Dear Howard University Community,

Over the past year, we have learned a great deal regarding operating safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. While our undergraduate and graduate programs have been largely conducted through virtual and online instruction, we have had a significant number of health professional students and faculty safely engage in face-to-face instruction and training on campus.

We plan to significantly increase the number of students and faculty on campus for the Fall 2021 semester. Our sustained low COVID-19 infection rates, testing capacity and ability to administer vaccines in large numbers, as well as our adherence to public health measures, bodes well for our plan. The first academic Summer session will be conducted online. The second Summer session will include a pilot of select undergraduate and graduate courses taught through face-to-face and hybrid instruction. This pilot will allow us to be better prepared for a more robust implementation for Fall 2021. We will continue this phased approach in increasing the campus density between now and the Fall semester.

The CDC and the District of Columbia government’s evolving guidance require that the University’s plans remain dynamic and nimble. Many details will be finalized over the next few weeks as we track the spread of the pandemic, continue to monitor the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations, communicate with the District of Columbia government regarding our plans, and coordinate with other academic institutions in the Consortium of Universities in the D.C. metropolitan area. Over the next few weeks, additional details will be forthcoming regarding on-campus residential accommodations and plans, implementing physical safety measures, formatting specific courses and registration, stakeholder safety training and other vital items.

We understand that our campus community would like to receive information about the Fall opening as quickly as possible, and we will continue to communicate additional details with the realization that the University’s plans must evolve and be flexible as the pandemic progresses and governmental guidance adapts.

The advent and availability of COVID-19 vaccines have been a game-changer. Howard University has successfully implemented a vaccination clinic through the Faculty Practice Plan supported by faculty, students and staff from the College of Medicine, College of Dentistry, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences and the College of Pharmacy. At this point we have safely provided nearly 20,000 vaccine doses to employees, students and members of the community since January 2021. We strongly encourage our students and their families to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as one is available to you in your area. We are monitoring the number of variants that have emerged, which further makes timely uptake of the vaccine a critical concern.

As we have outlined previously, our goal is to bring students and faculty back to campus in a phased approach as soon as it is safe and responsible. Vaccination rates in our community are directly correlated with our ability to expand our campus density. This makes our goal contingent upon our collective efforts to continue to adhere to public health guidelines, control the pandemic's spread and mediate the impact over the next several months. Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and resilience over this challenging period.

Excellence in Truth and Service,



Anthony K. Wutoh, Ph.D., R.Ph.                                         Tashni-Ann Dubroy, Ph.D., MBA
Provost & Chief Academic Officer                                      Executive Vice President & COO