Dear Howard University Community, 

I am pleased to announce that the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) has fully reaffirmed Howard University’s accreditation without any contingencies. The commission is recognized by the secretary of the Department of Education to conduct accreditation activities for institutions of higher education in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This reaffirmation of our institution’s accreditation is a critical step in moving Howard forward and achieving the goals of our strategic plan.  

This week’s announcement concludes a two-year evaluation process, which was chaired by Dr. Rubin Patterson, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. I am grateful to Dr. Patterson for his tremendous leadership in guiding our University through this undertaking along with the entire self-study team. The Office of Institutional Research that houses the Accreditation Office, headed up by Dr. Daphne Bernard, deserves recognition for the consistent and steady work they have done to ensure that all accreditation efforts across this campus are handled professionally and efficiently. In addition, I am thankful to the faculty, staff and students who participated in the process and made it possible for Howard to retain its reaccreditation. Organizations such as the Howard University Student Association (HUSA) and Howard University Staff Organization (HUSO) and the Council of Deans made valuable contributions. The Board of Trustees were engaged and extremely supportive. This was truly an institution-wide effort, and it was made possible by the hard work and dedication of so many members of our Howard community. 

In addition to receiving our accreditation, Howard also earned numerous commendations from MSCHE. This level of praise is a testament to the progress we have made as a university. Howard continues to stand out from other institutions of higher education for our ability to emphasize student success and generate a positive impact on our community and our country at large. We will, of course, continue to innovate and make improvements. But the report that we received from MSCHE should instill us with confidence that we continue to head in the right direction. Our goals as an institution are lofty and ambitious, but they are within our reach.  

Our institution first earned a business accreditation by MSCHE in 1921, and we have had our accreditation reaffirmed each time it has come up for renewal. I am certain that, when next our University must be reaccredited in 2028, the commission will find Howard to be in even stronger standing amongst our peers in higher education. 

Thank you to the entire Howard University community for your support during this process. The results have been well worth the effort you all have put in. 

Excellence in Truth and Service, 


Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA 
Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery 
President