Coppin State in the hunt for new President

coppin-state-university-304xx1794-1196-3-0From BizJournals The University System of Maryland has formed a search committee to help find the next president of Coppin State University.

The group of 14 will be chaired by Michael E. Cryor, president of the Cryor Group, a communications firm in Baltimore.

Mortimer H. Neufville started a a two-year term as president of the Baltimore university in July 2013 and had been interim president for six months following Reginald Avery‘s resignation from the presidency.

USM’s goal is to have a new president named by July 1.

Members of the search committee are:

  • Emmanuel Anoruo, professor and chair of Coppin’s Department of Accounting and Management Information Systems
  • Christopher Brittan-Powell, professor in Coppin’s College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and member of the school’s faculty senate
  • Nicole Barmore, an attorney with Baltimore City’s State’s Attorney Office and Coppin alumna
  • Thelma Daley, counselor educator and organization consultant
  • Nayo Carter Gray, board member of Coppin’s Alumni Association
  • Rodrick Johnson, president of Coppin’s Student Government Association
  • Sherrye Larkins, chair of Coppin’s Staff Senate
  • Marjorie Miles, chair of Coppin’s Department of Teaching and Learning, School of Education
  • Crystal Mosley, controller at Coppin
  • Ackneil Muldrow, adviser to the Coppin College of Business
  • Nayna Philipsen, chair of Coppin’s Faculty Senate and professor in the CSU College of Health Professions
  • State Sen. Catherine Pugh
  • Alicia Ritchie, member of Coppin’s Foundation Board and university alumna.

Hampton University purchases former Catholic retreat in Hampton

dp-hampton-university-purchases-former-catholic-retreat-20141121Hampton University now owns the former Holy Family Retreat House at 1414 N. Mallory St.

Officials closed on the former Catholic retreat center for $1.890 million, according to officials with Norfolk-based Harvey Lindsay Commercial Real Estate who helped broker the transaction in late October.

The nearly 11-acre property is valued at $2.8 million, according to public records, and was owned by the Redemptorists Fathers of Virginia.From 1958 until the center closed in 2010, the Holy Family Retreat House hosted weekend spiritual retreats for Catholics and other functions. Check back later for more on this developing story. – See more at: 

No Students Injured in Howard University Dorm Fire

Howard University had to evacuate students from a dorm around  8 p.m. on Tuesday after reporting a fire at the East Towers on campus. No students were harmed, according to the school newspaper The Hilltop, who was also among the first to break the news last night via Twitter.

In the aftermath of the fire, Howard officials followed the path of the student newspaper when it took to social media at 11:22 p.m. to thank the Howard community for their cooperation with firefighters and the Howard University police, saying in a post, “Impact letters will be provided to each resident of the East Towers to be shared with their professors for the remainder of the week.”

“The impact letters will be available at the Office of Residence Life, located in Campus Hall South,” said the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs in a Facebook post.

The post added, “The fire was contained and no injuries were reported. In an abundance of caution, East Tower residents have been evacuated and are currently being routed to Cramton Auditorium for further instructions.”

“My prayers [goes out to] those impacted and displaced due to these unfortunate events,” said Celeste M. Sharper commenting on the post above. 

Another concerned person Charles D Sharp wrote, “Look into having an EM-101 course available for all students as a general education course for all student majors.”

After being evacuated residents of the East Towers were safely lead to other campus housing facilities by those helping out on the scene, some students were advised to go to nearby West Towers Community Room “until the ‘all clear’ is given.”

All students except those living on the 5th floor and up were able to return to their rooms.

Hampton President Receives the TMCF Educational Leadership Award

2014111394106819Hampton, Va. – Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey was awarded the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) 2014 Educational Leadership Award. The award was presented at TMCF 26th Annual Awards Gala, themed “Developing Minds…Delivering Dreams.” This event will be held in Washington, D.C. Nov. 12, 2014.

The Educational Leadership Award is the highest volunteer award presented to an individual who has a demonstrated record of commitment to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and education. The Educational Leadership Award is presented annually to a president of an HBCU who has demonstrated outstanding business, academic and visionary leadership through effective management of his or her institution.

“This award is usually presented to an educational leader from a publicly-supported HBCU, but Dr. Harvey’s success as President of Hampton University and his 30-year tenure as one of the longest tenures of any sitting president of a college or university in the country is outstanding,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., TMCF President and CEO. “Dr. Harvey salutes the legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall through his commitment and dedication to education and service.”

Harvey has served as president of Hampton University since 1978. During his tenure, he has increased enrollment, raised the endowment, raised the average SAT scores for entering freshmen, and implemented innovative programs, which have led to increased opportunities for Hampton graduates. Prior to joining Hampton, Harvey worked in various roles at Harvard University, Fisk University, and Tuskegee University.

Throughout his career as President of Hampton University, Harvey has demonstrated a strong commitment to the professional development of others. Fifteen of his administrative colleagues have been elected president and CEO at diverse institutions.

Harvey has served on a number of corporate boards including Fannie Mae, Newport News Shipbuilding, Signet Bank, and Trigon Blue Cross/Blue Shield.  He is currently the chair of the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and has served on the President’s National Advisory Council on Elementary and Secondary Education, the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, the Commission on Presidential Scholars, the NCAA Division I Board, and the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Development Advisory. He graduated from Talladega College and earned his doctorate in college administration from Harvard University.

Bureau Investigates Savannah State University Band Member Death

Model_tiger_mascot_at_Grambling_State_Univ._IMG_3652 Referenced from – WJCI 

The SSU student newspaper originally reported a campus building was on lockdown pending a GBI investigation. We’ve tracked down school leaders to explain what’s going on.

We talked to campus police, the school’s spokeswoman, members of the student newspaper, and a GBI agent.

The Savannah State marching band is temporarily suspended. They did not perform at last night’s game.  We also know GBI agents are investigating the death of a band member. Savannah State’s spokeswoman says the band is suspended for violating the University’s student code of conduct. An article in the student run newspaper, Tiger Roar, reported the campus building where band student practice, Kennedy Fine Arts, was on lockdown Saturday. This due to a GBI investigation into the deaths of a band member.

Loretta Heywood, the spokesperson from the school, and Campus Police say this is not true. The band room is locked but the Fine Arts Building is not on lockdown.

Meanwhile, the original post of that article is no longer on the school’s site.

The GBI did confirm to WJCL tonight, through email, that there is an on- going death investigation at the University.  This investigation surrounds the death of a student band member who was found unresponsive in a dorm on November  1st.  At the time of death, the school issued a notice stating the death did not appear suspicious but the GBI will be investigating.

The GBI says the cause of death is pending autopsy results at this point.

The band did not play at Savannah State’s game Saturday. While there are several rumors as to why the band is suspended indefinitely, students say they the game didn’t feel the same.

“It’s sad right now, we feed off their energy. It was kind of different with them not being there at halftime,” said Brandon Bailey, SSU student.

“I don’t know the circumstances, but I do hope that they are back. Because we have the basketball seasons coming up. We have one more game against byu. Hopefully they are back,” said Edward Goubadil, SSU student.

Meanwhile, there is no confirmation if the death of this student and the suspension of the University’s band are related.

New Spelman College Cosby Chair Aku Kadogo Explores Activism in the Arts

ATLANTA (Nov. 13, 2014) — Aku Kadogo, performer, theater director, choreographer and educator, has been named Spelman College William and Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Endowed Professor in the Arts for the 2014-2015 academic year. As the new Cosby Chair, Kadogo comes to Spelman with a global palette of experiences and performances in her portfolio.

aku-kadogo_smUnlike many artists whose performance tours take them to other countries, Kadogo works with communities in other countries such as Brazil, Cuba, Australia, and Senegal to build her performance works. She most recently served as a visiting faculty member at Yongin University in Seoul, Korea. As a performer, she has worked in film, television and theater. She is one of the original cast members of the award-winning Broadway production of …for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf by Ntozake Shange.

“Aku Kadogo was selected as the Cosby Chair in the Arts because of her stellar achievements in theater, choreography and education,” said Myra Burnett, Ph.D., Spelman interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “She is a global ambassador of performance art, traversing continents and cultures with ease, giving and receiving as she goes. She is an outstanding model of excellence for our students, emanating a creative, imaginative, and interdisciplinary spirit that we hope they, too, will develop. We are delighted that she has come to us for this year.”

Kadogo’s academic experience includes serving as director of the Black Theatre Program at Wayne State University in Detroit from 2006 to 2011. As a faculty member, she directed plays and musicals as well as taught dramatic literature and performance studies courses.

“It’s a great honor to be selected as Cosby Chair,” said Kadogo. “I’ve led an independent and unique life and this affords me an opportunity to share my vision with others.”

The theme of her term as Cosby Chair is  “Fearless Exploration of the Imagination!” During the academic year, Kadogo will teach courses through the Department of Drama and Dance and host globally recognized artists for lectures and performances. She also intends to explore ways in which African-American artists, curators, directors, and others articulate and maintain their cultural voice while immersed in an international art community.

“African Americans are missing from a lot of places in the international theater scene. I’m interested in finding out who is doing the work because if we go back to the Katherine Dunhams and Alvin Aileys of another generation, they were known and seen on the global stage,” said Kadogo, a Detroit native. “I find it to be a different world now. I want to examine where we come from [as African Americans and as artists] and how we link to others in the world.”

She added it’s important for her students to know the history of African Americans in the arts and to understand its present state in order to prepare for their future shaping and influencing their craft.

Kadogo’s fall semester course, “Urban Anthropological Approach to Performance Studies,” takes students through the creation of their own contemporary original work, which will incorporate music, dance and literature, and investigate ceremonial practices and political activism influenced by Asia, Africa, the South Pacific and the U.S.

Kadogo welcomes Marc Bamuthi Joseph to campus Nov. 18 for the conversation, “Where People Gather: Hip Hop, Activism and Innovation.” A Morehouse College graduate, Joseph was named by Smithsonian magazine as one of “America’s Top Young Innovators in the Arts and Sciences.” He is the artistic director of the seven-part HBO documentary “Russell Simmons presents Brave New Voices” and an inaugural recipient of the United States Artists Rockefeller Fellowship, which annually recognizes 50 of the country’s “greatest living artists.”

“I’m excited to have this conversation with an artist of another generation. I’ll be interested to hear how Joseph continues to develop as an artist and what it means for him to be an interdisciplinary artist,” said Kadogo.

“Where People Gather: Hip Hop, Activism and Innovation: A Conversation with Arts Activist Marc Bamuthi Joseph”

WHEN: 
Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, 6 p.m. Free and open to the public.

WHERE: 
Cosby Academic Center Auditorium
Spelman College
350 Spelman Lane S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30314
Directions

WHY:  
The William and Camille Cosby Endowed Professorship was established in 1988. The recipient utilizes the post for one year to expand the college’s curricular offerings by designing a course rooted in their specific area of expertise, and facilitating interdisciplinary initiatives. The residency concludes with a special culminating event developed and implemented by the Cosby Chair. Kadogo’s culminating event “Salt City” is set for April 25, 2015. The performance features Jessica Care Moore, poet, publisher, playwright, performance artist and producer. Read more about Kadogo’s artistic journey in Inside Spelman.

About Spelman College

Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a highly selective, liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent.  Located in Atlanta, Ga., the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students.  Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; Sam’s Club CEO Rosalind Brewer, Broadway Producer Alia Jones, Former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna President Audrey Forbes Manley, Harvard University Professor Evelynn Hammonds, Author Pearl Cleage, and Actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson.  For more information, visit www.spelman.edu.

Media Contact:
Audrey Arthur
(404) 270-5892 office
aarthur3@spelman.edu
Twitter: @spelmanmedia

TMCF’s Leader, Johnny C. Taylor Announces “Important” New Alliance With University of Phoenix

On Thursday, Nov. 13 the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) announced what can be a big push towards getting more students attending a public historically black college or university (HBCU) on online courses with its new partnership with the University of Phoenix.

TMCF President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. commented on the “important” new alliance with the university that graduates the most minority students and the new online capabilities offered by University of Phoenix, saying, “Using technology to improve educational outcomes is a must today; and we are excited about the opportunity to partner with University of Phoenix on this innovative solution to help HBCUs offer online courses.”

“HBCUs look to TMCF for new opportunities and solutions like this to assist them with building their capacity as they continue to serve the students matriculating on their campuses,” he said. “This opportunity will give HBCUs access to online learning not previously available.”

Taylor impressively seems to be leading the TMCF to new grounds and is resilient in obtaining scholarships and grants for HBCU students during a time when HBCU leaders at some of the nation’s Black colleges complain about a lack of federal government grants and unfair treatment given by the Obama administration.

In October the Department of Education allotted federal support to universities and colleges nationwide in a pioneering $171 million effort to help increase professional development of low-income and minority students in S.T.E.M.

Just three HBCUs, however: Fayetteville State University, Prairie View A&M University and Hampton University, as a whole received $3 million in grants.

But despite all the emphasis on scarce federal support, the “scandalous” $25 million Koch brothers grant given to TMCF in June, and the uncertain future of HBCUs Taylor remains more than just a man who gets the job done.

He is “Changing the World … One Leader at a Time.”

“We’re proud to offer more scholarships and grants for nontraditional students as part of this new alliance, and we are thrilled to join the Thurgood Marshall College Fund in helping more HBCU students reach graduation,” said Timothy P. Slottow, President of University of Phoenix. “We are eager to help HBCU institutions expand their online education capabilities. It is an honor to help fulfill our mission by partnering with our nation’s vitally important Historically Black Colleges and Universities.”

3 Ways Black Greek Fraternities Prepare You For Employment

For some students, joining a Black Greek Lettered Organization is at the top of the list of things to do while attending a historically black college or university (HBCU). There is no doubt that Black fraternities and sororities knows how to have a good time.

But they also offer an unique experience to grow and develop as a leader, a confident public speaker and provide some fantastic opportunities to network and operate with people within and out the organization.

Here are three ways going Greek puts you in a great position with future employers:

1. Black Greeks packs out events

There is a reason why several incoming freshman students attending HBCUs are often curious about Black Greek life. Oftentimes at HBCUs the Black Greeks are looked upon as role models with more influence than SGA, Royal Court and other organizations on campus, almost combined in some cases.

Usually Black Greek Lettered Organizations (BGLOs) packs the house at nearly all events. This is a sign that Black Greeks can greatly sell and influence others, and another skill employers like to see from new grads.

Plus, at the most basic level this is also why Black Greeks has a duty to give back.

2. Black fraternities work with people inside and outside the organization

Black Greek fraternity life can open doors to a plethora of collaboration and networking opportunities with other like-minded people–who, perhaps, before was just an opportunity wasted–from every nation known to man.

This means exchanging business cards, creating new relationships and networking with other gifted and talented individuals…although sometimes they are more like annoying little/big brothers. And that, the ability to act and react with actual human beings, is a skill employers want to see from new college grads. (Speaking of brotherhood.)

3. Black Fraternity members are “brothers for life”

In fact, they are also really, really good teammates.

Being in a Black Greek fraternity requires commitment, (hard) work and the ability to work in a team. If you are preparing to plan, organize and execute a great event on the yard, working in a team seems like the only way to get the real work done, and Black Greek fraternities and sororities are experts in teamwork.

According to an article called “The 10 Skills Employers Most Want In 20-Something Employees” by Susan Adams being able to work efficiently in a team is the skill employers say they most seek.

Ronald Mason Jr. Tells Us to Commit to Making Progress Everyday

This story is a part of the series “President’s Corner” about the unique experiences, vision and leadership styles of each president at our nation’s 107 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Ronald Mason Jr. is the leader of the Southern University System  in the state of Louisiana. Its headquarters sits on the property of Southern University in Baton Rouge campus.

The System is exactly what it sounds like: a system of universities in the Louisiana state who’s earliest foundations began in 1880, and is the first of its kind among Black colleges.

With over 30 years of experience in the field Mason believes the System has the potential to make other higher education institutions think about running behind and following suite. He sits with Robert Hoggard of HBCU Buzz in this exclusive interview to talk about how the System operates, skills learned in higher education and working with the Obama administration.

Robert: What is the experience like leading the only HBCU University system? How do you balance your time overseeing five campuses?

President Mason: As a System, Southern has has the potential to be a model for higher education. We are reducing costs by centralizing business operations, expanding our community college onto the four year campuses, and creating an online college. The distance between the campuses is a challenge, especially Shreveport, but I enjoy the work as president and having good Chancellors to run the campuses helps.

Robert: You have over 30 years of experience in Higher Education. What has been the most meaningful thing that you have learned over the years?

President Mason: I have learned that you have to push but understand where people are, do the right thing in the right order, and commit to making progress every day.

Robert: In your position as a White House Board of Advisors for HBCU’s, what is your main goal? What do you want to see out of the Board because of your leadership and input?

President Mason: The PBA is supposed to be a link between the President, Corporate America and HBCUs.  I’d like to see it do more to make those linkages happen.

Robert: Both of your degrees come from Columbia and you have won the John Jay award for distinguished Alumni in 2008. How significant has Columbia been to your leadership over the years? What has Columbia taught you?

President Mason: Columbia changed my life.  When I left New Orleans to go there it was my first time on an airplane or outside of Louisiana. The seventies was a good time to be in New York.  Columbia taught me to see the world from the eyes of people with wealth and earthly power.  It also taught me the importance of the perceived value of the degree.

Here’s What to Know About the Next Attorney General Loretta Lynch

After U.S. Attorney General and loyal friend to the president Eric Holder, the first African American to hold the position, announced his resignation a few months ago New York attorney Loretta Lynch is now said to be the nominee to replace him.

“She has spent years in the trenches as a prosecutor, aggressively fighting terrorism, financial fraud, cybercrime, all while vigorously defending civil rights,” President Barack Obama said, introducing Lynch recently at a ceremony at the White House.

Lynch will be the first Black woman to hold to U.S. Attorney General title but is no stranger to the big stage. She once oversaw a nationally headlined police brutality incident in New York much like the Rodney King case, according to The Root.

Also, Lynch says, as a toddler she saw students from North Carolina A&T State University who organized the memorable counter sit-ins in 1960.

Read more at The Root.

Howard University Theatre Department Tells the Truth About Nightingales

Screen Shot 2014-11-13 at 8.46.21 PM(thehiltop) Against a dimmed, overhead light and a pair of prison bars suspended from the rafters above, the stage was given a stirring atmosphere. Haze crept across the set, spilling into the audience. Before long, the outside world no longer existed. The theatre was transformed into the confines of a prison, and the audience was there, during the summer of 1938.

An award-winning three-act play by Tennessee Williams, “Not about Nightingales,” tells the compelling story of a group of inmates who fight back through a hunger strike against the oppressive governance of the jail warden. Inspired by true events, Williams is able to create a despotic situation in 1938 that still holds firm for a contemporary audience.

With riveting performances from the cast and a powerful display from the design team, the Howard University’s Department of Theatre Arts brought “Not about Nightingales” to life at the Ira Aldridge Theatre from November 5 to November 9.

Under the direction of Eric Ruffin, and with an all-black cast, transparent themes concerned the disparaging treatment of blacks and homosexuals and the unlawful incarceration of young black men by a dominating, white bureaucratic society. These were but a few elements that reverberated throughout the play.

Production Dramaturg, Otis Ramsey-Zoe, wrote, “The world inside the prison is not divorced from the concerns of the outside world, and those issues creep into the play, including the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, Hitler’s rise to power, Mussolini’s dictatorship and the threat of war.”

Read full

Charles Grant, Bowie State Coach Caught on Video Body-Slamming Student

Charles+Grant+91007533

(NBC Washington) Bowie State University fired a former NFL player from his volunteer football coach position after TMZ Sports posted video of him body-slamming a student.

University police is investigating Charles Grant. He can be heard shouting and cursing at the student before throwing him to the ground then into the bleachers as people are heard laughing in the background.

Grant is a former defensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints. He was on the team the season it won Super Bowl XLIV.

Grant previously was brought up on an involuntary manslaughter charge after a deadly shooting outside at a bar in Georgia. The charge was later dropped, and he pleaded no contest to public fighting.

In a statement, Bowie State said in part, “The Department of Athletics has zero tolerance of behavior that violates the University’s core values and jeopardizes the welfare of student-athletes.”

VIDEO – Pamela Wilson, Virginia State’s 1st Female President

(Associated Press) Hampton University Provost Pamela Valleria Wilson Hammond has been named interim president of Virginia State University.

Hammond will lead the historically black land-grant university during a national search for a permanent president. The university announced Hammond’s appointment on Thursday in a news release. She is the first woman to serve as Virginia State’s president.

Hammond’s appointment is effective Jan. 1. She will succeed Keith T. Miller, who has announced that he is resigning, effective Dec. 31. The change in leadership comes amid concerns over declining enrollment and financial woes at the university in Ettrick.  Hammond has served as Hampton’s provost since 2009.

3 Ways Black College Students Can Save Money In College

Saving money while attending an HBCU, or any college can be difficult to keep up with, especially when you want the best college experience your campus can offer. Of course your loans and other financial avenues cover your entire tuition including books but after you’re done with school you are stuck with possibly lifelong payment plans toward borrowed student loans.

Here are some ways to decrease student debt after college.

1. Consider a different housing plan

According to U.S. News an average four year college board price is $9,500. Ask your financial advisor for the cheapest route there is. Even if you’re in the most expensive dorm there is still hope. Consider becoming a resident aid or assistant. Most schools knock off your housing tuition or pay up to half of your board.

2. Rent Textbooks instead

If you don’t plan on keeping textbooks for research purposes, consider renting textbook online. Most are twice as cheap than buying books from your university. Amazon is a great way to buy and rent textbooks for a cheaper price than your local college book store. In doing so more of your tuition money could generate toward paying for extra fees like lab fees.

3. Take advantage of fee waivers

Some college campuses charge an arm and a leg for college ID’s, car decals, and sometimes library fees. If they seem too expensive you can negotiate a fee waiver, if applicable, with your financial advisor.

UAPB Dean: “Federal Grant Funding is Becoming More Difficult to Obtain”

After suffering from a very bad last week the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has some great news buzzing on campus.

UPAB’s School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences, or SAFHS, has been given federal funds in the amount of $1.5 million through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) 1890 Capacity Building Grants Program that will help fund future research projects conducted by university professors, according to reports.

Dr. Edmund R. Buckner, associate dean for Research and Extension Programs at UAPB, cheered on the university’s huge success in obtaining a federal grant, something he says has been difficult to do lately, commenting, “We are very pleased that our research and Extension faculty have been successful in procuring grant funding to help conduct their work.”

“Federal grant funding is becoming more difficult to obtain. Our faculty’s success in competing for increasingly scarce funding highlights our commitment to the university and the people we serve,” Buckner said.

Last week Pine Bluff faced public scrutiny when multiple news outlets reported how the UAPB athletics program wrongly allowed more than 120 student-athletes to compete and practice while being ineligible under NCAA rules and regulations.

Read more on federal funds and UAPB’s athletics program:

In a press release UAPB Chancellor Dr. Laurence B. Alexander made a comment on his disapproval in the additional penalties smacked on by the NCAA, saying “[The university] remain disappointed even with the reduced penalties imposed by the Committee.”

Alexander added that the university may seek an appeal to the initial decision made by the NCAA to hold more penalties against the athletics program than what the university previously self-assessed and self-reported to the non-profit association.

So after being slammed by the NCAA for allowing as many as 124 ineligible athletes to compete UAPB seems to be finally back to normal.

Just another day in the week.

HBCU President Makes Controversial Remarks on Rape to Female Students

(The Grio) A video posted to YouTube of a speech by Lincoln University President Robert R. Jennings has incited controversy over what some people believe are insensitive comments about rape.

During the speech, Jennings speaks of recent incidents on the college’s campus where women made false rape accusations against male companions who had spurned them after their sexual encounters.

In the video, Jennings is seen speaking to an all-female assembly of students at the HBCU. The speech took place in September but was posted to YouTube last week.

The entire speech lasted 26 minutes, but the posted clip lasts four minutes.

Towards the end of the clip, Jennings says: “When you allege that somebody did something of that nature to you, you go to jail. I don’t care how close they are to finishing the degree, their whole life changes overnight. Why am I saying all this, ladies? I’m saying this because, first and foremost, don’t put yourself in a situation that would cause you to be trying to explain something that really needs no explanation had you not put yourself in that situation.”

Jennings defended his speech to the Philadelphia Inquirer: “No one would ever discourage a young woman on this campus from reporting a sexual assault.”

Read more here.