Howard University is facing a wave of uncertainty.
President Ben Vinson III stepped down less than three years into his tenure, which, according to NewsOne, is one of the shortest in the school’s history. His abrupt resignation has left students and faculty shocked, frustrated and searching for answers.
The news arrives at a pivotal moment for Howard. Earlier this year, the university became the first HBCU to earn the prestigious Research One (R1) Carnegie Classification, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. While Howard remains a top destination for students nationwide, it continues to grapple with pressing challenges, from housing shortages and rising tuition costs to new uncertainty around its leadership.
Student Reactions: “We Just Want to Know Why”
According to NewsOne, many Howard students say that the unexplained nature of Vinson’s resignation has only heightened the anxieties that are currently pervasive across higher education.
“I definitely would’ve expected to see him in the position for a lot longer,” said Jayda Roach, a senior health science major, according to the outlet. “He was very personable with the students.”
Senior Moriah Morrow echoed that sentiment, adding, “He seemed like somebody who cared about the students. He always had a smile on his face. He was always willing to interact with us. For somebody who was here for such a short period of time and seemed like they genuinely cared, to be resigning is disappointing,” she shared with NewsOne.
Morrow also voiced concern about the return of former president Wayne A.I. Frederick, who has been reappointed as interim president until a national search is completed, per NewsOne.
“The interactions that I had with him were not as nice as the ones that I had with President Vinson,” she said. “He didn’t really speak or interact with the student body… I don’t really have a good perception of him as president, and I wasn’t happy or proud to hear that he was coming back.”
Not all Howard students felt connected to President Vinson, however. Some noted they rarely saw him and didn’t fully understand his vision for the university, as NewsOne reported. For them, his resignation felt less like a shock and more like another example of how distant leadership can feel.
Bigger Picture: HBCUs Under Pressure
Howard’s leadership change isn’t happening in isolation. Across the country, HBCUs are navigating heightened political and financial pressures, with federal loan caps, cuts to student aid and rollbacks of DEI initiatives, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.
Students are already turning to crowdfunding sites, such as GoFundMe, according to NewsOne, to cover tuition and housing gaps, a reality that adds urgency to their concerns about stability at the top.
The Board of Trustees has tried to ease tensions. Chair Leslie D. Hale released a video message acknowledging ongoing challenges and promising that leaders are working to resolve issues like housing and tuition balances.
“We have a dedicated team of leaders in the university’s administration and on the faculty who are working hard to address those problems so that we can make this year one of the best years ever for Howard,” she said in the video, per NewsOne.
Still, some students, like Marcus Fields, a senior in the School of Education, remain skeptical. “I just want to know why,” he said.
Looking Ahead
Even amid the uncertainty following President Vinson’s resignation, Howard student leaders are focusing on solutions. Eden Boles, the 87th Miss Howard University, described feeling “hopeful” after her conversation with former President Frederick.
“He said he’s very ecstatic to work with student leaders, and I’m very interested to see his new vision for collaborating with us while also propelling Howard,” she said, according to NewsOne.
Vinson’s resignation represents more than a leadership change for some Howard students. Junior Ssanyu Lukoma hopes Howard will finally appoint its first Black woman president.
“I think it’s necessary at this point in time because, since Howard’s founding, we haven’t had a woman leading the university…we just want the best president for the university,” she said.
As the university embarks on a national search to find Vinson’s successor, attention is turning to what comes next. The university’s leadership transition doesn’t just impact its own campus — it could also influence how HBCUs across the nation navigate this critical period in higher education.
