History of the Howard University
Office of the Secretary
Historical Beginnings
The origin and
history of the Secretary of the University and the Board of Trustees
are inextricably linked to the founding, growth, and evolution of Howard
University, which was founded on March 2, 1867. There have been sixteen
individuals of remarkable stature and vision who have served Howard
University with distinction as Secretary, and Artis G. Hampshire-Cowan,
Esq. became the seventeenth executive leader in the position of Secretary
in October 1992.
On January 23,
1867, Senator Henry Wilson introduced the bill in the United States
Congress to establish Howard University. Eleazer M. Cushman, one of
the original incorporators named in the bill was elected as a founding
member of the University and Board of Trustees, and as the first Secretary
of the Board on March 19, 1867. After the incorporation was ratified,
the Trustees expressed a strong desire to open the University with all
deliberate speed. Cushman, as Secretary, was charged with the
responsibility of requesting General Oliver O. Howard, for whom the
University is named, as Commissioner of the Freedmen’s Bureau, “to
secure suitable and adequate buildings for the use of the University
on the site of the property purchased from Smith” (a tract of about
150 acres formerly owned by John A. Smith). Cushman served as
Secretary until December 20, 1867. And thus, the significance of the
position of Secretary was established from the outset and has continued
to grow and develop with the institution through the tenures of each
Secretary, who has left his/her mark on the institution’s history
and traditions, helping to build an internationally-known research University
that is one of the world’s most important assets.
The incumbent
holds the title of Senior Vice President and Secretary. She is both
Secretary of the University and the Board of Trustees. The position
of Secretary is one of three positions stipulated in the original By-Laws
drafted by the Howard University Board of Trustees in 1867; the President
and the Treasurer are the other positions named. From inception,
the Secretary has been an officer of the Board of Trustees, and has
performed functions and held responsibilities germane to the office
of a corporate secretary. The University By-Laws name the Secretary
as one of nine mandated University Officers and authorize the Secretary
to:
- Manage, as appropriate,
the planning, coordination, and implementation of University ceremonial
and special events including, but not limited to, all University convocations
and related activities
- Establish protocol
standards, organizational benchmarks, and policies and procedures associated
with the use of the University Seal and indicia
- Manage the formulation
and implementation of a documents retention policy and coordinate the
same with the management of historic records with the University Archivist
- Establish and maintain
a constituency database for the use of the University
While the authority
for the Secretary emanates from the By-Laws, they do not fully define
the overall responsibilities of the position or the executive role and
functions therein.
A key responsibility
of the Senior Vice President and Secretary is ensuring that the Board
of Trustees has the proper advice and resources for discharging its
governance responsibilities according to the By-Laws, and ensuring that
there is a record of the actions of the Board. She provides a formal
orientation to incoming Trustees, both General and Constituent, to ascertain
that Trustees have a thorough understanding of the By-Laws and its requirements
as well as their proprietary role as the final authority of the University.
It is evident throughout the 143 year history of Howard University that
the position of Secretary has functioned in as broad and specific roles
as is necessary to fulfill the mandate to provide executive support
to the Board of Trustees, the President, and University stakeholders
in governing, preserving, and promoting the mission, core values, vision,
and legacy of Howard University.
1992-Present
Currently serving
as Senior Vice President-Secretary, Artis G. Hampshire-Cowan is an attorney
by training, who is perceived and regarded as a creative thinker, visionary,
and futurist, as well as an innovative leader, strategist and organizer.
She has served four Presidents of the University, and was appointed
Acting President of the University during the transition of the Administration
in 2008. Her service over the past 18 years as Secretary has included
the opportunity to serve in a number of capacities concurrent with her
primary role.
She was recruited
by Howard University in 1992 to serve as Secretary of the Board of Trustees
for the primary purpose of providing executive Board support and managing
the process of Board governance review. She played a key role
in influencing and facilitating change throughout the process and was
instrumental in the transformation of the Board from an oversight entity
to a strategic governing body, including key recruitments and strategic
planning for Board development, which has continued into the 21st century. She is the Chief of Protocol and administers corporate
affairs, including officiating historic events, issues, and records,
and serves as official custodian of the University Seal and certifier
of University and corporate records. In addition to the Board
of Trustees affairs, she has directed and produced major University
events, inclusive of Commencement, convocations, and special visits
by national and global dignitaries.
She was appointed
to serve as Vice President of Human Resources for a staff of over 6,000
from 1994-200l, and concurrently managed corporate affairs and the human
resource function of the University as the institution sought to transition
to an entrepreneurial culture. She continued to provide infrastructure
support to strengthen board governance, and also planned board meetings
and supported the president in ensuring that the administration was
prepared to present, respond, and proffer on all relevant issues.
She also ensured that trustees were well-informed about the issues of
the University and facilitated the completion of objectives established
by the trustees for themselves. She was instrumental in the establishment
of the Howard University Professional Development and Leadership Academy
dedicated to the development and enhancement of professional and personal
life skills necessary for strengthening both individual and organizational
competencies, and in the launching of an Employee Appreciation Day,
an annual recreational event in recognition of employee efforts and
contributions.
The Future
The Office is currently overseeing an official transfer of functions related to events and ceremonies from the Office of the Secretary to the newly-created vice president for special events. And also, an official transfer of functions, responsibilities and accountability from the Office of the Secretary to Enrollment Management for the full responsibility and duty of care for the processes associated with diplomas, graduate recommendations, and graduation clearance in 2010-2011. Recently, in collaboration with the Office of the Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, the Office of Policy was established in the Office of the Senior Vice President and Secretary, and has management oversight of the University policy repository and the online policy presence of the University.
The Secretary
remains actively engaged in addressing the multi-faceted challenges
facing universities and various constituencies to which they are accountable.
Through meetings and joint program ventures with diverse educational
institutions, government, and community organizations, the Secretary stays at
the forefront of universal issues of concern to the world of education,
the public sector, the business arena, and the non-profit community
on behalf of Howard University, the Carnegie designated Research University/high
research activity, and its diverse student body of nearly 11,000 students
from 47 states (including the district of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and
the US Virgin Islands)and 60 foreign nations, as well as the over 60,
000 alumni.
09/30/10
|
