Students at Howard University will soon be saying goodbye to Phylicia Rashad as dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts. To the dismay of many of her students, the award-winning actress will not be renewing her contract with the HBCU after this school year ends.
According to reports, the Bison community received a letter from the institution’s outgoing president, Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, that announced her decision to step down.
“Dear Howard University Community, I am writing to express my deep thanks and gratitude to Dean Phylicia Rashad of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, as she has informed me that she will be stepping down as dean at the end of her term following the 2023-2024 academic year,” read the announcement made on Monday, Aug. 7.
Rashad and her famous sister Debbie Allen are both graduates of the prestigious school, with “The Cosby Show” mom receiving magna cum laude honors when she finished in 1970, according to Diverse Education.
As a student, she pledged the Alpha chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in 1968.
I addition to having a distinguished career, Rashad has also been a guest lecturer and adjunct faculty member, leading master’s-level classes at various universities, colleges, and arts organizations. She leads courses throughout the country, including Howard, New York University, Vassar College, Carnegie Mellon, and The Black Arts Institute of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.
After social media users became aware of her departure from Howard, a few had mixed reactions.
“She’s 70. I know she doesn’t want all that work at that age.”
“She should’ve come in as a professor, teaching 1-2 classes per year. She must not have known the life of a Dean before she took that job. The only time you saw her happy was when she was teaching.”
“There was a video a couple weeks ago of prospective students going to the college to visit and she came out to visit them. In the video she looked very stand-offish and tired and weary. She looked stressed and over it. Didn’t want them kids touching her. I think it’s just time for her to retire and just be.”
“She knew her tenure was over when she stood up for Bill Cosby. The students wanted her out.”
The Tony Award winner had a lot of good times at the school but some bumpy times.
Before Rashad assumed her position, she made comments in support of her former boss, Bill Cosby, who was being released from prison after being convicted of sexual assault. After an appeal to the highest court in Pennsylvania, his conviction was tossed out.
“FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!” the actress tweeted.
Many students and officials were outraged, saying her comments “lacked sensitivity towards survivors.”
“I fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward. My post was in no way intended to be insensitive to their truth,” she followed up with an explanatory tweet. “Personally, I know from friends and family that such abuse has lifelong residual effects. My heartfelt wish is for healing.”
Upon assuming her deanship, the administration was challenged by students who felt that various housing and campus health issues were not being addressed.
Before she and her sister entered an administrative building during the protests on one November day in 2021, they remarked about the demonstrations taking place literally in front of them on the campus.
“We know what the Howard student body means. In any country when the students don’t speak out the nation is not doing well,” the “FAME” breakout star said.
“When the students do speak out and they have been heard and their concerns have been addressed, and it’s still not enough — what about that?” Rashad interjected.
Allen said, “Oh, well that’s a whole ‘nother thing.”
“That’s what’s going on now,” Rashad said.
When Allen asked her sister if those concerns were being addressed, one student yelled, “No” and Rashad told him, “OK, let’s come inside.”
