*Phylicia Rashad is departing from Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts as Dean.
The school confirmed this week that Rashad resigned and will leave at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
“Dear Howard University Community, I am writing to express my deep thanks and gratitude to Dean Phylicia Rashad,” Howard’s outgoing president, Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, said in an email posted online by HBCU Gameday. “She has informed me that she will be stepping down as dean at the end of her term following the 2023-2024 academic year.”
Rashad, 75, graduated from Howard in 1970 with a bachelor of fine arts. She was named dean of the College of Fine Arts in May 2021. That same year, Howard renamed the building in honor of late “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman, a Howard graduate.
In a 2021 interview with Variety, Rashad gushed about the gig and admitted she “never saw myself as a dean.”
She added, “But then, I’ve never thought of myself as many things that I’ve been. It’s a privilege to be a part of re-establishing the College of Fine Arts, to engage with the administration, the faculty, the students, the alumni, as well as artists around the country. It’s exciting to think about building towards a future with a College of Fine Arts and Howard University.”
As Urban Hollywood 411 reports, during Rashad’s two-year tenure as dean, financial contributions to Howard’s fine arts program increased significantly. “Those contributions included a $5.4 million gift from Netflix” and “$1.5 million over the next five years,” the outlet writes.
“We deeply appreciate Dean Rashad’s selfless contributions and commitment to our alma mater during her leadership of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts and the many contributions she has made to Howard University’s students, graduates, and global community,” Frederick said.
The university announced the renaming of its fine arts building in September 2021, sharing a post on its Instagram page.
“Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts Installation. Yesterday, the letters were installed over the now official Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts,” Howard University wrote alongside a video of the building. “An icon in his own right who has left an immeasurable legacy for the next generation. Thank you Mr. Boseman.”
READ MORE: Phylicia Rashad Reacts to Being Named Dean of Howard University’s Fine Arts College
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