Philander. Forward.
Recently, HBCU Digest did an interview with Dr. Roderick Smothers, president of Philander Smith College, an HBCU in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was full of double-talk and did not ring true. A former student at Philander Smith College read Dominica Dunbar Dessalines’s “HBCU Scandal’s Don’t Die, They Multiply” in BAR and has written in to add further to what we know about that school and the general crisis. This student transferred to another school in another state frustrated with what was found on that campus.
As someone who grew up with a mostly white family I never got to experience my Black culture. A word should be said about my aunt. She inspired me to understand that the search for identity and purpose is consistent with love for our people. She is in touch with her island roots and helped open my eyes. Growing up around white people I was always different. I was bullied a lot. I was “black” but I wasn’t. She taught me to seek out my history and this would lead me to the path I must walk. I am not sure that those who tried to bully me when I was younger had been taught that or will be taught that. What a blessing and a gift.
After deciding to go back to school I decided to go to an HBCU. I decided on Philander Smith. I was excited to not only learn my culture but to be surrounded by my own people. After 2 weeks I realized I made a mistake. They put me in classes that were below par, and refused to let me test out of those classes, even though my professors agreed I didn’t need to be in those classes.
During my first semester I worked in the admissions office and it was there I learned a lot of things.
My job, in admissions, was mostly inputting the applications from the students. Many of the students who were put into the system had very low GPA and test scores. Most of the students did not have references or student statements to submit with their application. It seemed like as long as students applied they were admitted.
While working in admissions, I learned that there were people in the financial aid office who were embezzling money from the students. There were lots of secret meetings and whispers. It was a huge scandal across campus and even staff in multiple offices confirmed it. People from different offices would come into the admissions office and go into Mr. Osborn’s office and sometimes I could catch snippets of their conversation.
When enrolling you have to visit multiple offices to complete your paper work. First you must go to the admissions office to fill out the basic information and turn in all your documents needed. Then you would go to the financial aid office to deal with FAFSA but most of the time you’d have to go back and forth between the offices because the communication between departments is non-existent.
My second semester they tried to charge extra classes to my account that I didn’t take yet. The only reason I caught it is because I triple check all accounts and what is going where. When they charged my account for the extra classes, it was after the money embezzlement, so I definitely thought they were trying to steal money. On top of the extra charge, money was just missing from my account and no matter how I recalculated I was still coming up short.
Many other students realized that the business office wasn’t posting their federal grants, so instead of getting the money back they owed the school money. Many students don’t look at their account or what’s being charged to it. Anyone is able to check their account but a significant number don’t because they choose to have blind faith in Philander.
Many students realize that the business office wasn’t posting their federal grants, so instead of getting the money back it appeared they owed the school money. The business office is responsible for the charges on your account and your refund. When they don’t post all the aid a student receives then, depending on the rest of the student’s aid, they could be led to believe that they owe the school instead of getting money back or zeroing their account. I know they do lose people’s files and paper work. Though incompetence is widespread, it can be an honest mistake. But this can also be part of the process of exploitation where financial aid monies are stolen.
Most students do receive grants and/or loans through FAFSA. So every semester you have a deadline to fill out your FAFSA. The reason for the deadline is to get everything processed and sent to school in time to pay for classes. That is why refunds come after 30 days give the aid enough time to post to student accounts. Loans are to be payed after the student is done with their schooling or if they go six months without being in school. The idea is they owe the government later.
There are students at Philander who can’t read or do basic math but are still admitted because they get financial aid. I knew a lot of students couldn’t read or do basic math because those were some of the classes they made me take and refused to let me test out. I was in developmental math class and students didn’t know simple multiplication like 7 times 9. These were supposed to be skills you learned in elementary or middle school. I tutored for math and a lot of students just couldn’t grasp the concept of basic calculations.
I was also a tutor for developmental reading and a lot of students couldn’t identify simple things like the plot or climax. Students couldn’t use context clues to figure out what a word meant. This was apparently normal for many students to be in these remedial classes but it shouldn’t have been. Many students cheated their way through these classes and the professors let them.
There are many myths about HBCUs. I guess I didn’t know what to expect. I thought an HBCU was supposed to unite and praise Black excellence. Instead it was like paying for high school. When I began my journey I was so excited for the culture, people, unity, even the community but instead I was faced with heavy disappointment.
The professors didn’t hold anyone accountable or challenge students. They were not engaging or stimulating. Professors are supposed to hold students accountable for their actions and their work. Students would half do an assignment or just not do it for no other reason that they didn’t want to do it. Professors would just extend deadlines or give full credit for assignments that were not completed. Students wouldn’t show up to class just because.
I do have good memories of my favorite professors at Philander who were a stark exception to the rule. The Allens, they were sisters, both taught English. They engaged with the students and made everyone feel like we were in it together. They held students accountable.
At the new state university I attend every professor holds students accountable for not only doing their work but also turning it in on time. There is definitely a no-nonsense vibe I get at my new school though each professor has their own strengths and unique personalities.
All we would do at Philander is read the textbook and do assignments out of there. We would have to teach ourselves. Students would fall asleep because the teachers weren’t really teaching. Now I understand that college is supposed to make you look at things from different perspectives and relate topics to events we know and understand. PSC faculty just do what they are supposed to do and nothing more.
Once I had a financial aid question. So I went to the financial aid office to speak with someone. I was able to find Ms. Williams who ignored me; then told me if I didn’t understand then oh well. The staff were unprofessional and rude. Another woman in the financial aid office was very disrespectful to my mother. My mother needed to talk to her and the woman just said “No” and walked away. When my mom went into the office to complain, they gave her the run around. We couldn’t get ahold of anyone in charge including Dr. Smothers, the college president. When you disrespect my mother that is the last straw.
Philander doesn’t protect its students. Ambulances were up there all the time because students had alcohol poisoning or overdosed on drugs. Maybe young people tend to have these problems. But are we supposed to accept rape on our campus as well? Philander failed to not only inform the police, the campus, but even the young lady’s parents! The school originally the young woman’s parents that they called the police but when her parents contacted the police no report was made. They took two weeks to address the situation. Philander said they would improve security but no such plans occurred. I no longer felt safe on that campus.
There have been claims made that Philander is growing due to the influx of freshmen but look at the difference over time, the percent lowers, the decline and dropout rate among sophomores and so on. I think Philander makes a big show of its growth because it needs more funding. They have had food vendors quit because they couldn’t pay them. They want to seem like they are making progress when in fact they are moving backwards. I have heard whispers from faculty that they don’t think Philander will last as an institution. This clashes with a confident vision of Black excellence and self-reliance.
Philander doesn’t push students to be great; they accept mediocrity. They don’t teach students to be self-reliant. They don’t teach the students how to be responsible for their own actions. They aren’t teaching students that their Black heritage is powerful and that they can be more in life.
Philander doesn’t do anything with the community or for the culture. Even Philander’s public relations tends to focus on the money aspect of school instead of its students and their studies.
HBCUs are supposed to be about Black empowerment and self-love. They are supposed to create the next generation and open up doors for the generation after us. With so much crimes towards Blacks going on, by white racists but also by our so-called Black leaders and institutions, now is the time we should be united and stand up for ourselves.
The name of the author is withheld at her request. For information or follow-up you may contact BAR’s managing editor Bruce Dixon at bruce.dixon(at)blackagendareport.com.
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