As part of Howard University’s Master Plan, the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts (COFA) and the Cathy Hughes School of Communications (CHSOC) are undergoing construction to create new and improved environments for students.
Howard’s “Central Campus Master Plan,” which was written and proposed in 2020 by then-President Wayne A.I. Frederick, entails the renovations and additions set to take place over the next decade.
The document states several times that CHSOC and COFA are the only two buildings that need to be completely renovated.
A 2020 article from The Dig describes several renovation projects, including an “integrated Health Sciences Complex and STEM Center,” a “state-of-the-art teaching Hospital and Medical Office” and a new “Center for Arts and Communication” behind Childers Hall.
In the meantime, students and faculty from both schools are wondering when these renovations will be complete.
Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts
Established in November 1960, COFA emerged when the School of Music, the Department of Art and the Department of Theatre Arts were merged by the Board of Trustees, according to COFA’s website.
In 2021, COFA was renamed in honor of the late alumnus Chadwick A. Boseman.
COFA’s website states that the renovations will “modernize our learning, rehearsal, and performance spaces, enhancing academic and creative experiences for years to come.”
During the summer of 2025, construction on the third and second floors began. Construction on the second floor is still active.
Construction will begin in 2026 on the basement and first levels, this will continue into the summer as needed, according to Assistant Dean Saunders Thomson.
Jordan Catoe Strudwick, deputy director of communications and archives real estate development, said the only construction COFA has undergone since its establishment in 1960 was the roof replacement three years ago.
“The College of Fine Arts is a part of the university’s master plan, and so there was always a plan to renovate the facility,” Saunders said. “In fact, there was also supposed to be a new fine arts and communication center that was built, that was part of the master plan the university has.”
The new building was originally planned to be built first, with the renovation to follow. However, the new CHSOC and COFA center will be constructed in the years to come.
“Renovations, innovation, new technology, new facilities will absolutely enhance the way that our students are learning,” Strudwick said.
Strudwick said the construction will be a “vibrant hub” for fine arts students.
“The renovations are thoughtfully designed not only to refresh and modernize the facilities, but also to elevate the student learning experience,” he said.
During the construction, some classes will be moved to the Oddfellows building located on 7th Street.
There is a shuttle to Oddfellows that leaves every hour from the front of Crampton Auditorium, Strudwick said, and the RideSystems app can help students track the shuttle.
Oddfellows was obtained in 2025 because of the construction and the rapid growth of the theatre arts department, according to Saunders.
“The university actually has a lease agreement with the Oddfellows building, and that lease agreement has been extended for a period of 10 years,” he said.
Due to the transition of buildings, professors have ensured that students smoothly adjust.
Professor and chair of the art department, Raimi Gbadamosi, has spent the semester at the Oddefellows building where all classes in his department are held.
“It is our [professors’] responsibility and those who have been working over the summer and even up to the first week of term to make sure all the classes are clear, and the locations are made available to students,” Gbadamosi said.
Once the construction is done in 2026, students can continue to grow as artists with the new space.
Combined Space For Both Schools
Contrary to original plans in the article from The Dig, the new SOC and COFA building will now be on Georgia Avenue.
“That’s absolutely unfair to students and faculty at both schools,” Adji Diouf, junior honors political science major, journalism minor from Jersey City, New Jersey by way of Senegal, said after finding out the new COFA and SOC building will be merged into one.
“The various arts, music, theater programs require their own space to perform to the best of their abilities,” she added. “Because a lot of their work requires them to occupy those rooms all night, it would be unfair to SOC students who need their own classrooms.”
Diouf said she is concerned about Howard’s priorities regarding arts and communications students.
“The decision to specifically separate STEM and Medical students into their own buildings shows Campus Plan’s focus on prioritizing sciences and casting arts, social sciences aside,” Diouf said.
According to Howard’s official website, these renovations are a part of the “Howard Forward” plan. Stating this plan is to “enhance academic excellence, research, and provide state-of-the-art resources to create a thriving community of scholars, innovators and leaders.”
“I think that this shows what programs Howard is trying to nurture the most through the CMP (Campus Master Plan),” Olivia Mundy, junior film and TV major, sports administration minor, from Prince George’s County, Maryland said.
Mundy expressed her understanding to the extent of being a film student, regarding future plans.
“Personally, I can understand the thought process behind combining the two buildings from a film major’s perspective,” Mundy added. “But I am not quite sure how or if it will benefit any of the other majors in SOC.”
She also said that it seems like Howard is doing this to save space and money.
The plan was implemented over the years 2019-2024, resulting in a $785 million budget for the CMP in February 2023. This was the same year that newly resigned President Ben Vinson III took office.
A recent statement from Vinson was posted on Howard’s official website regarding a new strategic plan coming up during the fall 2025 semester.
“As we continue to press forward with maximum strength, we celebrate the many victories of the Howard Forward Strategic Plan,” he said.
The Office of the President and Office of Strategy lead the new strategic plan, according to the statement, along with two governance committees made up of students, faculty and staff. There was no mention of any members from CHSOC or COFA being a part of the team.
Cathy Hughes School of Communications
Currently, CHSOC is located in three different areas. Students and most faculty are located in the Academic Advising A building (ASA) behind Alain Locke Hall. The dean’s office and graduate students are placed in a U St building. The tech center and some classes are located in WHUT.
Jordan Catoe Strudwick, esquire deputy director of communications and capital asset management said, “the university has worked consistently to optimize conditions for the School of Communications, investing in renovations, providing upgraded facilities.”
However, new renovations to the current CHSOC building are temporary.
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, with completion in the fourth quarter of 2029, according to Strudwick.
“The permanent plan is the relocation of the SOC into the Bond Bread redevelopment on Georgia Avenue,” he added. “Moving forward, the SOC will be a flagship presence on Georgia Avenue, in conjunction with commercial development.”
The Master Plan is action-based rather than timeline-based, Strudwick said, “so there is no ‘delay’ in the formal sense.”
The official CMP document stated that funding for the project was approved in 2023.
Strudwick said, “in 2024, the university assessed executing the full plan for a merged SOC/Fine Arts facility would require $200–300 million in funding that was not then available.”
Diouf and Mundy would like to see all schools get the same treatment.
“[What] I’d like to see from Howard in the future is more effort to show equality toward all schools. The same amount of effort and time that is put into SOB…should be the same effort and time put into SOC and COFA,” Mundy said.
Copy edited by Damenica Ellis
