Ruthie Little-Berry, Ph.D.

Dr. Ruthie Little-Berry is an accomplished higher education professional with a reputation for effecting change. With more than 20 years of experience as an administrator, Little-Berry approaches leadership through the lens of student outcomes.

In her most recent post at Florida A&M University, for example, Little-Berry’s work led to demonstrable changes to retention and graduation rates, transfer rates from community colleges and the size of the University’s applicant pool.

As the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success at Florida A&M University, Little-Berry co-chaired the team responsible for implementing the University’s student success framework—which was instrumental in improving retention and graduation rates.

Another key achievement was establishing the Office of Transfer Student Services. Through strategic engagement with state community colleges, the office created seamless pathways for transfer students, facilitating their transition and ensuring their success at the University. Under her leadership, the initiative has strengthened relationships with community colleges and expanded recruitment efforts.

Little-Berry’s innovative approaches to recruitment also yielded remarkable results, leading to improvements to the academic profile of incoming freshmen cohorts year after year. For example, the fall 2023 incoming class at Florida A&M University boasts an average grade point average of 3.94, reflecting the University’s commitment to attracting high-achieving students.

Her efforts also helped the University yield the largest pool of prospective first-time college student applicants in its history, with over 21,000 applicants vying for a seat in the fall 2023 class.

Before her tenure at Florida A&M University, Little-Berry served as Vice President of Enrollment Management at Wilberforce University, Director of Admissions and Records at College of Central Florida and in several administrative roles at Edward Waters College (University). Her diverse professional background demonstrates her ability to adapt and excel in various institutional contexts.

Little-Berry has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Edward Waters College, master’s degrees in both business administration and organizational management from the University of Phoenix, and a recently completed Ph.D., in Urban Higher Education from Jackson State University to be conferred in December 2023.

With her commitment to student success outcomes, Little-Berry is poised to make meaningful and impactful contributions to the University of the District of Columbia.

Contact Information

Ruthie Little-Berry, Ph.D.
Chief Student Development and Success Officer
202.274.5548
ruthie.littleberry@udc.edu