Tag Archives: conference

Conference Aims to Help HBCUs Attract More students

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Historically black colleges and universities are looking for ways to increase enrollment.

A group of four HBCU presidents, higher education leaders, innovators and corporate executives met at Tennessee State University Nov. 10 for a one-day conference to dialogue on tactics to gain more students.

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Terrence A. Southern, a robotics and automation engineer at GE Global Research, and CEO of Illuminate STEM, a national STEM mentoring organization for K-12 underrepresented minorities. (Photo by Courtney Buggs, TSU Media Relations)

HBCUGrow, a group dedicated to helping HBCUs grow enrollment and alumni giving, organized the conference. The group also seeks to tackle the “changing landscape” of marketing challenges facing HBCUs.

But enrollment management continues to be a hot topic at these minority-serving institutions.

The presidents – TSU’s Dr. Glenda Glover; Dr. Forrest E. Harris of American Baptist College; Dr. Tracy D. Hall of Southwest Tennessee Community College; and Dr. Logan Hampton of Lane College – agreed that immediate, effective and innovative means must be developed to attract more students.

“At TSU, we have put in place new practices and processes to help our university grow,” Glover said, as she welcomed her colleagues and participants at the conference. “We have to improve on our brand to make sure we are doing everything we can to recruit and market talented students. We are thankful to HBCUGrow for putting this conference together, because if there was ever a time to grow our HBCUs, it is now.”

Terrence A. Southern, a robotics and automation engineer at GE Global Research and CEO of Illuminate STEM, an organization committed to promoting educational opportunities and mentorship in STEM fields for K-12 underrepresented minorities, was the keynote speaker.

He said HBCUs should do a better job at marketing their services if they are to succeed in attracting students.

“The first step in making our enrollment grow is to effectively communicate our capabilities and the caliber of education we offer,” said Southern, a 2003 TSU graduate with a degree in computer science, who credits his success to effective mentorship.

He is giving back as a result. From mentoring youth in Detroit and Dallas through after school programs for the last 10 years, he created Illuminate STEM, which is now reaching out to many more young people.

Southern said HBCUs account for thousands of graduates every year.

“But I hear major corporations like Google, Amazon, General Motors saying their diversity has not grown because they do not know where to get African-American students,” he said. “I say, ‘how is that possible?’ So either they don’t know about us or we are not making our presence known.”

Southern also called for better relationships between institutions, students and alumni, as a way of promoting the institutions and their offerings, and giving back to the school.

“HBCUs should also work together as an entity with the same vision to attract not only the best students, but those who need the kind of mentoring and attention HBCUs are known for,” Southern said.

In addition to the presidential panel discussion, the conference included breakout sessions on topics like “Branding’s Role in Increasing Enrollment”; “Marketing Segmentation”; “Integrated Marketing Strategies to Increase Enrollment Without Busting Your Budget”; and “Making Sure Your Website Attracts & Retains the Best Students for Your HBCU.”

Sponsors included Vitalink, Universal Printing and AndiSites.

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, 25 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.

International conference at TSU to focus on ancient crop once grown by Aztecs

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Amaranth is a pseudocereal that researchers say is a food of the future because of its easy cultivation. (Submitted Photo)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU New Service) – Tennessee State University’s College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences and the Amaranth Institute are hosting a conference August 3-5 to study amaranth, an ancient crop once grown by the Aztecs.

The three-day event titled “State of the Art in Amaranth Research, Food Utilization and Development,” allows farmers, researchers, educators, health food professionals and industry experts to share the latest research findings and new information about the pseudocereal, which is actually seed from a flowering plant known for its nutrition.

Researchers say the seeds are an excellent source of protein, dietary fiber and minerals. In addition, they are gluten-free but can be milled into flour that will increase the amino acid and vitamin content of baked goods. The grain species of cultivated amaranths are native to Latin America, but vegetable amaranth species can be found in India, China and Africa, especially in places where comparable spinach, collards or lettuce will not grow. The United States started growing grain amaranths in the 1970s and popped amaranth has become a popular cereal in health food stores.

Because of amaranth’s rapid growth, ease of cultivation, and high nutritional value, it has been deemed a “crop of the future,” said TSU Professor Matthew Blair, who organized the event on campus along with Amaranth Institute President Mary Beth Wilson and board members from America to Zimbabwe.

“TSU will be reporting on germplasm screening and the first incidence of root pathogens,” Blair said. “A one-acre field of germplasm will be on display on the TSU farm at its peak-of-growth cycle showing the high yield potential per plant of this amazing C4 crop species.”

Attendees will tour TSU’s germplasm field at 11:30 a.m. Friday, August 5, at the Agricultural Research and Education Center.

“We are pleased to host this timely conference at a time when climate change is real and the world’s temperature rise is felt everywhere,” said TSU-CAHNS Dean Chandra Reddy.

Blair’s graduate, undergraduate, and interning students will speak at the event, including Ranjita Thapa, a fellowship awarded graduate of the University of Bangalore and of TSU. Attendees are also coming from as far away as China, Haiti and Pakistan.

The conference is open to the public. To register, please visit the Amaranth Institute: http://www.amaranthinstitute.org.

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.

TSU Royal Court Shines at Annual Kings and Queens Leadership Conference; Wins “Best School Spirit” Award

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – With pomp, intellect, sophistication and that old “Big Blue” spirit, Miss TSU, Mr. TSU and their Royal Court were quite a standout at this year’s HBCU Leadership for Queens and Kings Konnection annual conference in New Orleans.

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Miss TSU Tyra Laster, and Mr. TSU Delvakio Brown and their Royal Court won the “Best School Spirit” award at the Leadership for Queens and Kings Konnection annual conference in New Orleans.

The Tennessee State University team walked away with the “Best School Spirit” award, topping out representatives from more than 40 HBCUs, when it came to showing school spirit. The TSU Royal Court’s shouting drowned out efforts by the other competitors to upstage them.

“It was an honor receiving the award and nominations,” said Mr. TSU, Delvakio Brown. “Tyra (Laster) and I do our best to represent Tennessee State University at the highest standard at every opportunity and this time was no different.”

According to organizers, in addition to showing school spirit, the conference (July 16-19) was intended to provide HBCU Queens and Kings the opportunity to connect and learn from one another as well as listen to trained professionals talk about articulation, stage presence, etiquette, confidence and professionalism.

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Randy Arnold, front, and Seanne Wilson, far left, were two of the three advisors who accompanied Mr. TSU, Miss TSU and their Royal Court to the New Orleans conference July 16-19.

“My experience at the Kings and Queens Conference was fantastic.  I was nervous about the upcoming school year but attending this conference boosted my confidence.  I learned how to set out plans and have faith in them,” Brown said.

In addition to Brown and Laster (Miss TSU), members of the Royal Court who attended the conference were Darrrian Munroe, Mr. Junior; Cedric Tyus, Mr. Senior; Marcellous Glispie, Mr. Sophomore; Crimson Ducket, Miss Junior; Amber Franklin, Miss Senior; and Jeneisha Harris, Miss Sophomore. Advisors included Randy Arnold, director of Student Organizations and Leadership; Seanne Wilson, coordinator of the Women’s Center; and Frank Stevenson, director of Strategic Populations.

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.

Commercial Real Estate Conference Kicks off at TSU Avon Williams Campus Thursday, April 17

Brian Bailey
Brian Bailey

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Brian Bailey, senior financial policy analyst at the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank, will be the keynote speaker at a one-day conference on “Commercial Real Estate Opportunities and Obstacles.”  The conference will take place Thursday, April 17 on the Avon Williams Campus at Tennessee State University.

Hosted by the Department of Economics and Finance in the College of Business, the conference will also include two panels of experts. One panel will comprise industry experts who are actively involved in various types of commercial real estate, such as office, warehouse, multi-family housing, and residential construction.

Another panel comprising bankers from Middle Tennessee will discuss lending to the commercial real estate industry.

According to conference organizers, Bailey, a lead reviewer in the “annual stress tests” conducted on the nation’s largest financial institutions, will focus his presentation on commercial real estate trends in the Southeast market.

Some of the real estate and banking institutions participating in the conference are CBRE Multi-family Group, Chas. Hawkins Co., Inc., Boyle Investments, Regent Homes, the Bank of Nashville, Regions Bank, Capstar Bank, US Bank and Pinnacle Financial Partners.

The conference will start promptly at 8 a.m. with registration in the Atrium. Cost to attend the conference is $50 per person, or $275 for a table to seat six persons.

For ticket or other information contact Dr. Jerry W. Crigger at (615) 717-7393 or [email protected].

 

 

 

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.