  

• Identify the five critical areas where innovation and transformation—and plans for achieving them 

In the final stages of the 2020 Self Study, the 100-person team was able to rise to the occasion to ensure that the University can continue to thrive as a prestigious university, with improvements and success in mind.  

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About Howard University  

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 70 Fulbright Scholars. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu    

Media Contact: Imani Pope-Johns, Imani.popejohns@howard.edu