A Facilities Management staff affixes the TSU Police Satellite Station sign on the door, as a Channel 5 cameraman covers the opening of the new office. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The Tennessee State University Police Department has increased its presence on campus recently opening a new satellite office right in the heart of the campus.
The new office will put the department in closer proximity to the university’s high-traffic area at the Floyd-Payne Campus Center near the courtyard area, and will serve to build stronger relationships with students in an effort to protect the campus community and visitors and to provide quicker response to criminal activity, and identify and remove those who are unauthorized visitors to the campus.
Student Government Association President Racia Poston, left, talks to reporters during the opening of the new TSU Police Satellite Station in the campus center. (Photo by John Cross,TSU Media Relations)
“The administration is taking a multifaceted approach to further enhance safety measures that strategically address the issue of ensuring that there are no weapons or other illegal activity on our campus,” said TSU President Glenda Glover. “We will strictly enforce the TSU ID policy, requiring students, faculty and staff to wear IDs at all times.”
The satellite location has been fully operational since Nov. 1 as part of new safety measures announced by Glover under her 10-Point Safety Enhancement Plan. The office is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and operates through staffed police officers and security guards in three eight-hour shifts, according to TSU Police Chief Anthony Carter.
“In just a short time, we have noticed a safer, more collegial environment since opening this location,” Carter said. “It is much better and it’s getting better every day.”
Carter continued, “This location has also done a lot to improve our engagement with students. Our officers laugh, joke and have conversations with them. It has been beneficial in building relationships with the student body and creating a more safe and friendly atmosphere.”
The increased visibility of TSU’s police force is amplified by a partnership with Metro Nashville Police, who have joined with TSUPD to provide increased patrols on campus. Other safety measures under the incorporation of a tip hotline, the offering of cash rewards for anonymous tips, a Student Safety Patrol, more frequent room inspections, and enhanced surveillance, among other efforts.
Students, employees, and visitors are encouraged to report all incidents, emergencies and crimes directly to TSUPD. For more information on the new TSU Police satellite office, contact (615) 963-5171.
Department of Media Relations
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 38 undergraduate, 22 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.
SGA President Racia Poston, second from right, was among those sworn-in to protect their campus as part of the Student Safety Patrol. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – For JerMilton Woods, it is personal when it comes to campus safety and the well-being of his fellow students, especially when he thinks about outsiders coming on campus to cause problems.
“This is a great university that has been very good to me,” Woods said. “Anything I can do to protect its good image and keep my fellow students safe, I am willing to do it.”
The sophomore Human Performance and Sports Sciences major has joined about 25 other schoolmates as part of the Student Safety Patrol, a volunteer group of male and female students providing safe escort for other students across campus.
JerMilton Woods
The patrol is drawn from fraternities, sororities, service organizations and other related campus groups. It is part of Tennessee State University’s 10-Poing Safety Enhancement Plan announced by President Glenda Glover on Oct. 30 to assure students, parents, alumni, and the public they are safe and secure on campus.
At a ceremony on the main campus Monday, Nov. 16, group members were sworn-in after completing training in observation, reporting and escorting techniques. The volunteers will work in two-hour shifts between 6 p.m. – midnight. Assignments will vary between “Fixed Post” and “Safe Escort Across Campus.” They will wear specially designed uniforms that distinguish them from the general student population, and carry equipment such as whistles, flashlights and radios.
“It is truly personal for me to be a ‘vocal point’ on campus safety,” Woods said after taking the oath to protect his fellow students. “Anytime that I can give back to my university that has given me so much, that is enough for me.”
“I have a vested interest to see this campus safe,” added Tariq Muhammad, a sophomore Agricultural Science major and a member of the SSP. “We want to take back our campus and one way of doing that is by taking the initiative of patrolling our campus ourselves.”
According to Frank Stevenson, coordinator of the Student Safety Patrol, the goal of the programs is to provide safe transport to students across campus and to create opportunities for “peer engagement” in student safety.
“This program will allow students to have true ownership into a safer TSU campus,” Stevenson said. “The intend is to provide safe escorts for our campus community so that no one has to travel alone in isolated areas of campus and/or after dark. The Student Safety Patrol will provide extra eyes and ears for a safer campus.”
Assistant Vice President for Communications and Public Relations Kelli Sharpe congratulated the students on behalf of President Glover, who was away on business.
“We see the Student Safety Patrol as extra eyes and ears on campus safety,” Sharp said. “We commend these students for taking on such an initiative to make sure their fellow students are safe on campus.”
The establishment of the SSP comes on the heels of the recent opening of a police satellite station in the campus center. Also, Metro Nashville Police are teaming up with TSU Police Department to provide more campus coverage. In addition, students, faculty and staff are mandated to visibly wear their university-issued ID badges.
In announcing the Safety Enhancement Plan, Glover said the primary objectives of the Student Safety Patrol are to provide TSU campus safety escorts and transports; observe and report suspicious and unusual activity to police; and provide an active presence. While membership is voluntary with no pay, applicants must be in good academic standing, exhibit good character, maintain good conduct, commit at least two hours per week, and must have genuine concern about safety on campus. In return members receive credit for community service, a certificate of recognition, and internship credits.
Department of Media Relations
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 38 undergraduate, 22 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.
Tom Johnstone, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service, left, presents the StormReady designation plaque to Dr. Curtis Johnson, Associate Vice President and Head of Emergency Management at TSU. Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is well prepared to protect its students, faculty and staff from severe weather, the National Weather Service announced Thursday, July 10, when it designated the University as a StormReady institution.
The NWS said TSU has met all the “rigorous criteria” for a StormReady designation by developing an all-hazard safety plan and communications infrastructure, as well as actively promoted all hazardous weather safety through public awareness activities and training.
“There is nothing more important than keeping our community of students, faculty and staff safe on our campus,” said Dr. Glenda Glover, President of Tennessee State University. “This designation shows that we are holding to our commitment to parents and other community stakeholders that TSU is doing everything possible to ensure a safe and secure environment for our students.”
Tennessee State University officials receive the StormReady certification from officials of the National Weather Service and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. From left are Tom Johnstone, NWS; Thomas Graham, TSU assistant director of Emergency Management; Dr. Curtis Johnson, TSU; Brittney Coleman, NWS Meteorologist; Chris Johnson, TEMA Middle Tennessee Regional Director; and Brent Morse, Area Coordinator for TEMA. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)
At a presentation ceremony on campus, Tom Johnstone, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service, congratulated the University for receiving the StormReady designation. He applauded the administration, the Emergency Management team and staff for their dedication and hard work in “putting all the right pieces together” to achieve the designation.
“Tennessee State University is prepared for the StormReady designation,” Johnstone declared. “It took tremendous work to fine-tune all that was necessary to earn the certification required for this designation, and this university and this community need to be congratulated for a great job.”
Dr. Curtis Johnson, associate vice president for Administration, who is in charge of Emergency Management, thanked the campus police, students and staff for their cooperation in doing what was necessary to earn the NWS certification.
“Being storm ready reaffirms Tennessee State University’s commitment to protection of life and property, and all of you have been helpful in allowing us to achieve that,” Johnson said. “We look forward to making TSU and the community better and safer.”
As a mark of designation and recognition, Johnson announced that the NWS StormReady signage would be placed at the two major entrances to the University.
NWS meteorologist Brittney Coleman, while acknowledging that natural disasters are inevitable, said preparing for them must always be taken seriously.
“Tennessee State University has really done a tremendous job in preparing itself and the community in the case of bad weather,” Coleman said. “We have been working with the campus team to make sure we had everything in place to be ready for this designation. All residence halls now have weather alert radios to keep them connected to the National Weather Service in case of emergency.”
Also participating in the ceremony were representatives from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, who lauded the agency’s partnership with the University. They were Middle Tennessee Regional Director, Chris Johnson; and Area Coordinator, Brent Morse.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the Reverend Jimmy D. Greer Sr., pastor of Nashville’s Friendship Baptist Church, thanked the University for its community partnership.
“We applaud Dr. Glover for holding up to her commitment since arriving at this campus to ensure that the community is actively involved in any endeavor necessary for the promotion of this university,” Greer said. “We thank the university, the National Weather Service, TEMA and all the people that took part in making this achievement possible.”
Dr. Mark Hardy, vice president for Academic Affairs, representing Dr. Glover, who was traveling, said TSU’s effort in ensuring a safe weather environment for its faculty, staff and student, ties in with some major research efforts at the University.
Specifically, the vice president mentioned a more than $200,000 National Science Foundation-funded on-going research project in the College of Engineering to develop a simulation model that would help predict storm surge in a timely manner to better prepare inland and coastal dwellers for the storm.
“An assistant professor of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (Muhammad Akbar) is using computational fluid dynamics and mathematical models to predict flooding caused by storm surges that bring ocean water onto land, causing major devastation, and erosion to cities and coastal wetlands,” said Hardy. He thanked NWS for the recognition, adding that the StormReady designation “speaks to the volume of work we are doing not to only provide a safe environment for our students, but to also give them the highest quality of education.”
The packed ceremony in the President’s Dining Room on the main campus brought together an array of state, local and community partner leaders and representatives, including the office of Congressman Jim Cooper, and the Executive Director of Nashville JUMP (Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership), Sharon Hurt.
TSU is one of only seven institutions in the State to receive the StormReady University designation.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 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.
