Edward Waters University

Edward Waters University (EWU) is distinctively the state of Florida’s first independent institution of higher learning as well as Florida’s first institution established for the education of African-Americans. With a distinguished higher education lineage spanning over 150 years, EWC is primed to continue its Emerging Eminence as a premier urban, private, Christian (African Methodist Episcopal – AME), historically black, liberal arts college offering high-quality four-year baccalaureate degrees and preparing students holistically to advance in a global society through the provision of an intellectually stimulating academic experience. The institution transitioned from Edward Waters College to Edward Waters University in 2021.

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It’s official! Edward Waters College is now Edward Waters University

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Dr. Brian L. Johnson Named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Edward Waters University

Dr. Brian L. Johnson Named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Edward Waters University

Edward Waters University President Dr. A. Zachary Faison, Jr., has named Dr. Brian L. Johnson as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, adding a nationally recognized higher education executive, scholar, and former university president to the University’s senior leadership team at a defining moment of institutional growth and ascendancy. His appointment is effective Monday, July 13, 2026.

Johnson assumes a senior executive role focused on strengthening the University’s operational capacity and institutional discipline as Edward Waters advances an unprecedented period of growth and investment. He joins an institution on a clear upward trajectory under President Faison’s leadership: enrollment surpassed 1,200 students for the first time in more than two decades in fall 2025, academic degree program offerings doubled from eight to sixteen since 2018, a successful transition to NCAA Division II in 2024, and tens of millions of dollars have been invested in campus capital and infrastructure improvements. This progress is anchored by full SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation in December 2025 with no recommendations, extending EWU’s accreditation through 2035, six consecutive years of a net cash operating surplus, and record endowment growth. Reporting directly to the President and Chief Executive Officer, Johnson will serve as the University’s dual chief operating executive, responsible for translating institutional strategy and presidential priorities into disciplined execution across the enterprise. >>Read More

A Celebration of Excellence and Enduring Purpose: Edward Waters University Commencement 2026

Beneath the glow of the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, 240 Edward Waters University graduates prepared to cross the commencement stage before a packed auditorium where every crimson seat held a story of sacrifice, perseverance, and triumph. The applause rolled through the hall like a chorus, rising from proud families, mentors, alumni, and loved ones who had waited, prayed, and sacrificed for this moment alongside them. For the Class of 2026, commencement was more than a ceremony. It was the culmination of legacy fulfilled, and the beginning of lives poised for impact, leadership, and enduring purpose. >>Read More

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Edward Waters University Staff