By Tangela Richardson
The Board of Trustees has embarked on a comprehensive engagement plan to expand the number of ways alumni can become involved with the University. These new opportunities encourage participation and create more leadership roles through three separate board initiatives.
“The Board of Visitors, the Trustee Candidate Identification Advisory Council (TCIAC), and the Alumni Leadership Academy are all important initiatives launched by the Board of Trustees,” says Trustee Chairman Laurence C. Morse. “We are providing meaningful opportunities for the community to engage with the Board and contribute to the ongoing success of Howard University.”
Board of Visitors
The Board of Visitors is a voluntary advisory board that provides powerful opportunities for alumni and friends of the University to work closely with academic leadership. The Boards of Visitors provide expertise and advisement in support of the University’s mission by working closely with the deans of each school and college. Trustee Marie C. Johns leads the initiative.
The secretary’s office recently hired a new director of strategic operations for the Board of Visitors, Lakia Young. She will guide the advisory board for Howard University alumni and friends who are active or would like to be involved with the Board of Visitors. “Each school and college will now have its own Board of Visitors,” says Christie L. Taylor, secretary of the Board of Trustees. “The goal is to bring alumni and friends of the University together to expand opportunities and resources to each college.”
Trustee Candidate Identification Advisory Council
In December 2021, the Board of Trustees announced the establishment of the TCIAC on The Dig, to create another avenue for recruiting future members to the Board of Trustees and other leadership opportunities, such as the Board of Visitors, via the governance committee. There are nine members of the TCIAC, representing former trustees, alumni across different decades and geographies, the Howard University Alumni Association (HUAA) officers, and faculty. The chair of the governance committee and the secretary of the board serve on the TCIAC in ex-officio roles.
