Congratulations to the nearly 700 Tennessee State University undergraduates and graduates! Wishing you continued success as you showcase TSU’s Big Blue excellence to the world. Class of 2020:
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 8,000 students, Tennessee State University is
Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban,
co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree
programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU
has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and
Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one
of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social
mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee
State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit
the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The COVID-19 pandemic may have suspended in-person recruitment activities for Tennessee State University, but it hasn’t stopped recruiters from seeking out the best and brightest students to join the TSU family. The university is inviting them along with parents and relatives to experience Spring Preview Day 2020 live on Thursday, April 9 beginning at 5p.m., and it can all take place from the comfort of their homes.
“Vision 2020: I See You At TSU” will give these potential students a new and innovative way to learn about the institution, officials say.
Terrence
Izzard, associate vice president for Admissions and Recruitment says the annual
event will be bigger and better than previous ones because of the circumstances
and the live element.
“Vision
2020: I See You At TSU” is more than a theme and staff have worked extremely hard
to plan the ultimate TSU experience for students,” says Izzard.
The
admissions and recruitment team, student ambassadors, faculty and staff will be
on hand for a virtual tour that will include
live student interviews about campus life, meeting academic demands, and most
importantly what it takes to apply and enroll to TSU.
“Live
streaming and virtual meetings are the new normal for institutions across the
country as we navigate COVID-19,” adds Izzard. “However, there is only one
Tennessee State that offers students a path to success that is uniquely ours
based on exceptional academic offerings, cultural awareness and access to a
thriving global market in Nashville.”
Through video clips, participants will also see some of
TSU’s pride points such as the world-renowned Aristocrat of Bands, the
award-winning gospel choir, and our beautiful campus through a virtual tour.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only
public university, and is a premier, historically black university and
land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24
master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a
comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie
designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams
Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in
McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee
State University provides students with a quality education in a
nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be
global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online
at tnstate.edu.
NASAHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – With nearly all students away and classes online, Tennessee State University is continuing a complete wipe down to protect the campus from the COVID-19 and other diseases.
In the TSU campus wipe down, workers are using equipment and products that are extremely effective in killing the coronavirus. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
The university is using professional cleaning companies with disinfectants and sanitizing equipment to wipe down its main campus and downtown location. Cleaning crews are using protective equipment including gloves, body suits, and products that are “extremely effective” in killing the virus, company representatives say.
Interim
Associate Vice President for Facilities Management Albert Hill says the goal is
to keep the campuses clean and less susceptible to the spread of infectious
illnesses, such as the coronavirus.
“We
just want to make sure that when our students and employees return, they feel
comfortable going into the classrooms, residence halls, and work places,” says
Hill. “We also want to assure parents that their children are safe.”
On
March 16, TSU was the first public university in Tennessee to transition to all
online classes as a precaution to contracting and spreading coronavirus
(COVID-19). The university also canceled all campus events where large crowds
are expected, and suspended all international travel through the end of April
to minimize exposure to the disease. On Monday, March 23, the university ceased
normal operations, allowing most employees to work remotely.
Lecture halls are also receiving thorough cleaning in the campus-wide wipe down at TSU. (Phopto by TSU Media Relations)
“These
decisions were made in the best interest of the university, as both the federal
government and State of Tennessee have declared a state of emergency,” says TSU
President Glenda Glover.
“In
following directives from the Governor and Mayor, we have adjusted the
traditional manner in which we serve our students and operate the university
and will continue to take every precaution necessary to minimize the spread of
the virus. Most importantly, we
are ensuring that students continue to learn and excel academically by
providing all the resources needed to successfully engage and complete online
courses.”
TSU has one confirmed case of a student testing positive for COVID-19. The
individual, who did not live on campus, has been at home in self-isolation for
a number of days while receiving the necessary care to treat their condition.
Dr.
Joseph Perry, TSU’s director of sustainability, says the cleaning crews are doing
an “excellent job” of making sure chemicals they are using are safe for humans
and the environment.
“We
are going to do this until we get to the point where we feel it is safe for
people to come back into the buildings,” says Perry. “Essential staff and
faculty who occasionally come on campus are safe because they are allowed to go
in only certain areas.”
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only
public university, and is a premier, historically black university and
land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24
master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a
comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie
designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams
Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in
McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee
State University provides students with a quality education in a
nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be
global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online
at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands is going to the Tournament of Roses. The band recently received an official invitation to participate in the 2021 Rose Bowl Parade on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, California.
The crowd applauds after the announcement that the TSU Aristocrat of Bands will participate in the 2021 Tournament of Roses in Pasedina, California. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
The AOB will be
one of only four university bands selected nationwide to participate in the
parade, with a domestic television audience of more than 38 million.
“Only the best of
the best are invited and the Aristocrat
of Bands is one of them,” said Dr. Robert B. Miller, president and chairman of
the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, who came to TSU to personally present the
band with the official tournament flag and invitation.
“It is a major accomplishment
for the band, and for your university. This is a big deal,” he said. “In 132
years of the tournament, 107th Rose Bowl this year, your band is going to be
there. You are going to do entertainment like no other band in our parade does.
Our parade has got 22 bands, 45 floats, the best floral and entertainment groups
in the nation and TSU’s Aristocrat of Bands is going to be there.”
The Aristocrat of Bands entertains the crowd at the Gentry Center as the band celebrates words of their official invitation to the Rose Bowl Parade next year. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
At the flag
presentation in the Gentry Center, amid thunderous cheers from university
officials, relatives, former band members, and Mr. and Miss TSU and their royal
court, Miller congratulated TSU, the AOB and band director, Dr. Reginald
McDonald, for their hard work in submitting a successful application.
Miller, who was
accompanied by his wife, Barbara, also
pinned TSU officials present with the official lapel pin of the Tournament of Roses,
including Dr. Alisa Mosley, interim vice president for Academic Affairs, who
represented TSU President Glenda Glover. Dr. McDonald was also honored in
recognition of his leadership.
In acknowledgment,
the AOB, known worldwide for
their melodious musical renditions and marching prowess, performed such
favorites as “I am so glad I go to TSU,” and “Best Band.”
Dr. Reginald McDonald, TSU’s Director of Bands, says participating in the Rose Bowl is a longtime dream. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
“This is huge and I am just excited beyond measure,” said band member Julien
Dooley, after hearing his first trip ever to California will be to perform in
the Rose Bowl Parade. “The Tournament of Roses is very huge, and I am excited
because I actually have never been to the west coast, and the thought of my
first trip being to perform before such a huge audience has got me very
emotional.”
Dooley, an Atlanta
native and a drum major with the AOB, is a senior commercial music major.
Fellow student Cailyn Sparks, a member of the
AOB Sophisticated Ladies Dance Line, is equally excited. Her parents will be
there to see their daughter perform.
“This is an opportunity
of a life time and I am glad my mom and dad and maybe some other family members
will be there,” said Sparks, a junior elementary education major from Phenix
City, Alabama, who will also be going to California for the first time. “I am
extremely excited about going to the Rose Bowl and excited to be there with my
family.”
McDonald, TSU’s
director of Bands, who could not hide his excitement about the announcement
from the Tournament of Roses president and the reaction of the crowd in the
Gentry Complex, called the invitation and the selection to the Rose Bowl Parade
a “longtime dream.”
“If you know
anything about parades in this country, the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Macy’s
Parade are numbers one and two,” he said. “To have either one of those parades
on your performance as a portfolio, says a lot about your band program.”
Four college bands
are selected each year to participate in the Tournament of Roses –two that
apply and two with football teams that play in the Rose Bowl.
“This year it will be Tennessee State University and Georgia State University. That is huge,” McDonald said. “It says a lot about our university, it says a lot about the things we are trying to teach on a year-to-year basis. We selected to apply to the Tournament of Roses because to be recognized as the best, you have to participate in those things that are challenging and hard and are also part of being the best. “
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only
public university, and is a premier, historically black university and
land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24
master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a
comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie
designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams
Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in
McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee
State University provides students with a quality education in a
nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be
global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online
at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE,
Tenn. (TSU News Service)
– With just a few days to go, TSU’s historic push to raise $1 million in February
for student scholarships is all but certain, thanks to a huge showing of Big
Blue spirit on Sunday.
Jamie Isabel, left, Chairman of the TSU $1 million campaign, talks to NBC local affiliate Channel 4 about the telethon and the overall goal of the campaign. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
A four-hour celebrity telethon, “Dialing for Dollars,” raised more than $63,000. It was well over the telethon’s $25,000 initial goal, bringing total campaign contributions to nearly $938,609. Within two hours of the telethon, volunteers had already surpassed the $25,000 mark, organizers said.
“Today is a good
day. This showing of support is very tremendous,” said Campaign Chairman Jamie
Isabel, a TSU alum. “We exceeded our goal, which I knew we were going to do.
The excitement and sheer commitment to the cause by all who participated are
responsible for the success we achieved.”
Volunteers, including prominent local TSU alums, make calls to personal friends and acquaintances to contribute to the telethon. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
In a historic,
long-term partnership with the Nashville Predators, TSU announced the
campaign on Feb. 2 to raise $1 million during Black History Month for student
scholarships. Since then, activities have included a “TSU Night” at the
Bridgestone Arena, with appearances by the Aristocrat of Bands and the New Direction
Gospel Choir, as well as a Big Blue Old School Concert at the Gentry Complex.
The telethon, live
streamed from Jackson Hall on the main campus, included guest hosts and alumni,
students, staff, faculty, community leaders and supporters manning telephones
and taking contributions from supporters. TSU President Glenda Glover, who was
on travel, called in to thank organizers and volunteers.
TSU alums State Rep. Harold L. Love, Jr., and his wife Leah Dupree Love volunteer at the telethon. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
Several prominent
local TSU alums and supporters stopped by to help man telephones. They included
TSU Board of Trustee member Richard Lewis and his wife, Delores, a former TSU
administrator; Criminal Court Clerk Howard Gentry, Jr., State Rep. Harold Love,
Jr., and his wife, Leah; Barbara Murrell, longtime TSU supporter and former
administrator; TSU National Alumni Association President Joni McReynolds; and
Vivian Wilhoite, Nashville and Davidson County property assessor, among others.
Dr. Frederick S.
Humphries, president of TSU from 1975-1985, who could not be present in
Nashville, was among many who joined in from home and made calls to friends and
acquaintances to contribute to the telethon.
Miss TSU Jada Crisp, left, and Head Football Coach Rod Reed, middle, were among many students and staff who volunteered at the telethon. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
According to Isabel, some major contributors were: Dr. William F. Pickard, chairman of Detroit-based Global Automotive Alliance, a supporter of HBCUs, who contributed $10,000; and Nashville businessman Joe Davis, who sent in a check for $5,000.
“We had some large
checks, but we also had some small checks and all those small checks added up
to get us to where we are,” said Isabel.
Mr. TSU Damyr
Moore, a senior mass communications major from Atlanta, and Eukirah Pennyman, a
junior film and television major, also from Atlanta, were among many students
who volunteered at the telethon. Moore helped with making calls, while Pennyman
served as technical director.
Telethon hosts Grant Winrow, left, Seanne Wilson and Michael McLendon make a pitch at the four-hour long fundraiser. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
“The experience today
has been a great one; to be among your peers and alumni toward one good cause
that benefits the entire student body is just great,” said Moore. “To give my
time and be able to help someone else come to school as I have been fortunate
to do is really a great feeling.”
Pennyman agreed.
“I am from Atlanta, and I have been fortunate to have a few scholarships from
TSU,” she said. “It was a good experience to have this telethon, which I think
should be done every year because it helps to bring in more majors and more
students.”
Cassandra Griggs is TSU’s director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, and co-chair of the $1 million campaign committee. She is very thankful to the many alumni who came out to make phone calls.
“They called
individuals who were in their personal cellphone contacts, asking them to
support TSU, and that was very admirable,” said Griggs. “I feel very good
that not only have we exceeded our goal for today, but we are going to meet our
goal for the $1 million.”
Grant Winrow, a
member of the campaign committee and one of the hosts of the telethon, called
the day a “Big Blue Victory.”
“We went in with the idea of raising $25,000 and we more than doubled it. And that’s a phenomenal success,” said Grant, who helped organize the telethon. “This is in the last few days of our campaign, and we thought having a celebrity telethon by bringing in some of our most notable TSU influencers here to make some calls, was a great idea. It turned out very well.”
The next push to
the finish line in the $1 million campaign is a celebrity courtside dining at
the TSU men’s basketball game on Saturday in the Gentry Complex.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only
public university, and is a premier, historically black university and
land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24
master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a
comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie
designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams
Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in
McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee
State University provides students with a quality education in a
nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be
global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online
at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – TSU students looking for internship opportunities recently got a major break when representatives from more than 40 companies came on campus for the 2020 Spring Internship Fair.
William Corneh, left, a second-year business marketing major, talks to representatives of Provider Trust about internship opportunity with the company during the summer. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
Nearly 400 students from different disciplines, with resumes in hand and dressed for business, attended the fair in Kean Hall on Feb. 18, where the companies set up tents, tables and displays. The fair was organized by the TSU Career Development Center in the Division of Student Affairs.
William Corneh and
KeAnna Dakwa were among the first students at the fair, stopping at tables to
hear what company representatives are looking for.
“I am here
hopefully trying to get my first internship,” said Corneh, a second-year
business major from Atlanta, who was shaking hands with representatives of The
General Insurance Company. “This is my first effort trying to land a job. I am
looking for an internship in an area of business marketing and the prospects
look very good.”
TSU President Glenda Glover, right, talks to Katrina Kerr, a TSU alum and recruiter for Insight. Kerr is a 1994 graduate of TSU with a master’s degree in business administration. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
For Dakwa, who had
a long discussion at the Lockheed Martin table, the chance for an internship
also looks promising, said the sophomore civil engineering major from
Huntsville, Alabama.
“I am here looking for internships in project
management, civil engineering and anything that has to do with urban planning
and logistics,” said Dakwa, who interned with American Electric Power last
year. “I have been talking to Lockheed Martin and other design and engineering
companies to see what they have to offer, and things look very promising.”
Unlike the career
and employment fairs the university’s Career Development Center hosts during
the year for various employment opportunities, this fair, which is held once a
year, is dedicated solely to internships.
Moses Harris IV, left, a consultant with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, greets TSU students at the internship fair. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
TSU President Glenda Glover, the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Frank Stevenson, and a host of university officials, faculty and staff, stopped by the various booths to talk with company representatives in support of the students.
All of the representatives, including the fair’s
major sponsors – Nashville Predators, The General Insurance Company, Altria,
and LG&E – said they were impressed with the TSU students’ presentations,
outlook and approach, and that they had a very good grasp of what they were
looking for.
“TSU students are
very professional, very friendly. You can tell they come prepared,” said Cheryl
Mabry-Shirey, HR generalist with The General Insurance Company.
She said her
company is looking to recruit interns for paid positions at $20 an hour in
marketing, claims and IT.
Antoinette Hargrove Duke, Associate Director of the TSU Career Development Center, (middle in TSU blue), greets representatives of the major sponsors of the 2020 Spring Internship Fair. From left, are: Lindsey Nelson, Nashville Predators; Cheryl Mabry-Shirey, The General Insurance Company; Duke; Brooke Hartlage, LG&E; and Tyler Ridley, Altria. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
“We have talked to
several students who we already know are perfect fits for our company,” said
Mabry-Shirey.
Lindsey Rosen,
talent acquisition specialist at Provider Trust, a healthcare compliance-based
company, said her firm is also looking for people to fill internship and
employment positions in marketing and sales.
“We pride
ourselves on bringing in top talents,” Rosen said. “We are looking for creative
and motivated people who want the opportunity to learn from our company.”
Antoinette Duke is the associate director of TSU’s Career Development Center. She said she is excited about the “overwhelming” turnout and support of the internship fair. She credits the various departments and volunteers with the success of the fair.
“These companies have shared with us that they actually have open positions to get students in for the summer,” Duke said. “Hopefully, when they leave today they will get those interviews to secure those internship positions. This really gives our students the opportunity to interact with the employers. We also want employers to use this valuable opportunity to connect with some of the brightest students. We thank our volunteers for their dedication and commitment to helping our students succeed.”
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only
public university, and is a premier, historically black university and
land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24
master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a
comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie
designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams
Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in
McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee
State University provides students with a quality education in a
nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be
global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online
at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE,
Tenn. (TSU News Service) – State
lawmakers got a taste of Tennessee State University’s excellence at the annual
TSU Day at the Capitol on Tuesday.
Visitors to the TSU Day on the Capitol check out displays at the daylong event. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
More than 150 TSU
students, administrators, faculty, staff and others packed a conference
room on the 8th flor of the Cordell Hull Building to hear TSU
President Glenda Glover kick-off the event. Before the official kick-off,
lawmakers saw displays of the university’s diverse research and academic
offerings, including robotics and giveaways like White Dogwood trees grown on
the university farm, that has become a prized and highly requested staple
during the annual visits.
“I am so pleased to see our lawmakers, along with our students, our faculty our staff, our alumni and friends. Thank you for joining us,” Glover said. “This is our seventh annual TSU Day at the Capitol. This event has become one of the institution’s most successful outreach programs. We take this opportunity to share with the lawmakers the great things that are going on at TSU, and to share with them our needs, as we continue the proud legacy of training and nurturing our future – our students.”
Before the kick-off,
President Glover made courtesy visits to the offices of Lt. Gov. Randy McNally
(R-Crossville) and several key members of the Tennessee General Assembly.
Student ambassadors also used the time to deliver packages of TSU mementos to
the offices of lawmakers, as tokens of appreciation from the university.
Among many displays at the TSU Day at the Capitol, researchers in the College of Health Sciences demonstrate the use of the Vest Airway Clearance System, a therapy designed to assist patients who have thick secretions, such as in cystic fibrosis. (Photo by TSU Media Relations)
In her speech, Glover told the lawmakers that past and future appropriations have allowed TSU to maintain its longstanding legacy of “providing education for our students.”
“Thank
you for being a part of this day and for money you have given us,” she said.
“However, we have some tremendous needs. So, we are here asking you to help us
meet those needs. We want to improve our campus’ age-old infrastructure, we
need scholarships for students, we need to make sure that electricity is in
order for next year.”
Several
of the lawmakers followed Glover with greetings and congratulations to TSU and
its leaders for the “great work going
on at TSU.”
“I appreciate you all being here today,” House Speaker Cameron Sexton said. “We are going to work well to make sure that we move Tennessee forward and keep doing the things we can agree on, such as education.”
TSU alums Sen.
Brenda Gilmore, and Rep. Harold M. Love, Jr., two strong supporters of the
university, promised to keep TSU at the top of the agenda.
“I am so happy to
see you all up here. It means the world to me,” Gilmore said. “As you
(students) walk these halls and meet the legislators, tell them about your
studies and what you plan to do when you graduate. That helps us as we work
hard to get your rightful funding.”
Love
added: “It does our heart well to see our students, faculty, staff and alumni
here with us on Capitol Hill. We need your voice to move TSU. So, I encourage
you to keep telling us what needs to be changed in policy.”
In an
oratorical presentation, Mr. TSU Damyr Moore moved lawmakers with a call for
proportionate funding for HBCUs, arguing that the matrix used to determine
funding, such as retention, enrollment and on-time degree completion, are not the
best indicators by which to measure HBCUs.
“I
propose proportionate funding for HBCUs and PWIs, or predominantly white
institutions, alike, as well as increase funding for scholarships and funding
for pre-college summer bridge programs,” said Moore, a senior mass communication
major from Atlanta.
Also making remarks was Katelyn Thompson, president of the TSU Student Government Association. Among other lawmakers who spoke at the ceremony were Reps. Antonio Parkinson (District 98) and Barbara Cooper (District 86), a TSU alum.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s
only public university, and is a premier, historically black university
and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s
degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive
research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a
graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd
Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to
excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality
education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as
alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the
University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s College of Education has received a $300,000 grant to train 49 aspiring assistant principals in Middle Tennessee school districts.
Dr. Jerri Haynes, Dean of the College of Education, says the college has developed a special program of study to train the aspiring school leaders. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
The funding from the Tennessee Department Education will be used to conduct a one-year, master’s degree-level training for cohorts from the region, including four of the state’s largest school systems – Metro Nashville Public Schools, Rutherford County Schools, Sumner County Schools and Clarksville-Montgomery County School System.
“This is an
opportunity that Tennessee State University is certainly proud to receive,”
said Dr. Jerri Haynes, dean of the College of Education. “It is a further
recognition of the quality of our programs. It helps to increase our enrollment
and helps fill the void or shortage of assistant principals, especially
minorities.”
According to Haynes, participants in the program are teachers in their various systems who show leadership potential and have been selected by their superintendents or principals to take part in the training. All courses in the program, which is from June 2020 to June 2021, will be offered online. When completed, participants will receive professional licensure as educational leaders.
“We have developed a special program of study for this project,” Haynes said. “We are going to provide them the theory and application, as well as internships and on-the-job training. They will receive university mentors, and we will work to identify mentors at their schools where they work.”
Dr. Eleni Elder, left, Professor of Educational Leadership, holds discussion with graduate students in her school finance class. The course is part of the curriculum for the aspiring assistant principal training program. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
Dr. Kirmanj Gundi is the interim chair of the COE’s Department of Educational Leadership. His department will be primarily responsible for conducting the training, which he called a “remarkable opportunity.”
“When we became
aware of the grant through Dr. Haynes, we had less than 10 business days to
come up with a winning proposal,” Gundi said. “We were successful, thanks to
our leadership and a remarkable team. Getting this grant is another
opportunity for TSU to go out there and put its name out. We have an
outstanding state-approved licensure program, we have great faculty.”
Current TSU students in the educational leadership program talked about the strength of the curriculum and how beneficial it would be in developing the leadership skills of the aspiring assistant principals.
“This program helps build character because it offers a lot of field experiences where we go and directly talk to people and observe what they are doing,” said Pragati Natraj, a first-year graduate student from India majoring in instructional leadership. “We have practical experience, and gaining that knowledge and seeing what leaders are already doing in the field help us reflect on what we should do.”
Bridney Jones,
who’s also pursuing her master’s degree in educational leadership, agreed.
“I believe this course will benefit the new cohorts by giving them strong hands-on and practical experience they will need as leaders,” said Jones, of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Dr. Terrance
McNeil, assistant professor of educational administration and coordinator of
the training program, said the partnership with the state gives TSU a great
opportunity to “take an active role” in training principals.
“We at TSU believe that we have a great program that can prepare principals in a very unique manner, given our history of educator preparation,” McNeil said. “We already do a great job with educators and all-around teachers, but when you start talking about principals, you are talking about the ability to create leadership and policies that can be implemented for the betterment of the students.”
TSU’s College of Education, which has been recognized as the highest producer of teachers among HBCUs in the nation, has had a long relationship with the Tennessee Department of Education for many years. In October, the college received more than a half million dollars from the department’s Title III program to develop a Global Education Student Support Services Lab to increase student learning across the curriculum.
In 2017, TSU was one of only four applicants out of 18 to receive the Tennessee Innovation in Preparation grant, or TIP. The grants are designed to support an increase in the development of a diverse educator workforce, an increase in the production of educators in high-demand licensure areas, and promote collaboration to improve educator preparation in literacy.
For the assistant principals’ training program, Dean Haynes congratulated the following committee members for their hard work in coming out with a successful proposal that made the grant possible: Dr. Heraldo Richards, associate dean; Dr. Trinetia Respress, assistant dean; Dr. Gundi, department chair; and faculty members: Dr. Carole De Casal, Dr. Eleni Coukos Elder, Dr. McNeil, and Dr. Darren Kennedy.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only
public university, and is a premier, historically black university and
land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24
master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a
comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie
designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams
Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in
McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee
State University provides students with a quality education in a
nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be
global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online
at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE,
Tenn. (TSU News Service)
– High school students looking to get an early start on college now have a home
at Tennessee State University.
Dr. Robbie Melton, TSU Associate Vice President for Smart Technology and Innovation, conducts a coding class at Kenwood High School in Clarksville, Tennessee. (Submitted Photo)
Through its National Center for Smart Technology, the university has launched a dual enrollment program with three major school districts in the state that offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn college credits while enrolled in high school.
Participating
school districts are Clarksville Montgomery County School System, Metro
Nashville Public Schools, and Shelby County Schools.
Jalen Driskell and
Larry Perry, 12th graders from Shelby County’s Trezevant High School
in Memphis, are excited about the opportunity to earn early college credits.
The two were among 130 students also from Pearl Cohn High, and Clarksville’s
Kenwood High School, who participated in the Apple Coding class last fall as
part of the dual enrollment program.
Officials from the TSU Office of Smart Technology and Innovation join faculty and staff of Kenwood High School to kick off the TSU-Apple-Kenwood Coding initiative. (Submitted Photo)
“I learned a lot from the initiative, especially working as a team,” said Driskell, who hopes to major in engineering after high school. “Being enrolled allows me to move ahead in receiving my college credits and to do better with time management.”
For
Perry, he said the coding class was a lot of fun and increased his interest in
doing more college work.
“Coding
allowed me to gain the experience with talking to others versus typing,” he
said. “Receiving this college credit allows me to be prepared for my future.”
Dr.
Robbie Melton, TSU’s associate vice president for Smart Technology and
Innovation, said with the Apple partnership, TSU has created an amazing
opportunity for high school students to start coding
and creating.
“All
over the state, as well as all over the country, students are interested
in coding and creativity,” said Melton. “With
this dual enrollment program, it is unique in the fact that students across the
state of Tennessee can now embrace the skills of coding and creativity through
dual enrollment. We are positioned to provide coding and creativity on site and online, for high school
students to have a pathway to our computer science and “Everyone Can Code and
Create” curriculums at TSU.”
Dr.
Johnnie C. Smith is the executive director of the TSU Dual Enrollment
Partnerships. She said students who participate in the program must meet the TSU
admission’s requirement. They must be beginning juniors with a GPA of 2.75 or better, and must have recommendations from their principals or guidance counselors to participate. In addition to the Apple coding
curriculum, she said the program offers general education courses, as well as
engineering and English composition. The courses are offered onsite and online.
“Like all other schools in the state, we are going after courses we know will count in different schools, like general education courses,” Smith said. “We are targeting students within the state of Tennessee. They will gain college credits to get a jump start on college and also use those credits to meet their high school requirements for graduation. We are really excited about the possibility of what this program can do at the institution.”
Some
of the teachers whose students participated in the fall 2019 program said it
was very beneficial and definitely makes the whole dual enrollment initiative more interesting.
“This
program benefited our students by giving them the opportunity to learn the
fundamentals of coding and inspired them to create something unique for a
problem in their community,” said Abraham Wolfe, a high school AP Physics and Robotics teacher
in the Clarksville Montgomery County School System.
Quanita Adams, a high school math teacher with Metro Nashville Public Schools, said, “The students enrolled in DE Coding this semester have tapped into a world that they may have not experienced elsewhere and produced amazing products in a short time.”
Herbert
Vannostrand, a high school computer science teacher with the Shelby County
Schools, agreed.
“The Apple Coding curriculum provided my students with a
clear, concise, up-to-date and fun program to learn the Swift programming
language, as well as bringing relevant up-to-date information about how coding
can affect change in their lives,” Vannostrand said. “I recommend
this program to any computer science teacher and I am ready to teach the course
again next year.”
Dual enrollment is just one of many initiatives undertaken in the last year under the TSU-Apple partnership. In July, TSU launched HBCU C2 “Everyone Can Code and Create,” a national initiative supported by Apple, which seeks to bring coding experiences to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and underserved communities. To date, TSU has impacted 32 HBCUs with the HBCU C2 Initiative. Also, in July, TSU launched the first community “Everyone Can Code and Create” initiative for youth on its Avon Williams Campus. The initiative is also part of the National Center for Smart Technology Innovations.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State UniversityFounded in 1912, Tennessee State
University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier,
historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38
bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven
doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution
with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its
downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery
Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to
excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality
education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them
as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the
University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover provided encouraging words of perseverance at the 8th annual Presidential Prayer Service on Jan. 8.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper thanked President Glover for her leadership. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
Dr. Glover was the keynote speaker, as TSU and the Nashville faith-based community joined hands to begin the New Year with a morning of prayer at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church.
Faith-based leaders of various denominations from across Metro Nashville, as well as Mayor John Cooper, Vice Mayor Jim Shullman, and TSU alum and gospel legend Dr. Bobby Jones, participated in the program. Also participating was Bishop Joseph Walker III, chairman of the TSU Board of Trustees and presiding bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International.
During her speech, Glover encouraged the gathering — community, state and local leaders and citizens, TSU staff, administrators, alumni and students — to “stand” in the face of difficulties.
A cross-section of faith-based leaders participated in the 8th Annual Presidential Prayer Service at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
“There will be difficult days in accomplishing goals, when others will challenge you and or doubt you, but you must stand and be steadfast,” Glover said. “We had some ups and downs, we had some trials and tribulations, but we are here. We are thankful for people who have stood up for TSU.”
Before
Glover’s presentation, Mayor Cooper thanked her for her leadership, and the
community for coming together in prayers for the city, TSU and residents.
Darrien Phillips, a TSU senior commercial music major, performs a musical rendition at the prayer service. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
“Dr. Glover, this is your day as you go into your eighth year as president of Tennessee State University,” Cooper declared. “The city of Nashville and I thank you for all you have done for not just this community but across the nation. TSU graduate students, teachers, engineers, to name a few, continue to nurture our students that come from TSU to go out near and far. The city of Nashville is so fortunate to have you here. We thank you for this annual prayer service.”
Following
Glover’s address, ministers offered prayer in several areas, including peace,
the global community, the Nashville community, children and youth, and the TSU
community.
Rev. Aaron X. Marble, pastor of
Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church, presided over the program. He
praised Dr. Glover for her leadership and said the annual prayer service “is a
wonderful tradition that she’s established.”
The prayers concluded with the Rev. Derrick Moore, pastor of Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, praying fervently for Glover as various ministers gathered around her in a display of unity and support.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State UniversityFounded in 1912, Tennessee State
University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier,
historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38
bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven
doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution
with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its
downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery
Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to
excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality
education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them
as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the
University online at tnstate.edu.
