Self-Study Design - Howard University, Graduate School

Howard University men and woman compete in a total of 19 varsity sports, including basketball,
football, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, and indoor and
outdoor track. Student life at Howard is further enriched by an array of intramural athletic
activities, student organizations, clubs, and other extra-curricular activities.
Mission
The University’s Mission statement, as approved by the Board of Trustees in 2007, is as follows:
Howard University is a comprehensive, research-oriented, historically Black, private
university providing an educational experience of exceptional quality to students of high
academic potential with particular emphasis upon the provision of educational
opportunities to promising Black students. Further, the University is dedicated to
attracting and sustaining a cadre of faculty who are, through their teaching and
research, committed to the development of distinguished and compassionate graduates
and to the quest for solutions to human and social problems in the United States and
throughout the world.
The Mission statement is under review during the Self-Study exercise and may be refined once a
new president takes the helm after July 2008. However, the mission statement’s central
components are not expected to change significantly. Moreover, the University’s core values of
dedication to the search for truth, and commitment to excellence in teaching and research, and
service to the national African-American community and our nation, and engagement in the
global community, are expected to be reaffirmed in the refined mission statement.
Important Recent Developments
Since Howard University’s last self-assessment study in 1999, the University has experienced
several important developments. For example, it exceeded its Capital Campaign goal, built two
state-of-the-art library facilities, enhanced technological services to the university community,
and provided financial support for students interested in international affairs. To broaden its
research mission, Howard opened a new building (Howard University Research Building I)
dedicated solely to research, and established several new research centers, including the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-funded National Center for Atmospheric
Sciences (NCAS), dedicated to studying and predicating global conditions, and the National
Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded General Clinical Research Center (GCRC). To enhance
teaching and learning, the University established a center for teaching, learning, and assessment
in 2003.
The Campaign for Howard
Beginning in 2002, Howard University embarked upon an ambitious, 5-year Capital Campaign
to raise $250 million. The Campaign reached out in an unprecedented manner to alumni, friends,
and corporate and foundation partners to provide resources needed to strengthen the Howard
faculty and students for the global advances of the 21st century and to support endowed chairs,
endowed scholarships, and information technology throughout the University. These priorities
support the scholarly preeminence of Howard University, offer educational opportunities and
attractive incentives to all students, and bring the latest technological tools to its classrooms,
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