Fireside Chat With Dr. Ribeau

Howard University President Sidney A. Ribeau followed up with his ongoing "Students First Initiative, 2.0" by hosting a discussion in Blackburn Ballroom for eager students to voice their opinions on several university issues such as funding, tuition, development and growth.

The "Students First Campaign" began as a representation of President Ribeau's dedication and commitment to the students. It has been his and the administrators' desire to fully execute this initiative in order to exponentially enhance the experiences of all Howard University students.

While light refreshments seemed to be what initially drew in the crowd, the session quickly turned serious as President Ribeau was bombarded with financially-themed questions stemming from the tuition increase to lack of funds for facility upgrades.

Throughout his opening address, President Ribeau echoed the idea that Howard University remains unique from all other HBCUs. He admitted faults and weaknesses, but he conveyed his pride and promise to obtain excellence for the school and its students.

After comparing information between Howard and its other local benchmark institutions, President Ribeau addressed what he thought was a prime factor hindering Howard's growth and potential.

"One of the major challenges is that we have 10,500 students and information that travels at a snail's pace," President Ribeau said to an audience of students in agreement.

When the floor opened for student questions, several undergraduates took the opportunity to attack President Ribeau by questioning his salary, the tuition increase and lack of appearance on and around Howard's campus.

President Ribeau noted the fact that he, as a university president, and the faculty of Howard are among the lowest paid in the country. He also acknowledged that he continuously attempts to put his own money back into the university.

Students continued to press the issue of the lack of professionalism and customer service encountered in the administration building, while others were more concerned with the facts and figures of fund appropriation and the need for more financial aid and need-based scholarship funds.

Graduate students on the floor displayed a feeling of neglect and desperation amongst the Howard community, stating that they had to vie for the proper attention and care from the university.

Graduate students were not the only ones seeking attention from President Ribeau. Both international and transfer students testified about their struggles, miscommunication, and overall disappointment with their transition onto the campus. President Ribeau responded by citing the second Bush Administration and its restrictions on international visas, saying that, "that is when we saw a student decline," but President Ribeau vowed to increase the numbers within the upcoming school years.

Regarding the issue of lack of revenue from alumni, junior political science major Julian Richards said, "although the lack of alumni support is disheartening, think about how students feel now. I wouldn't give back to my school either if I did not have the experience that I paid for as a student."

President Ribeau corroborated Richards' argument in his speech, admitting that the overall experience needed to be improved; however, money is a key issue in making that process happen.

The final point of the fireside chat was that in order to improve the standard of the Howard experience, students will inevitably have to pay more.