“We deeply appreciate Dean Rashad’s selfless contributions and commitment to our alma mater during her leadership of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts and the many contributions she has made to Howard University’s students, graduates and global community,” Howard president Wayne A.I. Frederick wrote in an email sent to Howard students and faculty on Monday, according to Andscape.

Rashad was announced as the new dean in May 2021. During her tenure, she renamed the College of Fine Arts in honor of Chadwick Boseman and has helped usher funding for scholarships and various initiatives supporting students in the arts.

“It’s a privilege to serve,” Rashad told The Hilltop about her role as dean. “Service is…building a collective constituency…honoring the needs of faculty, honoring the aspirations of students is service, honoring the discipline is service for me. That’s what I want to do here.”

Rashad herself graduated from Howard University in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. She then launched her career as an actress and a director. Rashad is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the 1980s sitcom The Cosby Show. She is also a stage actor, and in 2004, she became the first Black actress to win a Tony Award for best actress in a play for her role in A Raisin in the Sun.

She kept working during her tenure as dean and received a second Tony Award for her performance in Skeleton Crew. Earlier this year, Rashad was appointed as the inaugural holder of the Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities by Howard University.