Howard University President Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick has announced his plans to retire in 2024 after serving nine years on the job.

“We appreciate that Dr. Frederick has given us ample time to find the next great leader of Howard University and remains committed to fulfilling key components of the Howard Forward Strategic Plan, along with other initiatives on his agenda,” said Dr. Laurance C. Morse, chairman of Howard’s Board of Trustees, as reported by the New York Times.

“Over the next two years, Dr. Frederick will continue to give his undivided attention to advance our collective interests, drive impactful initiatives, and support the people that comprise our growing University community,” said Morse.

A triple alumnus of the university, Frederick, 50, is a Howard-trained surgeon who began as interim president in 2013, assuming his role as president the following year. He has been lauded for securing record-breaking donations for the school and for notable faculty hires such as Pulitzer Prize-winning author Nikole Hannah-Jones and Phylicia Rashad.  

Frederick’s nearly decade-long tenure as Howard’s president has also been mired in controversy due to his administration’s handling of student protests, student housing issues, financial aid, and faculty pay, as reported by The Washington Post.

Morse said the next president of Howard will “follow Dr. Frederick’s lead in exemplifying our motto of truth and service by strengthening our legacy, embracing and expanding our community, and building on our strategic plan to prioritize the success of our students, faculty, and staff.”  

He also noted in the announcement about Frederick’s pending departure saying, “Dr. Frederick has embodied the strength of will, determination, vision, character and integrity found in our world’s most admirable leaders, qualities that have enabled him to position our institution for continued success for generations to come.”

Two other highly ranked university leaders have also announced their retirement. New York University President Andrew Hamilton, will step down next year after eight years on the job, The Post reports.

Howard University President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick attends a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on “NCAA Athlete NIL (name, image, and likeness) Rights” on Capitol Hill on June 9, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress hopes to pass legislation on NIL compensation at the federal level before it takes effect in several states across the country on July 1. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“The challenges presented by COVID-19 were the most difficult I have seen in my 40-year career in higher education and, I suspect, the worst faced by N.Y.U. since its financial crisis of the 1970s,” Dr. Hamilton, 70, said in the announcement.

Additionally, L. Rafael Reif,  president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will retire at the end of this year after more than a decade at the school.

TheGrio is now on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick announces retirement appeared first on TheGrio.