Tennessee State University's new board of trustees will stop the university's current search for a new president and start over.
The move was passed unanimously without debate at a full board meeting on Friday. The move to stop the current recruitment and start over came on the recommendation of a three-member special board.
The decision comes less than three months after the state Legislature fired TSU's previous regents. The new regents, all appointed by Gov. Bill Lee, met for the first time on April 26. All of the appointees are graduates of TSU, a historically black university.
The next steps in the search process are:
- Appoint an interim president by July 1st.
- The company will continue its contract with Academic Search, a national search firm that was hired during the last presidential search.
- A new presidential selection committee will be established that incorporates diverse opinions, including those of faculty members.
- A new president will be appointed by July 1, 2025.
Trustee Marquita Qualls led a special committee that outlined steps to select a new president on Thursday. Trustee chair Dakasha Winton and trustee Terrica Smith also served on the committee.
“This is a historic moment in TSU history,” Qualls said Thursday. “For the first time in our university's history, an independent board of trustees will singlehandedly select Tennessee State University's ninth president. This is a responsibility that we as a board of trustees do not take lightly.”
It's unclear who the new interim president will be, or whether that person will be named before the July 1 appointment date. It's also unclear what the new selection means for the three finalists the previous board named in March after a months-long search that was abruptly halted when state Republican lawmakers passed a bill to disband the previous board shortly after the finalists were named.
The finalists were Charles Gibbs, former CEO of 100 Black Men of America, William E. Hudson, vice president for student affairs at Florida A&M University, and Michael Torrence, chancellor of Motlow State Community College in Tennessee.
“This choice is not a reflection on the caliber of the current finalists, but rather a step to ensure that, as a new board, we are comprehensively researching all potential candidates,” Qualls said Thursday.
TSU President Glenda Glover will step down at the end of the current academic year, which ends June 30. On Thursday, Qualls praised Glover's contributions and leadership.
“President Glover's tenure and legacy will forever be cemented by her vocal advocacy for student access to a college education and her staunch defense of (historically black colleges and universities),” Qualls said.
Glover, a 1974 graduate of TSU himself, was appointed in 2013. He addressed the board of trustees on Friday, calling his decades-long career at the university “a blessing of 50 years.”
“It is the privilege and honor of a lifetime to serve as president of my alma mater, Tennessee State University,” she said. “This is more than a full-circle moment for me. This is where I started. When I came to Tennessee State University, I was a teenager from South Memphis dreaming of changing the world.”
TSU Board of Trustees Appoints New Student Trustee
At its meeting Friday, the board unanimously approved fourth-year student Tyler Vasquez as the new student trustee. Vasquez is majoring in molecular biology and pre-medicine at TSU's Dr. Levin Watkins Jr. Laboratory and is on track to graduate next May.
Vasquez was selected after the board received input from the TSU Student Government Association, Glover and other leaders.
“It's really amazing to have this opportunity,” he said, before giving a short speech to the board, thanking those who have supported him so far during his time at TSU.
Reporter Rachel Wegner can be reached at RAwegner@tennessean.com or follow her on Twitter at Bluesky and Threads @RachelAnnWegner.
