Muriel A. Howard - Presidency at Buffalo State College

Presidency At Buffalo State College

As president of Buffalo State College from 1996 to 2009, Dr. Howard led a campus of more than 11,000 students, approximately 1,700 faculty and staff, and a financial operation of more than $214 million.

President Howard’s community involvement included membership on the executive committee for the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Niagara University Board of Directors, Buffalo Public Schools Foundation Board of Directors, and the King Urban Life Center Board of Directors. She also serves on the corporate boards of directors for Merchants Insurance Company and Farm Credit of Western New York, ACA.

She was a member of the State University of New York (SUNY) Advisory Council on Teacher Education and served on the SUNY Board of Directors of the Center for Russia. She co-chaired the State University of New York Provost's Advisory Task Force on General Education, establishing guidelines for the institution of a general education curricula throughout the SUNY system, and was a member of the New York State Blue Ribbon Commission on Youth Leadership.

She was a member of the Erie Community College Board of Trustees search committee. In addition, she served on the search committee for the Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent and also served as co-chair for City of Buffalo Mayoral Transition Team.

In 1999, President Howard chaired the United Way campaign for Buffalo, New York and Erie County. She served on the board of directors of that organization for many years. She has also chaired the subcommittee on Youth Services and Education for the Erie County Executive’s transition team.

On March 31, 2009, President Howard announced that she would be leaving Buffalo State College to become the President of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington, DC, effective August.

Prior to her presidency at Buffalo State College, she was the vice president for public service and urban affairs at the University at Buffalo. Her professional and scholarly interests include support of education, educational leadership, the representation of women and minorities in the academy and public service.

President Howard is a former chair of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Board of Directors. She serves on the National Survey on Student Engagement Advisory Board, the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities Board of Directors, where she chairs the Communications and Public Relations Committee, and the American Council on Education (ACE).