I'm Jessica, and you're
listening to WVAS FM.

Hey guys, thanks for tuning
in to YOUniversityTV.

Today we're at Alabama State
University, home to 90.7 FM,

the university's
public radio station.

Alabama State University is
located in Montgomery, Alabama,

the second largest city
in the state,

known for its renaissance
of historic downtown

and redevelopment
of the riverfront.

ASU has aesthetically pleasing
red brick, Georgian-style

classroom buildings, alongside
contemporary architecture.

Alabama State has more than
5,000 students from 42 states

and seven countries.

Jephtah is an international
student from Kenya.

So Jephtah, why did you decide
to come to Alabama State?

I think actually what made me
come to Alabama State

is basically the scholarship.

I ran for this school.

And I found it to be a great--
a great opportunity, like,

sort of like I could
pursue my education.

The university is organized
into something called

the University College.

And that's the home of
the first--first year students.

That's where they get
advisement services,

tutorial services,
special needs services.

Some who need some help
with remedial work,

it's done through that.

So there is a special
college that's dedicated

just for that purpose.

That helps to bridge
high school to college.

Alabama State is the only
institution that can boast

of having an individual,
either who was graduated

from the university
or worked at the university,

who participated
in every major battle

of the modern
civil rights movement.

Our students continue to be
activists and socially

and politically involved in
everything that happens

in the university.

And for an individual, again,
who is really seeking

a challenge but also seeking
to be nurtured in the way

that individuals should,
one on one,

Alabama State is the place.

We try to live up to
our unofficial motto

that when we teach,
the world indeed takes note.

Incoming students must meet
all high school requirements,

take the ACT and SAT tests,
and hold a minimum GPA of 2.2.

Alabama residents will pay about
$6,000 a year in tuition,

$11,000 for those coming
from out of state,

and an additional $5,000
towards room and board.

Alabama State University
offers 47 degree programs,

including 31 bachelors,
11 masters,

two Education Specialists,
and three doctoral programs.

Some favorites are Teacher
Education, Art, Biology,

Accounting, and Health
Information Management.

A lot of my classes,
with our saying

in the College of Business is
"less teaching, more coaching,"

so they don't really teach us,
we teach ourselves.

We do it through projects,
through PowerPoints.

And what we've actually started
doing is going in and creating

and building our own products
for our own companies,

and having to look at the whole
scope of the company

or our product
and how to market it,

how much it's going to cost,
budget.

So it's more hands on than
anything here at Alabama State.

My whole mind is in
the Theater Arts building,

which is my major.

It's been a blessing to me
ever since I came here.

So I'm kind of glad
that I did whatever I did,

'cause everything happens
for a reason.

So it's led to a lot of
opportunities,

like small film opportunities,
auditions for stage productions,

dance auditions, modeling.

It's opened up numerous
amounts of doors for me,

working under our head, which
is Dr. Tommie Tonea Stewart.

There have been--the faculty
have all been a blessing.

Because the student/teacher
ratio is so small--

it's about 1:13 here--
it's really conducive to

getting to know the students
on as personal a level

as any professional individual
should indeed do.

So the students know me;
I know the students.

And I call them by name.

In fact, I tell them,
I said, "When you see me out,

if I'm not dressed so well,
still speak to me."

Because we have a tight
relationship and a tight knit

family here at Alabama State
that will allow for that.

They have more time
and more will to work

with you one on one.

So it's more so like, okay,
this person, this person,

that person.

They're not just a number.

His name is Gregg
or her name is--

you know what I'm saying--
Shelly.

And they're willing to get to
know you and work with you

at a smaller university.

This is the Acadome,
where ASU sports teams

compete at
the Division I level

in the Southwestern
Athletic Conference.

So after practice
or a long day of classes,

you need a place where
you can come and kick it.

These on-campus residence halls
have everything you need:

plenty of closet space,
and they even have a common

living area.

Alabama State has more
than 70 student organizations,

including the divine nine
Greek letter organizations,

intramural and intercollegiate
sports, 17 honors organizations,

the Marching Hornets,
the Stingettes,

and the Honeybees dance teams.

We actually always have stuff
going on.

It used to happen out here,
but now it happens on the other

side of the school.

We always have fairs, you know,
organizational fairs,

career fairs, we always have
different student organizations

throwing different things
out here, so there's always

something to do.

There's never really a dull day
on campus at Alabama State.

Well, now it's time for me
to hit the books.

Hope you guys had
a great time on our tour

of Alabama State University.