One example is we call a program
where it's called lawyer for the day.
It gives a it gives a real
feeling for a student in terms of
what that career would be like.
This is the first time that
the Big Blue nation.
Has been in. A community
like this, for purposes
of academic enrichment,
what we must provide.
Black kids in poor neighborhoods.
Our paths to success.
And if we can do that,
we will be fulfilling the dream
of of Martin Luther King.
Well, it was this week,
Simmons College of Kentucky,
based right here in Louisville,
led by Doctor Kevin Cosby,
announcing its new collaboration
with the University of Kentucky.
They are now working on the details
to allow Simmons students access
to the UK Law School and also
create future teachers as well.
And we welcome the President
of Simmons, doctor Kevin Cosby,
to talk about why this is so important.
All right, Doctor
Cosby, thanks so much for honor to be here.
Thank you so much. Let's start with some
of the logistics if you know them yet.
Does this mean that Simmons students will
be heading to Lexington to go to school?
Well, first of all, let me say that
Louisville is fortunate to be one of
the few cities in the country to have
an historical black college university.
There are 101 HBC US in America.
They represent 3% of the colleges in
the United States, but HB CU graduate,
25% of all black graduates and 50% of all
black school teachers come from HBC US.
And so Louisville is fortunate to have the
comeback from the ground HBC in America.
Historically, we're one of the
oldest schools in the United States.
However, we're the last designated
HBC by the Department of Education,
so we're excited about
that. UL has a law school.
So how did the UK deal come together
and why is it in so important to you?
How's it, how's it gonna
work? Well, we want to create
partnerships and collaborations
with multiple universities.
There are we have our strengths
and things that we're able to
provide our students with,
but we also recognize that our
strengths have to be augmented with
other colleges and universities.
So we want to develop partnerships
with the University of Louisville,
but we also want to develop partnerships
with University of Kentucky and UK.
Is one of the premier institutions
in our country and I think it's
very important that students in.
Communities like W Louisville have
an opportunity to experience a
world beyond the world that they
live in and and know about what's
going on with the Big Blue nation.
What about tuition? Is there any extra
cost for students at Simmons? Well, the
tuition we we provide
scholarships for our students,
and I think that our, our,
our tuition is affordable,
but we, we want to make sure.
Our primary purpose is to make sure
that our kids had an opportunity to
go to school and get an education.
So we work with our students.
Right now we are attracting
students from 28 different states.
And it just happened with such
ambulatory speed because we were
just designated in HB CU in 2015.
The The You really focused
on the law side of this.
You really want law degrees and is
in and so will Simmons students have
access to the UK law schools. That
that's the ultimate plan that
students at Simmons will graduate
with a bachelors degree in law and
constitutional studies and then go on to
the University of Kentucky Law School.
It's interesting that Simmons
at one time had a law school.
And so it's like we're going back
to where we started from. Well,
what folks may not know, I mean,
you play a role as Pastor
and as university president,
but you're also one of the
top historians in this state.
So thank you so much
for coming. Thank you so
much, Doug. I appreciate
it. Appreciate it. Thank you. Kevin Cosby.