NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – When Kedrick Malone Sr., visits his alma mater to watch his son march onto the field with TSU’s Aristocrat of Bands, he can’t help but feel a sense of pride. The father says seeing Kedrick Malone Jr. dressed in a band uniform, like he was decades ago a as drum major for the famed AOB, is priceless.
Kedrick Malone Jr., right, said his father’s support and band legacy are what made him decide to follow in his footsteps at TSU.
For Malone Sr., being in the band during his college years had been a defining experience. For Malone Jr., his father’s support and band legacy are what made him decide to follow in his footsteps at TSU.
Now Malone Jr., a finance major, can be heard playing his saxophone on the Grammy-nominated, groundbreaking gospel album The Urban Hymnal, produced by the Aristocrat of Bands.
“I never thought being in the band could take us this far,” Malone Jr., said. “The main reason why I decided to come to TSU and be a part of the band is because of my father. Growing up, all I’ve known was TSU band,” the Memphis native said.
“My dad has taken me, my younger sister, and mom to the home opener game and the Southern Heritage Classic every year.”
Kedrick Malone Sr., who played the saxophone with AOB, was a drum major in 1994-95 at TSU.
Malone Jr., notes flow effortlessly from the instrument as a part of the production for the songs Fly, Dance Revival, and Alma Mater, on the 10-track album.
The historic album also features several gospel icons in the music industry. The AOB album is the first collegiate marching band in history of the Grammys to receive a nomination.
Malone described the production of the album as ‘unbelievable.’
It was surreal,” he said. “All the different icons and getting to work with them. Being able to say that we are the first … we are making history. This is something no one can take away from us.”
His father Malone Sr., who was an AOB drum major in 1994-95, said seeing his own son carrying on the tradition, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of legacy.
Kedrick Malone Jr., performing in Fall 2022 parade with AOB.
“It was perfect to pass what I learned and experienced to him and talk about the tradition, our sound and who we are,” Malone Sr., said.
Malone Sr., who also plays the saxophone, noted that performing with the band was one of his best experiences. He is proud of the quality sounds the band has produced over the years and for being recognized for a Grammy nomination.
The Grammys will take place on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Listen to The Urban Hymnal album on music streaming platforms such as Apple Music, YouTube, and or Spotify.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – On the day the nation celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., MLK Day, Tennessee State University shared its plans for the historic $250 million from the State of Tennessee. It is the largest one-time investment to a historically black university by a state. The funds come at a critical time as states across the nation are being held accountable even more for underfunding HBCUs. The funds are for capital improvement projects only as outlined by the State.
University officials say long overdue repairs and upgrades are now on the way, citing many of the campus structures have gone without improvements for decades.
TSU president, student and university leaders, local lawmakers during an unveiling for historic $250 million campus-wide infrastructure projects. (Photo by Aaron Grayson)
TSU President Glenda Glover says the much-needed funding will cover expenses for upgrades to several academic and student services buildings, in addition to the electrical and HVAC systems.
“We are excited to share with you our plans for using this historic funding that will assist with TSU’s continued growth and campus development as we provide students with the best academic environment possible.” Glover adds. “This will allow us to enhance our campus for further sustainability as we continue our service to our students.”
A total of six structures will see improvements, including: Boswell Science Complex, Davis Humanities Bldg., Elliott Hall, Jackson Hall, Harold Love, Sr. (LRC), and McCord Hall. University officials say they are beginning with buildings that have reached or are near their life expectancy.
TSU student leaders spoke about the excitement of announcing the improvements to their campus as they reflected on the day honoring civil rights icon, Dr. King.
Boswell Science Complex is one of six buildings that will be apart of structures that will see improvements at the university.
“Today we are seeing that dream come into fruition as we are seeing six buildings being renovated to uplift TSU,” says Student Government Association President Kenneth Rolle, II. “I am glad to be on this side of history to say I was here when we started this project.”
SGA Vice President Aliyah Holmes shared the same sentiments and noted that one of the buildings slated for improvements is a major part of student life.
“As a student … the building I am most excited about, is the Davis Humanities Building. We use that building a lot,” Holmes says.
“We use that building for classes as well as events, and student engagement at TSU is such an important aspect. That is also another aspect that keeps students wanting to come here. I want to applaud Dr. Glover … and our executive cabinet for being able to advocate and listen to the student body.”
During the unveiling SGA president Kenneth Rolle, II says he is glad to be on this side of history to say, “I was here when we started this project.” (Photo by Aaron Grayson)
Gov. Bill Lee and lawmakers allocated the historic funding package in April 2022 for infrastructure developments and major improvements that also include outdoor lighting, HVAC system upgrades, and interior décor.
President Glover thanked Gov. Lee and lawmakers and applauded State Rep. Harold Love, Jr. for his work to ensure TSU gets funds that had been withheld for decades. Love, who is also a TSU alumnus, believes the enhancements will play a greater role in attracting world-class students and faculty.
“This is a start of a multi-year project to make sure we invest in facilities at Tennessee State University. If we are providing a high-quality education, we must provide the facilities that are state of the art,” says Rep. Love. “These upgrades and improvements will help to sure that all of our students are equipped with all they need to be able to be great scholars and our faculty to be able to be great instructors.”
Rep. Love was joined by fellow Davidson County lawmaker Sen. Heidi Campbell and State Architect Ann McGauran.
SGA Vice President Aliyah Holmes shares her excitement about buildings slated for improvements during the project unveiling on Jan. 16, 2022. (Photo by Aaron Grayson)
TSU officials say the goal of the campus improvements is to eliminate life-safety issues, address deferred maintenance, and invest in academic buildings.
“TSU is working to extend the life expectancy of our facilities to better accommodate our students and to enhance their college experience while here,” says Dr. Curtis Johnson, associate vice president and chief of staff.
The historic funding is the result of a joint legislative committee’s research in 2021. It was revealed in April 2021 that TSU could be due $544 million, dating back to the 1950s, because of years of unpaid land-grant matches by the state. President Glover and Rep. Love, Jr., who served as chairman of the committee, commented then that the outcome was critical to the livelihood of TSU.
Glover told the crowd during her final remarks at the unveiling that she appreciated the hard work from both sides of the political aisle to reach an agreement instead of being embroiled in a lengthy court battle like in Mississippi and Maryland with their HBCUs.
Shaun Wimberly, who serves as the student trustee for the university, summed it up best when he proclaimed he’s already thinking about his future that will include TSU.
“I’m excited for TSU’s future and what this funding and these upgrades will do for my school. I will be a proud legacy as my children will come here to get a quality education.”
NASHVILLE – Tennessee State University head football coach Eddie George will lead a group of draft-eligible college players in the 2023 NFLPA Bowl. George, a Heisman Trophy winner and a former NFL standout, has been named one of the head coaches for this year’s event. The game will take place on January 28 and will continue its tradition of being played at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California.
TSU coach Eddie George will lead a group of draft-eligible college players in the 2023 NFLPA Bowl
George will be coaching against his former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, who was also a coach in last year’s event. George was announced as the 22nd head football coach at Tennessee State University on April 13, 2021. George played college football for Ohio State University and won the Heisman in 1995. That season, George rushed for a school record 1,927 yards and 24 touchdowns, an average of 148.23 yards per game, while also catching 47 passes for 417 yards and another score. He left Ohio State second in school history in career rushing yards (3,768) and third in rushing touchdowns (44). The Philadelphia native finished with 4,284 all-purpose yards, 45 touchdowns, and a 5.5 yards-per-carry average.
In 1996, George was the first-round draft selection of the then-Houston Oilers. He won the NFL Rookie of the Year award that season and was the Oilers/Titans’ starting tailback through 2003, never missing a start. He made the Pro Bowl four consecutive years (1997–2000) and assisted the Titans to a championship appearance in Super Bowl XXXIV.
The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl is the premier postseason all-star game for any draft-eligible college football player. More than just a game, this week-long experience provides players with the opportunity to showcase their game to NFL scouts and coaches, while learning from the best in the business. The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl not only prepares players for the speed and intensity of professional football, but also for the business and lifestyle changes that come with it.
The event, founded in 2012, gives players the best opportunity to showcase their talents to the NFL. Nearly 200 scouts, player personnel staff, general managers, and head coaches from all 32 NFL teams are expected to be in attendance to watch live practices, conduct player interviews and review tape.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University and metro Nashville’s faith-based community came together to celebrate the university through prayer for the new year. Started in 2013 when President Glover took the helm of Nashville’s only public institution, the presidential prayer service was her concept to connect TSU with area churches.
Dr. Glenda Glover’s message for the 9th presidential prayer service is to stay faithful while being ‘up against the wall.’ (Photo by Aaron Grayson)
Prominent clergy members and believers from all denominations gather at historic Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church each January for the event. President Glover is the keynote speaker.
“This is our 9th prayer service, and we start it with prayer and thanks,” President Glover said. “I am thankful that God has blessed me to lead such a marvelous university. And I thank him for trusting me with such an awesome responsibility.”
The community hasn’t attended a presidential prayer service since early 2020, due to the pandemic. Glover’s message was one of being faithful when you’re ‘up against the wall’ and the power of prevailing prayer.
Faith-based community goers during the 9th Presidential Prayer Service at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church. (Photo by Aaron Grayson)
“You can stop and give up because it’s too difficult, or you can pray and push forward,” Glover continued during her testimony.
The TSU family is also a part of the service. This year it included newcomers to the event, TSU freshman class president Sir Ford and Shaun Wimberly Jr., who is the student trustee on the TSU Board of Trustees.
Ford, a business administration major, says seeing faith-based leaders of various denominations from across Nashville and beyond come together was a great experience.
Sir Ford
“As a freshman, it just shows how the community can come together,” Ford of Nashville says. “The president had a very powerful message, and I am hopeful to see that message translate this semester. I look forward to TSU showing the state of Tennessee what our HBCU represents.”
Wimberly noted that the experience was heartwarming to see the community come together in support of TSU’s prosperity, “from the church to the Jefferson Street community, to the Islamic faith, the Hebrew faith and of course our TSU faculty, staff, and students,” he says.
“I think it only highlights the extent in which the university has impacted people.”
Shaun Wimberly Jr.
Rev. Aaron X. Marble, pastor of Jefferson Street presided over the program as the service continued with scriptures from Rev. Cora Alston, soulful singing from TSU’s Renee Craig, and greetings from every faith community by Minister Samuel X.
Along with members of the clergy and supporters from nearby HBCUs, elected officials also attended in support of TSU. Mayor John Cooper, State Rep. Dr. Harold Love Jr., Metro Council member Sharon Hurt, Davidson County Trustee Erica Gilmore, and many more were present.
TSU alum Rev. Dr. Love said it’s always a great start to the second semester of the school year to galvanize the community, “to ensure every student and faculty has a wonderful experience at Tennessee State,” he said.
State Rep. Dr. Harold Love Jr.
“The second semester we have students returning and you don’t know what their experience has been like while at home … and we want to give them support and let them know, we are here for them.”
Love says he is grateful for his TSU family and the surrounding community.
“TSU has helped mold me. You can also be shaped and molded by the university.”
The service culminated with moving prayers for the city, its youth and young people, along with TSU students, faculty, and staff. The prayer service concluded with a powerful moment when clergy members surrounded President Glover and asked God to continue to crown her wisdom as the spring semester begins on Jan. 17.
Over a dozen Tennessee State University students are descending more than a hundred feet underground, outfitted with knee pads, helmets and headlamps.
This fall 2022 trip is part of a national program to get more students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities involved in the outdoors, and WPLN News is tagging along for the journey.
TSU student Aria McElroy (right) crawls through a narrow passage of Mammoth Cave with fellow students. (Photo by National Park Trust)
TSU student Aria McElroy serves as a college ambassador for the National Park Trust and the nonprofit HBCUs Outside. She recruited classmates from an on-campus club to join the excursion.
“I feel like it’s really good for students to be able to take the initiative to get their peers outside, because if it’s like someone older than you or like a faculty member, you might not be as interested.”
McElroy says she felt called to become a college ambassador after an internship in the Rocky Mountains last summer.
“It was just an opportunity for me and other students to get back outside and rekindle the love that they may have had — or just have a new love that they didn’t even know that they had.”
Together, the sponsoring organizations provide funding, resources and mentorship to get more Black students comfortable with things like hiking and camping.
Archaeologist Ed Jakaitis answers student questions about Mammoth Cave. (Photo by Alexis Marshall)
TSU is one of four historically Black schools where the program is rolling out.
Arriving at Mammoth Cave
On a drizzly morning, students gather at the top of a steep staircase leading down into the cave. Rangers and a research professor from the school explain some of the main features.
Sophomore Blake Wright asks about the wildlife.
“What’s the largest animal that lives in the cave today?”
“The largest things that you’re going to see in the cave today are probably bats,” Jakaitis says. Another student inquires whether the bats could pose a problem to the group.
Specialist Rick Toomey offers reassurance.
“I’m going to say the bats won’t bother us,” he says. “The raccoons and rats won’t bother us either.”
The descent
Climbing down into the caverns, students pass a tall, trickling waterfall. They tread through tunnels carved out over millions of years.
“I grew up around suburbs, so I wasn’t in any rural areas,” says Wright. He came into the day hoping to get a deeper understanding of caves. “I enjoy listening to, learning about, just the nature around us, how the ecosystem works and correlates.”
Several students say they plan to return for future excursions through the National Park Trust and HBCUs outside partnership. (Photo by Alexis Marshall)
You can see the awe in students’ faces looking at an enormous naturally vaulted ceiling or a large cluster of stalactites and stalagmites.
Off the main path now, they flip on their headlamps and carefully descend farther into the caverns. A few get startled at the sight of a cave cricket, which looks a lot like a spider.
“This is a crawly passage!” Toomey announces.
Students pull up their knee pads. On hands and bellies, they scuttle across the reddish, sandy floor of the cave to see shark teeth, and the signature of an old explorer.
Black history at Mammoth Cave
Students also learn about darker chapters in the cave’s history. The caverns were once used to mine saltpeter for gunpowder. And many enslaved African Americans did the labor-intensive work.
Stephen Bishop was one of the enslaved people forced to give tours of the cave in the mid-1800s. Because of his work, he developed an unparalleled knowledge of the caverns.
“One of his most notable accomplishments is a work of mapping the cave,” says Jakaitis. “And over the course of a couple of weeks, Stephen created a map that you see here almost entirely written, drawn from memory.”
This was the first time many of the students had ever heard about Bishop — or any of the Black history associated with the cave.
Students flip on their headlamps to see after entering an unlit portion of Mammoth Cave. (Photo by National Park Trust)
History is a big part of why this program exists. Segregation barred African Americans from having equal access to public green spaces. And today, the outdoor recreation industry is overwhelmingly white. Researchers refer to this kind of inequity as the “nature gap.”
Diversifying the outdoors
Ron Griswell, the founder of HBCUs Outside, says reestablishing those historic bonds with nature is especially important for Black students.
“A lot of us don’t have the connections like our ancestors did when we were so tied spiritually and physically to nature. It’s kind of disheartening,” Griswell says.
“I want HBCUs to be the first step in not only diversifying the outdoors, but reclaiming these spaces for joy and ushering in a new, diverse population of stewards.”
Wright may well be one of those stewards. He says he’s eager to continue getting outdoors.
“I want to explore this cave again, just to get another experience and as well explore around the cave, like outside and above. See what the nature has to offer above ground.”
In fact, he says he’s coming back next semester for a fishing trip.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Freshman Me’Kayla Smith’s life changed instantly when she decided to attend Tennessee State University. Smith was initially forgoing college to focus on her budding singing career after experiencing the difficulties of juggling high school academics during the pandemic. However, a phone call from TSU alumnus Sir The Baptist, a two-time Grammy award-nominated songwriter and artist, changed everything.
Me’Kayla Smith
Smith is a part of the Grammy-nominated, groundbreaking gospel album The Urban Hymnalby TSU’s Aristocrat of Bands. Fondly called AOB, they are the first collegiate band in the history of the Grammys to receive a nomination.
“It just shows you that life can change for anyone at any moment,” said Smith. “A lot of opportunities that are afforded, we don’t know the magnitude of it. TSU was something I did not know I needed. And now I’m singing on a Grammy-nominated album.”
Smith’s captivating voice can be heard on the chorus of the song titled ‘Alright,’ on the10-track album featuring trailblazers within the gospel music industry.
Smith has been singing in church choirs since she was a child. When she turned 7 years old, she realized singing was more than just a hobby.
Me’Kayla sings with New Direction Choir during TSU 2022 gospel explosion.
“Singing is the way that I breathe,” added Smith. “One of the reasons I was created is to sing. I sing because it’s a part of what makes me who I am. It’s a form of how I connect with the Lord.”
Smith’s road to the Grammys began summer 2022, when Sir The Baptist reached out to her on social media and followed up with a call about attending TSU and being a part of the album. The soprano says she was honored, and the decision was a no-brainer.
“My stepfather has a studio downstairs. I recorded it right then and there at home … and the rest was history,” she says.
Despite her reservations about attending college, she knew furthering her education and career as an artist at the university was a great decision. Smith, who is a business major, had an active first semester as she is a Sophisticated Lady, a member of the New Direction Choir and AOB.
Sophisticated Lady, Me’Kayla Smith during a 2022 TSU parade.
The song ‘Alright’ supports everything Smith believes in, she says, as the record gives her a sense of hope. “It’s an encouraging piece for anyone who need some uplifting … it is innovative, full of creativity, and it feels like home.”
Smith says she wasn’t surprised when the Grammy nomination was announced as she knew the quality of the album and its originality was bound to go far.
The Urban Hymnal is one of five nominated in the Best Roots Gospel Album category. Smith looks forward to the band bringing the trophy back to Tennessee and being recognized as the first collegiate band in history to earn a Grammy. The Grammys will take place on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
Listen to The Urban Hymnal album on music streaming platforms such as Apple Music, YouTube, and or Spotify.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Dr. Bobby L. Lovett, award-winning author, historian, and Professor Emeritus of Afro-American history at Tennessee State University, is being remembered as a trailblazing educator, civil rights advocate, and a pillar in the Tennessee historical community.
“Dr. Bobby Lovett made a lasting impression on his students, colleagues, and anyone who crossed his path,” President Glover said. “Dr. Lovett embodied our motto of think, work, and serve and took his role very seriously in cultivating young minds for future leadership and representing TSU.”
For more than 30 years Dr. Lovett served as professor of history at TSU until his retirement in 2011. For 10 of those years, he also served as dean of the then College of Arts and Sciences.
A prolific writer, Lovett’s historical expertise led him to author more than eight books on American and African American History. His most recent book, A Touch of Greatness: A History of Tennessee State University, published in 2012, is part of series that examines the role of historically black colleges and universities throughout the civil right struggle and American history. His 2005 book, The Civil Rights Movement in Tennessee: A Narrative History, won the “Tennessee History Book Award” by the Tennessee Library Association and Tennessee Historical Commission.
Former colleague Dr. Learotha Williams described Lovett as a mentor and friend.
“I would not be at TSU were it not for Dr. Lovett,” said Dr. Williams, associate professor of history, who said Lovett invited him to “look” at the position when it was open.
“In addition to teaching and his love for students, I think when it comes to what he meant to the city, he’s the father of black Nashville history; that is the stuff that he talked about. He was the guy that highlighted and said that we need to pay attention to this one, in order to understand Nashville.”
Lovett was a founding member of the Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture. Started in 1981, the conference brings together historians, educator, students, and other individuals interested in how African Americans shaped the history of Nashville and Tennessee.
He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, where he received his public-school education and completed Booker T. Washington High School. Lovett earned his B.A. at Arkansas A.M. & N State College (today’s University of Arkansas campus at Pine Bluff) and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.
Before coming to TSU, Lovett taught history courses in the Memphis Public School System (1969-1970) and at Eureka College (1970-1973).
Dr. Lovett was laid to rest on Friday, Dec. 29 in Woodlawn Memorial Park after funeral services at First Baptist Church Capitol Hill, in Nashville.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – With their first semester mastered, many first-time freshmen say coming to TSU was worth the effort while they are gearing up for the spring semester that will begin on Jan. 17. In fact, many who were asked to recount their first semester college experience, say not only are they returning for their second semester, but they also plan to stay and graduate.
Keyon’Dre Boyd
“My first-semester experience was everything I expected it to be since I dreamed of becoming a Tennessee State Tiger,” says Keyon’Dre Boyd, from Atlanta, a biology major, who dreams of becoming a pediatric pathologist. “It has been an honor to connect with students from all backgrounds and classifications, as well as to be able to excel academically.”
Boyd says the ever presence of student organizations that have helped him to easily assimilate and grow, as well as great professors, outstanding student advising, and finding a “loving” church home that even gave him a scholarship have helped to make his experience more rewarding.
“This is fulfilling the dream I had when I signed up for TSU and is helping me reach my career goal. I see myself as a TSU Tiger for the next three years until I graduate,” he says.
Boyd is not alone.
Zoe Hammond
Zoe Hammond, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who came on a full-ride scholarship, and Kendall Paxton, of Memphis, Tennessee, say the family atmosphere and the HBCU culture were a major reason why they chose TSU, and they were not disappointed in their first semester.
“I am grateful that I got the opportunity to come to TSU. When I came here, I just love the environment, people just care for you,” says Hammond, who is majoring in public health. “I took a chance coming to TSU because I had not come here before. Although I got the scholarship, I didn’t know what lied ahead, but I was opened to trying something new, and it’s paying off.”
For Paxton, a political science major, who is also a member of several student organizations, a campus tour with her mother during her senior year in high school gave her an immediate feel that TSU is where she wanted to be.
Kendall Paxton
“It felt like home. Everybody was speaking to everybody,” says Paxton, a Tiger Tour Guide, and a member of Bloom Academy, a leadership program for first-year females.
Adjusting to college life can be a struggle for many students. How to manage the newly gained freedom, learning to live with roommates, handling finances, and dealing with new academic demands are just a few of the new challenges. Admissions officials at TSU say the goal is to ensure a nurturing environment where students “immediately see and feel that one-on-one” presence of advisors, councilors and others ready to listen.”
“Creating an environment of belonging and a culture of care is the driving force that causes our students to return and continue their studies at TSU,” says Terrence Izzard, TSU’s associate vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Success. “There are very real challenges in making that transition to college and we are committed to supporting each student.”
Tasha Andrews-Carson is assistant vice president for New Student Programs and Retention. She says the university is “very intentional about providing engagement opportunities to support students as new Tigers.”
Garrison Holland
“It was a very busy semester for the Office of First Year Experience,” says Andrews-Carson. “From their welcome week activities to getting them prepared for their finals, it was my goal to provide support from beginning to end of their first semester.”
Garrison Holland, of Milledgeville, Georgia, agrees.
“My first semester at Tennessee State University has been wonderful. I am glad that I picked this wonderful institution to attend,” says Holland, a business administration major with a concentration in supply chain management, and a minor in psychology.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University students and those enrolled at historicallyblack colleges and universities across the country will see an increase in Pell grants. Eligible students will receive an additional $500 as a part of the $1.7 trillion 2022 Omnibus Bill unveiled by congressional leaders. The final funding bill of the year also includes increased funding for research and infrastructure for HBCUs.
President Glenda Glover
This is a major boost for TSU as the university undertakes several capital improvement projects, as well as efforts to achieve an R1 Carnegie research designation.
“We are thankful to Congresswoman Alma Adams, members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the White House, and all others who were instrumental in getting this legislation passed,” said Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover.
Included in the funding are several programs that will benefit TSU: $50 million for HBCU, TCU, and MSI Research and Development Infrastructure Grants, a program originally included in the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act.
“I am proud to have secured significant wins for Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the federal omnibus for Fiscal Year 2023,” said Congresswoman Adams (D-NC), founder and co-chair of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus.
“These planning and implementation grants are designed to promote transformational investments in research infrastructure at four-year HBCUs, TCUs, and other MSIs.”
Glover, who also serves as the vice chair of President Joe Biden’s Advisory Board on HBCUs, added that the funding aligns with TSU’s plans for long-term growth and sustainability.
“I am pleased to have helped with advocating to lawmakers and others the importance of the bill that makes HBCUs stronger and helps our institutions continue the work of strengthening our communities by providing a quality education to our students,” Glover said.
“We currently have major capital infrastructure projects and increased research activities underway, This bill will provide additional resources to assist TSU in successfully reaching our goals of enhancing and upgrading our campus footprint and becoming an R1 research institution.”
TSU is in the middle of a major facelift to academic buildings, improvements to outdoor lightings and interior décor as part of a campus-wide infrastructure upgrade initiative that is expected to last through 2023.
The increase in Pell grant awards is the largest since the 2009-2010 school year. Approximately 65 percent of TSU students depend on some type of financial aid, including the Pell grant. Nationally, about seven million students, many from lower-income families, receive Pell grants every year to help them afford college.
Terrance Izzard, TSU’s associate vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Success, echoed President Glover’s sentiments that the boost in funding for Pell grant award will help financially struggling students stay in school.
“Coming out of a pandemic, along with tough economic times, this increase in funding could not have come at a better time for parents and students,” Izzard said. “This certainly is big relief and lessens the added burden of students trying to achieve their educational goals amid high cost of tuition and other needs.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The TSU Police Department participated in an active shooter training on campus, enacting different response techniques in case of an actual on-campus threat. The TSU police department in collaboration with Vanderbilt University and Meharry Medical College police officials hosted the professional training seminar on campus using simunition rounds to assist in accomplishing the training.
TSUPD academy trainees participated in the action packed demonstration as well.
TSU police officers hovers over a manikin posed as a shooting victim during an active shooter training session. (Photo by Aaron Grayson)
“To keep us up to speed in lieu of everything that is transpiring at different schools and universities across the country, we want to be as prepared as possible,” says Chief of Police Gregory Robinson “We do this type of advance training to let our TSU community know we take our safety seriously.”
The training covered headline-grabbing shooting incidents, such as the recent University of Virginia fatal shooting, and provided lessons learned from them, increasing emergency preparedness and understanding critical response.
Robinson says officers are trained to respond to an active shooter and to proceed immediately to the area where the shots were last heard with a purpose of stopping the shooting as quickly and safely as possible.
TSUPD uses simunition rounds and role players to assist in accomplishing the active shooter training. (Photo by Aaron Grayson)
Lt. Tommy Phelps says as these unfortunate situations are more prevalent across the country, TSUPD “prepares for the worse, but we hope for the best.”
“We have held classroom training and group training, but we have never done a formalized training where we are going to have simunition rounds,” Phelps says. “We are trying to teach these officers how to slow themselves down and have more cognitive thinking.”
Phelps noted that the officers gained a better understanding as far as situational awareness and that the effective training will, “make us (TSUPD) even better than what we are.”
Lt. Thomas Phelps speaks with colleagues moments before gearing up for the active shooter training at the Humphries building on campus. (Photos by Aaron Grayson)
Critical situations are dynamic and evolve rapidly, demanding immediate deployment of law enforcement resources to stop a shooting and mitigate harm to innocent victims. The 7-hour training sessions on campus were not open to the public, but Robinson says he looks forward to having a public training session next spring.
Visit this link to check out the active shooter training with TSUPD.
