A university president has apologized after hosting a dinner for African-American students that included cotton stalks as table centerpieces.

Randy Lowry, the president of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, invited the students to his home for dinner on Thursday to discuss their experiences at the school.

What transpired will hopefully be a teachable moment for university leaders moving forward.

Deion Sims, a student who attended the dinner at Lowry’s home, was taken aback by aspects of the event he considered tone-deaf.

“I think the most offensive thing was the cotton centerpieces,” he told local station WKRN TV.

The menu also left a bad taste in students’ mouths, as it seemed to pander to stereotypes of what is considered African-American cuisine.

“At the dinner, we had heard previously from Latino students [that they were served] fajitas and then when we got there, it was collard greens, cornbread and ribs and such,” Sims said.

Sims, a pre-med senior, doesn’t think Lowry was trying to offend students on purpose.

“I don’t think Dr. Lowry was intentional or malicious in the cotton centerpieces,” he said. “I think it points to a larger culture gap at this institution and that points to some changes that need to be made.”