Morris President Sewell returns to Harvard to participate in New Presidents' Cohort

Although only on campus for three weeks, Morris College President Dr. Said Sewell has been selected as one of only five Historically Black Colleges and Universities presidents to participate in Harvard's New President Cohort, according to a news release from Morris Director of Communications and Constituent Relations Jaraya Johnson.

More than 50 new presidents nationwide will participate in this fellowship. Partnering with Harvard University, the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute at Clark Atlanta University, of whose inaugural cohort Sewell was a member, aims to empower future HBCU presidents with necessary leadership skills.

The Harvard Seminar for New Presidents being held July 19-24 will provide a practical and hands-on orientation to the presidency, allowing new presidents to anticipate and prepare for the challenges and opportunities of their new roles, according to the release.

The seminar is only available to first-time college/university presidents and chancellors and includes presidents from community colleges.

According to the Harvard Graduate School of Education website, "The Harvard Seminar for New Presidents provides a practical orientation to the presidency, familiarizing new presidents with the opportunities and hazards they will likely face and preparing them to respond to the multiple responsibilities that await in their new roles."

The seminar covers topics such as leadership, planning and handling of potential issues.

"As a lifelong learner, I am excited to deepen my understanding of the challenges and opportunities of serving as a president of an institution at this time," Sewell said in the release.

"I look forward to learning how I, working with my faculty and staff, can elevate Morris College even higher than it is and how we can help 'Gen-Xers' and 'Generation Alpha' to understand that they truly need a college degree to be competitive in the 21st century."