In 2014, President Wayne A. I. Frederick set a goal to support every Bison. He wanted all students to have a complete and well-rounded undergraduate experience. Discussions about creating a Center of Academic Excellence were initiated. But, with Melanie Carter, PhD, on the admin team, priorities shifted and she challenged the task.
“I proposed to name (the program) after undergraduate studies. “It felt like the right direction to take,” she explains.
Before joining Howard, Carter was involved in similar projects at Ohio State University. There, she learned key strategies for building a student-help office. It would help students outside of class. It included studying other schools’ outreach programs. This was to find the best ways to support students. It was a strategic approach, much like a well-planned move in 22Bet Uganda sports betting.
Melanie Carter, PhD, was the first to lead undergraduate studies at Howard University. She served as the associate provost for this important role. She helped build the office from scratch. A team of advisors, faculty, and administrators focused on student success built it.
“We aimed to ensure students succeeded and stayed on track to graduate. We wanted them to enjoy a fulfilling experience,” Carter shared.
The office created a fair and supportive environment for all students. It offers programs like the scholar’s program. They help students apply for top opportunities, such as the Rhodes and Truman Scholarships.
Carter used proven strategies from other universities to improve student success. “We focused on high-impact initiatives to give students the best chance to thrive,” she said.
In partnership with University advisors, they implemented a campus-wide campaign called “GOT 15?” It urges students to take 15 hours each semester. This will earn them 120 credits and let them graduate in four years.
“We spent three years implementing this across campuses,” Carter noted. “It was to find the best strategies for HBCUs.” “We identified two strategies to pursue. One was to adopt a predictive analytics tool called Navigate. We named it Bison Advisor.” We adopted second-year experience programs. “We knew the second year is often underestimated. So, we took steps to address it.””
The original program has two new suboffices. They are the Academic Center for Excellence and Career and Professional Success. This is to solidify Carter and the original cabinet’s goals.
Associate Provost Kenneth Anderson, PhD, leads the Office of Undergraduate Studies. He works closely with seven undergraduate colleges to help students succeed. We must focus on student retention and graduation rates. We want to improve post-grad readiness, jobs, entrepreneurship, and grad school prospects.
Anderson is launching the Office of General Education by fall 2023. It will simplify and centralize the undergrad experience. A major goal is to make double majoring easier. To do this, we will align the general education requirements across colleges. Combining math (Arts & sciences) with computer science (engineering) requires fewer extra credits.
“We’ve revamped general education for the first time in 22 years,” Anderson said. “This will provide students with greater options and better support,” she added.
The program aims to give all Bison a strong, thriving foundation. It will provide them with great opportunities.
