NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Tennessee State University Sports Information)– The Tennessee State University Athletic Department received news Thursday that due to a recalculation of the football program’s multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR), the team is not subject to a postseason ban or Level I penalty for the upcoming season.
“We appreciate the NCAA’s recalculations and are extremely happy for our players, coaches, and the entire University family,” said Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover. “The football program is an integral part of campus life as we educate well rounded young men and women at TSU.”
“Although many perceive the APR as purely academic, it is actually more complex than that with retention being an equal part of the calculation,” director of Athletics Teresa Phillips said. “The athletics department, university and football staff will continue to work together in meeting and exceeding the standards established by the NCAA.”
On May 27, the NCAA published its annual report in which the Tennessee State University football program’s rate was deemed to be below the benchmark set by the NCAA. Today’s news confirms TSU is in compliance with the NCAA’s academic standards.
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 45 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. 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) – Tennessee State University is one of the top Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the nation, according to College Choice, an independent online publication that helps students and their parents find the right college. In its 2015 ranking of the Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the publication listed TSU number 16 of the top 25 in the nation.
TSU was noted for fostering “a rich educational atmosphere by ensuring collaborative learning, meaningful student-faculty interaction, and opportunities for community engagement.” According to the publication, TSU also graduates the highest number of African-American bachelor’s degree holders in agriculture, agriculture operations, and agriculture-related sciences.
“The College Choice ranking for our programs and offerings reflect the success Tennessee State University has achieved in providing students with the experiences and education they need to make a difference in our world,” President Glenda Glover said. “We are especially gratified that leaders in higher education across the country gave us top marks for our academic programs and the learning environment we provide to students.”
The College Choice ranking, which considers factors such as academic reputation, financial aid offerings, overall cost, and success of graduates in the post-college job market, is just one of many national recognitions TSU has received this year. The University has also been recognized as the top provider of online programs in Tennessee.
Additionally, Best Value Schools, which focuses on gauging college
affordability, ranked TSU number 34 of the 100 most affordable universities in the nation. “From Aeronautical and Industry Technology to Urban Planning, from Architectural Engineering to Speech Communication, TSU simply offers too many course options for you to ever be bored,” the publication noted.
“While the United States grapples with the problem of providing college students a quality education at an affordable price, we are able to offer students attending Tennessee State University a wide variety of academic programs that employers demand,” said Dr. Mark Hardy, vice president for Academic Affairs. “We are doing this while keeping the expense of those programs at an economical level.”
Last year, The College Database, a free, non-commercial website that provides future and post-secondary students and their families with “accurate and valuable” college and career-related information, also said that TSU graduates enter the workforce earning an average $42,000 per year. The report gave TSU a top ranking among colleges and universities in Tennessee with tuition rates below $20,000, adding that the University offers the best return on financial investment when compared to other post-secondary institutions in the state.
In another listing this year, Affordable College Online, which focuses
on distance learning nationwide, ranked TSU number one in Tennessee among colleges and universities with online programs. It highlighted the University’s 18 fully online programs for undergraduate and graduate studies focused on professional studies with concentrations in leadership, nursing, teaching and more. While naming TSU as the university with the lowest tuition among its peer institutions in the state, the publication also pointed to a number of professional licensure programs offered by the institution.
“Tennessee State University prides itself on offering affordable and quality on-ground and online degree programs,” said Dr. Evelyn E. Nettles, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, whose office handles distance and online education. “Students are guaranteed exposure to a highly qualified faculty, a wide-range of student and academic support services, and reliable technology infrastructure, at a reasonable overall cost.”
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 45 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. 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) – Congratulations to 2,117 students who made the Dean’s List at Tennessee State University for the Spring 2015 semester. The honor list names all students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in 12 or more semester hours taken for a letter grade during the spring semester.
Students on the coveted list for Spring 2015 are listed alphabetically. Students who have opted out of publicly sharing their private information are not listed. Again, congratulations! Here are the honorees:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Dr. Maria Thompson, a Tennessee State University graduate, and former vice president for Research and Sponsored Programs, is the new president of Coppin State University, a part of the University System of Maryland.
Dr. Maria Thompson
USM Chairman James Shea announced Thompson’s appointment recently, describing her as a “top-level academic leader.”
“Dr. Thompson’s earlier experience in building a research enterprise at an urban historically black institution positions her well to advance Coppin as a vital institution in Baltimore and the state,” Shea said.
TSU President Glenda Glover said the TSU family is “extremely” proud to see one of its products excel to such a high profile position in the academic world.
“We congratulate Dr. Thompson on becoming president of Coppin State University, a sister HBCU institution,” President Glover said. “We are very proud of her outstanding achievements and demonstration of excellence. The faculty, students and staff of Coppin State are very fortunate to have one of our finest to lead that great institution.”
Thompson, whose appointment takes effect July 1, is the provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at the State University of New York at Oneonta. From August 2009-July 2011, she served as vice president for Research and Sponsored Programs at TSU. Prior to that, she served in many other research capacities at TSU.
At SUNY, Thompson was credited with oversight of accreditation reaffirmation, and academic development for more than 6,000 students. At Tennessee State, she helped to secure more than $45 million in sponsored research funding from external resources.
“I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders of Coppin State to continue the university’s commitment to preparing graduates who are analytical, socially responsible and lifelong learners,” Thompson said. “Urban higher education plays a vital role in shaping the future of local, national and global communities and I am excited about joining a campus with a rich legacy of community engagement.”
Thompson is a 1983 graduate of TSU with a Bachelor of Science degree. She holds an M.S. from The Ohio State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 45 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. 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) – Dr. Harriette Bias- Insignares, a longtime professor at Tennessee State University and the first African American Poet Laureate/Ambassador of Letters for the State of Tennessee has died. She was 72 years old.
A graduate of Fisk University, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, Bias-Insignares had been an educator for more than 40 years. She taught English as a second language, rhetoric and public address, theatre and journalism.
Bias-Insignares began her career teaching English and physical education in Bucaramanga, Colombia, from 1964-65. She later became the Spanish resource consultant for the Chicago Board of Education from 1966 until 1968, and the director of the Tutorial Center at the University of Wisconsin from 1970-72. From 1977 until 1980, Bias-Insignares was an assistant professor of Speech at the University of Tennessee in Nashville.
Dr. Harriette Bias- Insignares from the 1993 TSU yearbook, Tennessean. Bias-Insignares joined the faculty at Tennessee State University as an associate professor of Communications, a position she held from 1981 until 2000.
Dr. Bias-Insignares joined the faculty at Tennessee State University as an associate professor of Communications, a position she held from 1981 until 2000. While at the University, she received the TSU Outstanding Teacher Award, the TSU Foundation Scholars Award, and the TSU National Broadcasting Society Journalism Teacher of the Year Award. Her other awards included the Consortium of Doctors Trailblazer Award, and the Society of Professional Journalists’ David L. Eshelman Award.
Bias-Insignares started writing poetry in earnest following the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Bobby Kennedy. Since 1977, she served the state of Tennessee as its Official State Poet and Arts Advocate under the title “Tennessee’s Ambassador of Letters.” To honor her for her many years of service to the people of Tennessee through poetry, Bias-Insignares was named the first Poet Laureate of Nashville.
A native of Savannah, Georgia, Bias-Ingnares was widely recognized as a poetess, storyteller, and oral interpreter. In her role as Tennessee’s state poet she wrote poetry honoring men and women like Vice President Al Gore, Colin Powell, and Eartha Kitt, as well as groups such as The National Urban League and the Negro Ensemble Company.
Her awards in Poetry included the Society of Poets International Poet of Merit Medallion, the Phyllis Wheatley Poetry Award, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Award for contributions to American literature, and the Tennessee Governor’s Spotlight Award for Contributions to the Arts. In addition, Bias-Insignares was also recognized for the Desert Storm Poetry Memorial she created, the first poetry memorial honoring the military in the nation. For her efforts she received the Adjutant General’s Distinguished Patriot Medallion, for “singular sacrifice and commitment to sustaining the pride and patriotism of our armed forces.”
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 45 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. 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) – A team of astronomers using ground-based telescopes in Arizona, California, and Hawaii recently discovered a planetary system orbiting a nearby star that is only 54 light-years away from our solar system. All three of its planets orbit their star at a distance closer than Mercury orbits the Sun, completing their orbits in just 5, 15, and 24 days.
The astronomers, from Tennessee State University, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California Observatory found the planets using measurements from the Automated Planet Finder (APF) Telescope at Lick Observatory in California, the W. M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and the TSU APFs at Fairborn Observatory in the Patagonia Mountains of southern Arizona.
The TSU moonlight telescopes at the Fairborn Observatory in the Patagonia Mountains of Southern Arizona helped researchers discover a planetary system orbiting a nearby star that is only 54 light-years away from our solar system. (courtesy photo)
The team discovered the new planets by detecting the wobble of the star HD 7924 as the planets orbited and pulled on the star gravitationally. The APF and Keck Observatory traced out the planets’ orbits over many years using the Doppler technique that has successfully found hundreds of mostly larger planets orbiting nearby stars. In coordination with the APF and Keck Observations, the TSU APF made crucial brightness measurements of HD 7924 over nine years to assure the validity of the planet discoveries.
TSU has also been developing and operating robotic telescopes for over 20 years.
“The robotic telescopes are a wonderful advancement,” said TSU astronomer, Dr. Gregory Henry, who oversees the operation of seven robotic telescopes for his research. “They take away the tedium of all-night, manual observing sessions and produce far more superior data.”
One of the TSU robotic telescopes discovered the first transiting extrasolar planet in 1999, providing final proof of the existence of other planetary systems.
The Keck Observatory found the first evidence of planets orbiting HD 7924, discovering the innermost planet in 2009 using the HIRES instrument installed on the 10-meter Keck I telescope. This same combination was also used to find other super-Earths orbiting nearby stars in planet searches led by UH astronomer Andrew Howard and UC Berkeley Professor Geoffrey Marcy. It took five years of additional observations at Keck, a year-and-a-half campaign by the APF Telescope, and nine years of APT monitoring to find the two additional planets orbiting HD 7924.
According to Henry, the Kepler Space Telescope has discovered thousands of extrasolar planets and demonstrated that they are common in our Milky Way galaxy. However, nearly all of these planets are far from our solar system, he said.
“Most nearby stars have not been thoroughly searched for the small ‘super-Earth’ planets (larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune) that Kepler found in great abundance,” Henry added.
This discovery shows the type of planetary system that astronomers expect to find around many nearby stars in the coming years.
“The three planets are unlike anything in our solar system, with masses 7-8 times the mass of Earth and orbits that take them very close to their host star,” said UC Berkeley graduate student Lauren Weiss.
Henry added that TSU automated telescopes will also make an important contribution to automated planet discovery.
“The APF measurements of the planetary host star’s brightness will allow us to determine whether star spots are mimicking the presence of a false planet,” said Henry.
The robotic observations of HD 7924 are the start of a systematic survey for super-Earth planets orbiting nearby stars. University of Hawaii graduate student B. J. Fulton will lead this two-year search with the APF as part of his research for his doctoral dissertation. Henry will measure any brightness changes in the same stars with the TSU APTs.
“When the survey is complete, we will have a census of small planets orbiting Sun-like stars within approximately 100 light-years of Earth,” says Fulton.
The paper, “Three super-Earths orbiting HD 7924,” has been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. Other authors of the paper are Howard Isaacson (UC Berkeley), Evan Sinukoff (UH), and Bradford Holden and Robert Kibrick (UCO). The team acknowledges support of the Gloria and Ken Levy Foundation, NASA, NSF, the U.S. Naval Observatory, the University of California for its support of Lick Observatory and the State of Tennessee through its Centers of Excellence program.
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 45 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. 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.
President Glenda Glover and Commencement Speaker, Mayor AC Wharton, march in the procession during the Spring 2015 Undergraduate Commencement in Hale Stadium
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Michaiah Hinds’ greatest gift for graduating college at Tennessee State University today was for his 82-year-old grandmother to see him go across the aisle to receive his degree.
“When I was in the fourth grade my grandmother told me she wouldn’t be around when I graduated from high school,” said Hinds. He did not only prove his grandmother wrong by graduating high school, the Milwaukee native received a bachelor’s degree with honors as a double major in Computer Science and Mass Communications. He has already been accepted to study theology at Wake Forest University in the fall.
Michaiah Hinds proved his grandmother, 82-year-old Wilma Weddle wrong by graduating from college while she is still alive, something she said wouldn’t happen before he graduated high school. Sitting behind, left, is Michaiah’s father Mark, and another relative who came for his graduation.
“I feel joy and blessed to still be here and see him complete college,” said Wilma Weddle, a retired nurse, who led a team of more than 30 people from Milwaukee, including Hinds’ parents and other family members and friend sporting specially designed T-shirts and carrying a congratulatory banner to cheer on Hinds. “Michaiah has always been a good boy who believes in himself just as we taught him when he was growing up.”
For Hinds, the commencement message about “being yourself” was a refresher, as Memphis Mayor AC Wharton, a TSU alum and renowned lawyer told the graduates that the key to success is having confidence and believing in oneself.
“With the advent of modern technology such as social media, there is too much distraction that has taken away our capability to pay attention to each other, and appreciate our own abilities because of gadgets that have taken away our sense of personal touch,” Wharton said. “I am not against technology, but sometime we need to leave our machines and give our full attention to someone who means something to us.”
On his emphasis to “be,” Wharton called on the nearly 1,000 students receiving degrees in TSU’s first undergraduates-only commencement in Hale Stadium to learn to adapt to the changing times and circumstances around them.
“Some of you may have changed majors several times, or life may not have panned as you planned, but you must learn to adapt by being creative, assertive and determined and believing in yourself,” said Wharton, who is in his second term as mayor of Memphis, one the nation’s thriving and fastest growing cities. “Fight to be the best in you than trying to be someone else. Believe in a better world by believing in the possibilities of today. You can be the difference in all the problems that is going on across the nation.”
Outgoing Student Government President Markeil Lewis receives thunderous applause as he is acknowledged by President Glover as an outstanding student and leader.
For Wharton, speaking at TSU’s spring commencement is a “homecoming.” TSU is where he got his start in higher education, earning a bachelor’s degree with honors in Political Science in 1962. He did not miss on the opportunity to congratulate Memphis native and TSU President Glenda Glover, referring to her as “the best president” Tennessee State University has ever had.
“You are doing a remarkable job here at our alma mater. Congratulations for being a great leader at this institution,” Wharton said.
Earlier, the president welcomed Mayor Wharton, and congratulated the graduates for their achievement.
“I applaud you for achieving this extraordinary milestone in your life,” President Glover said. “You have endured and in the process you have increased your resources for success. Do not forget to thank your parents, relatives, friends and those who were there to see you through this journey.”
Today’s ceremony was a culmination of TSU’s 2015 Dual Commencement Exercises. On Friday, the University held its first graduate commencement, at which more that 300 received advanced degrees, including master’s, education specialist degrees, Ph.Ds., and Ed.Ds.
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 45 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. 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) – More than 300 students received advanced degrees Friday during Tennessee State University’s first graduate commencement, but not before hearing a strong appeal from the leader of one of the nation’s top civil rights organizations calling on the graduates to be agents of change.
“By completing your education and achieving at this level you have prepared yourselves to be the hopes and dreams of tomorrow’s generation,” said Dr. Roslyn M. Brock, chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. “Society cannot now hand you anything that you cannot handle.”
Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover presents a plaque to Dr. Roslyn M. Brock in appreciation of Dr. Brock’s “inspiring” address at the University’s first Graduate Commencement Friday.
Brock, the youngest person to lead the 106-year-old civil rights organization, said the current wave of issues facing the nation will only be solved with everyone involved and playing their part.
“Our nation and communities are faced with economic imbalance, issue of race, unemployment and hunger. It is incumbent on you to recognize and ensure that all Americans have access to quality education, jobs and a fair legal system,” Brock said. “Become proactive and not reactive in addressing the issues going on in the country.”
Saying that success is achieved “by us helping one another,” Brock akin her remark to an African parable of a migration of a herd of elephants trying to cross a river, where the bigger elephants line themselves in the form of a bridge to help the smaller elephants get cross.
“So too as you have succeeded, do not forget to get back in the water to help somebody make it to the other side. Never forget that life is about others,” Brock told the graduates, adding, “The future is in your hands; you are going somewhere, don’t stop now.”
Earlier, before address the graduates, the NAACP leader extolled the “remarkable leadership” of President Glenda Glover, describing her as an “extraordinary woman doing great things at Tennessee State University.
“This is a remarkable woman who is doing great things at this university and molding students who are exemplifying the Tennessee State University motto of “Think, Work, Serve,” she said.
Brock’s remarks highlighted the first part of a dual 2015 spring commencement ceremonies. On Saturday, Memphis, Tennessee, Mayor AC Wharton, will give the commencement address when nearly 1,000 undergraduate students receive their degrees during a ceremony in Hale Stadium.
Those graduating Friday received master’s degrees; education specialist degrees, and doctorate degrees including Ed.D., and Ph.D.
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 45 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. 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.
University to be part of $5 million multi-institution grant
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Since the 1970s, the area of cyberspace has developed into a constant evolving system of internet-based technologies that could cripple the nation and the U.S. military.
No longer is the battle confined to a geographical area. Military commands at every level now face threats from cyberspace of potential attacks that can cause serious damage to the military’s infrastructure, such as hacking into systems to introduce malware, malicious hardware and crashing networks.
Now, in an attempt to counter cyberthreats from other countries, the U.S. Defense Department will develop a new strategy on how to respond to foreign threat with, Tennessee State University at the forefront by helping reduce the potential risk stemming from cyber attacks.
To counter future threats to the nation’s military capabilities, the Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded a $5 million collaborative grant to three universities, including TSU, to establish a Center of Excellence in Cyber Security. Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University are the other members of the five-year cooperative team.
The Center, according to the AFRL, will advance the research capabilities of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority-Serving Institutions. It will also contribute to the education of students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, and provide additional research opportunities for faculty.
“The Center of Excellence will respond to the Department of Defense’s demand for analysis, detection and response technologies to protect the cyber infrastructure,” said Dr. S.K. Hargrove, dean of the College of Engineering. “The Center will further enhance TSU’s research capacity in cyber security.”
The research objective of the grant, made on behalf of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, is to create a Center of Excellence to develop a big data analytics enabled Cyber Analysis, Simulation and Experimentation Environment (CASE-V) to enhance situational awareness and decision-support capabilities for cyber defense and training.
Dr. Sachin Shetty
The Center will have a satellite site at TSU, headed by Dr. Sachin Shetty, associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He will operate specific task orders with the Cyber Security Laboratory within the TIGER (TSU Interdisciplinary Graduate Engineering Research) Institute, located in the Research & Sponsored Programs Building.
“The Center of Excellence will develop analysis, detection and response capabilities to counter future advanced persistent threats plaguing the DoD cyber infrastructure,” said Shetty. “In addition, the Center will also develop a Live-Virtual-Constructive test bed to conduct cyber planning and training activities, as well as enable increased synergistic research collaboration with government, industry and HBCU partners.”
This is the second award TSU has received from the AFRL to study the development, discovery and integration of warfighting technologies to support air, space and cyberspace forces with the Department of Defense. In November 2013, the College of Engineering received a multiyear grant worth nearly $2 million to study power sources for air and space vehicles, and to study how to intelligently adapt communications and networks to provide friendly forces unfettered and reliable communications during joint forces operations.
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 45 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. 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.
Training Discusses Trust, Brutality, Racism and Need for Continued Dialogue
Mayor Carl Dean addresses graduates of the first class of Nashville’s Collegiate Citizen Police Academy, held at Tennessee State University. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Graduation came a little early last night for 27 Tennessee State University students …but not from college. The students are part of Nashville’s first class of a newly formed Collegiate Citizen Police Academy organized by the Nashville Metro Police Department.
Mayor Carl Dean, Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson, TSU Police Chief Anthony Carter, and Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Michael Freeman, were on hand to congratulate the graduates, who underwent five weeks of learning the intricacies of police work. The training also gave the students the opportunity to discuss trust, issues of brutality and racism with officers.
Before the training, like many in the wake of mounting allegations and suspicions of police abuse targeted at African Americans, 21-year-old Tyler Ellis, held some very strong opinions. But he always wanted to get a behind-the-scene feel of actual police intervention and reaction beyond what is usually portrayed on television.
Tyler Ellis receives his certificate from Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson, and TSU Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Michael Freeman. The junior Criminal Justice major said the training was an eye-opener for him when it came to actually understanding what police officers face each day. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
“What we usually see is very disturbing,” said Ellis, a junior Criminal Justice major from Waterbury, Connecticut. “In many cases that’s the result, but I like to also understand what the police officer was faced with in the beginning. This training gave us new insights into what officers go through daily, and that what we usually see on television many times changes the perspectives on what actually happened.”
Calling the academy very timely, Mayor Dean thanked TSU President Glenda Glover, and Reverend Frank Stevenson, who came up with the idea of the Collegiate Citizen Police Academy, for allowing the program to take place with TSU students on the campus.
“We hope through this program and many others we have collaborated on, people will know that in Nashville, we have a strong relationship with our institutions,” Dean said. “Nashville is not perfect but it is through programs like this that we can have an honest dialogue about how we move on. This program has made the TSU neighborhood and Nashville a better place.”
Police Chief Anderson described the training as “the kind of dialogue” that has helped Nashville keep away from the kinds of disturbances with police and citizens across the nation.
“We are accountable for one another,” he said. “We are not perfect. This kind of program is so valuable for our community and country.”
As a follow-up to their training, the graduates have been assigned to the various police precincts across the city, where they must complete ride-along duties over the next two months, according to Metro Police Sgt. Mitch Kornberg, who coordinated the training along with Sgt. Raymond Jones.
“These graduates are not police officers and are not given any police duty,” Kornberg said. “The ride-along is an opportunity to work with officers on shifts to give them a better understanding of what officers do. This helps them to see things differently and understand that things are not always what they appear.”
Reverend Frank Stevenson, a local pastor and the director of Strategic Populations in the Office of Student Affairs at TSU, talks to the media about what prompted him to come up with the idea of the Collegiate Citizen Police Academy. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
The idea for the Collegiate Citizen Police Academy is the brainchild of Reverend Stevenson, pastor of St. Luke Primitive Baptist Church and director of Strategic Populations in the Office of Student Affairs.
“I wanted to establish a forum that would bring young black men together with police in the wake of the protests and outrage that stemmed from allegations of racially motivated police brutality in Ferguson, Missouri, New York City and beyond,” Stevenson said.
He joined forces with the Reverend Enoch Fuzz, pastor of Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church to bring the idea to Police Chief Anderson, who right away embraced it and in a few weeks, the academy was underway.
Along with Ellis other graduates included: Nawaf Aldosari, Tevin Cannon, Mark Clear, Jamarius Cooper, Anthony Daniels, Oluwatolin Emonowa, Zach Eskew, Byron Fisher, Haggaikiah Futch, Ryan Gammon and Kadarrious Greene. Also graduating were Jamaul Greenlee, Malik Hayes, Rico Hunt, James Jefferson, David Jenkins, Davis Washington, Jalen Moore, Christopher Penilton, Justin Roberson, James Scott, Vantorius Stewart, Dominique Thomas, Lebron Worthington, Derion Munn and Quiadell Cousin.
Also making remarks at the ceremony were Dr. Freeman, Chief Carter and the Reverend Fuzz.
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 45 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. 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.
