NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Release) – When Tennessee State University launched CADENCE (Connect, Assess, Develop, Engage, Navigate, Create, Excel), the goal was clear: rethink and modernize how the university guides students from their very first day on campus through graduation day. Today, that campus-wide commitment to student persistence, progression, and holistic academic advising has earned one of the highest peer-recognized honors in higher education.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has named TSU an inaugural recipient of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Project of Excellence recognition. Selected as one of only 17 higher education institutions across the region, TSU stood out following a rigorous peer-review evaluation of QEP Impact Reports submitted during the Fifth-Year Interim Review process.
At the heart of CADENCE’s success is its data-driven framework. Rather than treating advising as a simple transactional process of picking classes, CADENCE built a cohesive, multi-layered support network. The program integrates structured academic advising, targeted retention interventions, and comprehensive career development early in a student’s academic journey. Evaluators selected TSU based on the initiative’s measurable outcomes in student learning, retention, and degree completion.
“Being recognized by SACSCOC for our Quality Enhancement Plan is a testament to Tennessee State University’s unwavering commitment to student success and academic rigor,” said TSU President Dwayne Tucker. “CADENCE has fundamentally transformed how we support, engage, and guide our students from enrollment to graduation. As we continue executing our vision for a modernized, student-first university, this honor confirms that our collective campus efforts are producing meaningful, peer-recognized outcomes for our Tigers.”
The inaugural QEP Project of Excellence designation was created by SACSCOC to highlight institutions whose quality initiatives demonstrate exceptional, sustained impact on student achievement.
“I am pleased to share that your institution has been identified as one of 17 institutions for the inaugural Quality Enhancement Plan Project of Excellence recognition,” said Dr. Stephen L. Pruitt, president of SACSCOC. “This is based on a peer review process of the QEP Impact Reports submitted as part of the Fifth-Year Interim Review during the past year. Because the QEP has had an important impact at your institution on student learning and/or student success, SACSCOC wants to provide opportunities to recognize your efforts and to share your story. Congratulations on a job well done! Thank you for your continued support of accreditation.”
The realization of CADENCE required synchronization across faculty, academic support, student affairs, and institutional research. Guided by strategic priorities aimed at closing retention gaps and increasing degree completion, CADENCE served as a unified framework that brought every corner of the university together.
Dr. Charlise Anderson, TSU’s managing executive director of Institutional Effectiveness, Research Planning and Assessment & Accreditation Liaison, reflected on the years of dedication that built CADENCE.
“This recognition is a tremendous honor for Tennessee State University and reflects the collective commitment of our campus to student success,” said Anderson, who retires from TSU at the end of August after more than 23 years in higher education. “The development of the Quality Enhancement Plan was guided by institutional research and strategic planning, which consistently identified the improvement of student retention, progression, and degree completion as vital priorities. The campus-wide QEP topic proposal, review, selection, and culminating implementation of the QEP were informed by these priorities. CADENCE was truly a campus-wide effort focused on helping students connect, engage, plan, and ultimately succeed. To have this work recognized by our peers through SACSCOC’s inaugural QEP Project of Excellence recognition is an extraordinary accomplishment for Tennessee State University.”
The SACSCOC recognition adds to a growing list of national distinctions for TSU. Recently, Forbes named the university a Top 10 Public HBCU as part of its inaugural ranking of the nation’s Top 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. As an inaugural QEP Project of Excellence awardee, TSU will now serve as a regional benchmark, presenting its CADENCE best practices and strategies at the upcoming SACSCOC annual meeting to guide peer institutions across the South.
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public land-grant university offering 41 bachelor’s degrees, 15 graduate certificates, 27 master’s degrees, and nine doctoral degrees. TSU’s campus spans 500 acres. The university is committed to academic excellence, providing students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders. Visit tnstate.edu for more details.
