By Simone Boyd
Howard University will hold its 156th Opening Convocation on Friday, September 15, 2023, at 11 a.m. in Cramton Auditorium. The event marks the official start of the academic year and welcomes new students to the University.
This year’s convocation speaker is Howard University’s 18th President, Ben Vinson III, PhD. President Vinson is an accomplished higher education leader and historian of the African diaspora with a focus on Blacks in Latin America. He previously served in senior leadership roles at George Washington University and Johns Hopkins University before being appointed president of Howard University by unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees.
The ceremony will also feature remarks from alumnus and chair of the Howard University Board of Trustees, Larry C. Morse, PhD. Classes will be suspended between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to allow students, faculty, and staff to attend the convocation.
To officially welcome President Vinson to campus, all members of the Howard University community are encouraged to attend the Opening Convocation and the Howard University Community Cookout following convocation. The cookout will be held on the Upper Quadrangle-Main Yard from 12:15 – 3:00 p.m. and is sponsored by the Office of the President, Office of Human Resources, Faculty Senate, Howard University Staff Organization, Howard University Student Association, Association of the Howard University Retirees, and the Howard University Alumni Association. Supervisors are asked to arrange for their staff to attend.