School Updates: UDC picks next president; Murch gets more teachers to ease 1st and 2nd grade crowding

UDC’s 46th Commencement on May 13th served as a stepping stone for its 796 graduates (including its first Ph.D.s) and as a sendoff for outgoing president Ronald Mason Jr. Now, the historically Black university is welcoming its next leader.

Maurice D. Edington will be UDC’s tenth president.

Maurice D. Edington has been selected as the University of the District of Columbia’s tenth president, by a unanimous vote on June 8th by the UDC Board of Trustees. Edington has 20 years of higher education leadership experience, both in academia and administration. A physical chemist by training, he was the founding dean of Florida A&M’s College of Science and Technology. Administrative roles included academic affairs, strategic planning, and most recently, as FAMU’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Read more about Dr. Edington in the UDC statement and The Washington Post.

“The UDC mission aligns perfectly with my personal passion and commitment to serve students, transform lives and uplift communities,” Edington said in a statement. “My vision is that UDC will be recognized as a leading HBCU, a first-choice institution for students, a top destination for employers and funding agencies, and an economic driver for the district and surrounding areas.”

Edington will start August 1st. Mason, who has served eight years as UDC’s president, won’t be going far. He’s remaining on the faculty at the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law.

Honoring “The Grandfather of Black Basketball:” In February 2022, UDC’s sports complex was named for him. Soon, a statue of Edwin Bancroft Henderson will be greeting its visitors. UDC is hosting an unveiling ceremony on Saturday, June 24th from 1 to 1:30 p.m. Henderson, a 1904 graduate of a UDC predecessor, introduced the then-new sport of basketball to the District’s Black residents, and established the foundation (trained officials, leagues) that allowed the sport and its players to grow and thrive. Henderson was also a civil rights champion. To attend the unveiling, RSVP here.

More teachers for Murch: We reported in April that Murch parents were lobbying the DC Council for additional funding in the FY 2024 budget. The money, they said, was needed for two additional teachers for first and second grade, to address crowding in the current school year’s Kindergarten and first grade classes. They did not get the money, but they did get their wish. DC Public Schools will provide the additional staff in the 2023-2024 school year.

“This is a one-year fix as these funds need to be reapplied for, year after year,” wrote Murch principal Chris Cebrzynski in a Murch newsletter. “When we get to the budget process next year, it will be critical to clearly identify our priorities for staffing and build a budget that reflects those priorities.”