NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The head of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation says the inclusion of Tennessee State University in the 2016 Black History HBCU Calendar and Resources Guide helps highlight what’s “great about Nashville.”
Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover is one of 13 leaders and visionaries in education, medicine, law, sports, corporate management and entertainment featured in the 2016 publication.
The calendar, a national fundraising vehicle for Historically Black Colleges and Universities now in its 10th year, features individuals and trailblazers who have made “outstanding” contributions in their fields.
“TSU’s feature in the HBCU calendar is yet another recognition of everything great about Nashville,” said Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation. “TSU is a long-standing treasure and a huge part of our heritage. We couldn’t be more pleased or proud.”
Glover said she’s honored to be featured.
“It’s something I will always cherish,” she said.
Others featured in the calendar include tennis star Serena Williams; multiple award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson; and Dr. Ronald A. Johnson, president of Clark Atlanta University, among others.
As a fundraising instrument, the calendar has helped to contribute needed funds to schools across the country. It serves as a resource for students and parents.
The calendar, which is now available across the nation, can be purchased online and at Walgreens stores.
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.
University Ranked No.1 Among Top 10 HBCU Teacher Producers
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Renita Perkins is a second-generation graduate of Tennessee State University. Her mother, a retired teacher, received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from TSU, and so did her daughter and son-in-law who are working on their doctorate degrees.
Renita Perkins, Principal, Taylor Stratton School of Excellence
“I continue to be a part of the school’s heritage,” said Perkins whose tie to TSU spans more than 30 years. “Tennessee State University is truly a ‘school of excellence.”
When it comes to excellence, many agree with Perkins, principal at Nashville’s Taylor Stratton School of Excellence, who earned her bachelor’s, master’s and Education Specialist degrees from TSU.
“Tennessee State taught me the value of professional collaboration and networking,” said Whitney Bradley, a 2009 TSU graduate and teacher at Bailey STEM Magnet Middle School, who earlier this year was recognized as “Teacher of the Year” in her school, and for the Tennessee Mid-Cumberland Region, for her approach to team building. “I believe in highlighting the good in my team members so that we all shine together.”
With graduates like Perkins, Bradley and many others, teacher preparation is serious business at TSU, and a mainstay in the supply of qualified teachers and school administrators serving in the area and across the nation.
A year ago, as Metro Nashville Public Schools wrapped up the year with the need to hire or name principals to new assignments for 2014-15, TSU-trained teachers and administrators answered the call. With the exception of three, all of the 10 principals hired or assigned received all or part of their training from TSU. Perkins, who was named “Principal of the Year” in June by the Greater Nashville Alliance of Black Educators, was one of the newly assigned.
This achievement has earned the TSU teacher preparation program many national and local recognitions over the years. Just recently, HBCU Lifestyle, a publication dedicated to “black college living,” ranked TSU No. 1 among the “Top 10 HBCUs that Produce Teachers” in the nation. The publication, which provides HBCU students and their families with “valuable advice” about college admissions, campus life and financial aid resources, said TSU’s undergraduate and graduate offerings and concentrations in biology, chemistry and elementary education made the school’s teacher preparation program more attractive.
“Obviously we are very excited about this ranking,” Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Mark Hardy, said. “This only shows that Tennessee State University is a leader in this area as is reflected in the quality of students we are graduating.
Dr. Kimberly King-Jupiter
The Dean of the College of Education, Dr. Kimberly King-Jupiter, was equally excited about the HBCU Lifestyle ranking. “We are thrilled about this No. 1 ranking,” she said. “Our goal is to contribute to the production of diverse, highly qualified and culturally responsive teachers who can meet the needs of all students. We believe that when schools hire our candidates, they are capable of inspiring and helping students realize their own dreams.”
TSU has long been a popular spot to recruit top educators into the Nashville school system. During the 2013-2014 school year, of the 636 new hires, 54 were from TSU, second only to MTSU with 56. Vanderbilt University followed in the third spot with 44, along with Lipscomb and Trevecca Nazarene Universities, which tied for the fourth spot with 40 among area institutions pipelining students directly into Metro. In 2012, TSU beat out all area universities for the most teachers hired.
“We have a great working relationship with Metro schools, with nearly 9 percent of TSU’s teachers going on to teach within the school system over the past two years,” said Dr. Heraldo Richards, associate dean of the College of Education, about a year ago. “We have a direct pipeline with our students who are highly recruited. In fact, some of our students have been offered positions prior to finishing their program.”
According to Richards, one of the most successful programs is the Ready2Teach training that students receive in their senior year. An undergraduate teacher residency preparation program, Ready2Teach emphasizes problem-based learning, co-teaching, and performance-based assessment.
“This (program) gives our students the opportunity to stay in the same class the entire year and receive valuable training with the same students and mentor teacher. Students in the program are ready to teach after just four years and are prepared to walk into a classroom and teach immediately,” Richards added.
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 the Aristocrat of Bands!
The Tennessee State University nationally and internationally recognized marching band is on its way to yet another Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase.
The band was one of eight selected from among the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities after a fierce online voting process. In addition to voting, students, alumni and fans of each HBCU took to social media to help their favorite marching bands advance to the 13th annual Battle of the Band showcase in Atlanta.
Feedback from band directors, HBCU school presidents and representatives from American Honda were also considered in the selection process.
An overall winner will be selected when the final eight bands take the Georgia Dome by storm on Jan. 24, 2015, to showcase their “incredible” musical talent and “electrifying” showmanship in front of a packed crowd.
The other bands making the final eight along with the Aristocrat of Bands are the Mighty Marching Hornets of Alabama State University, the Marching Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman University, Howard University’s Showtime Marching Band, making their first Honda Battle of the Bands appearance, and the Sonic Boom of the South from Jackson State University.
Also selected are North Carolina A&T University’s Blue and Gold Marching Machine, the Human Jukebox from Southern University, and the Marching Tornado of Talladega College.
This will be the sixth appearance for the Aristocrat of Bands at the Honda Battle of the Bands, having performed in 2003, 2004, 2011, and 2012 and 2014.
“It is gratifying that this will be the fourth time in five years for us to be chosen under my leadership,” said Dr. Reginald McDonald, acting band director. “Although we were selected by people voting online based on what they have seen and heard from our halftime shows, we look and sound great.”
According to a Honda release, this year’s theme, “March On,” is intended to serves as a reminder to students and fans that life on and off the field is a journey, and no matter the challenge, the dream or what may lie ahead, “learning never stops as long as you commit to ‘March On.’”
“Honda congratulates the eight bands selected to participate in the Invitational Showcase and thanks all of the schools, students, alumni and fans that participated in the process leading to Atlanta,” said Stephan Morikawa, assistant vice president, Corporate Community Relations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Honda is committed to supporting education at HBCUs by investing in their programs and providing a platform aimed at helping students realize what Honda calls The Power of Dreams.”
The 2015 Invitational Showcase will feature the first-ever Honda Battle of the Bands Power of Dreams Award. Participating teams and fans will have the opportunity to nominate an outstanding member of their community who is working to help students achieve their dreams. Honda will then select a winner who will be recognized in Atlanta at the 2015 Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase.
Tickets to the Honda Battle of the Bands are available for purchase now on the official website, starting at just $10. The participating eight HBCUs will receive a $20,000 grant from Honda to support their music education programs, plus travel to and accommodations in Atlanta for the Invitational Showcase.
In another development, the Aristocrat of Bands has, for the second time, been invited to perform at the Bands of America Grand National Championship in Indianapolis in November.
According to McDonald, TSU will be the only HBCU to play twice in the Bands of America Grand Nationals, considered the nation’s premier marching band event.
“It is unique that these top high schools at the competition will get to see our band perform. We see this opportunity as a recruitment tool for both the band and the University,” added McDonald, who put the graduation rate among band members at more than 75 percent.
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 42 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) –The New Black, a documentary, which tells the story of how the African-American community is grappling with the gay rights issue in light of the recent same-sex marriage movement and the fight over civil rights, will be screened at Tennessee State University on Thursday, Oct. 16.
In collaboration with the Gay Straight Alliance, a TSU student group, and the Nashville Black Pride, the University has planned a number of weeklong activities to coincide with the screening as part of TSU’s first celebration of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) History Month in October.
According to Tiffany Cox, the director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, the screening and celebration are a result of TSU receiving part of a $4,000 grant from the Human Rights Campaign. TSU is one of four historically black colleges and universities that received the grant to use the award-winning documentary “as a tool to advance on-campus LGBT inclusion.”
“Because of our strong commitment to ensuring a campus climate of equality and inclusion, we saw the announcement requesting proposals for this grant and we applied for it,” said Cox “We were elated when we received notification in the summer that TSU had been selected.”
The New Black, directed by Yoruba Richen, explores how race, faith, justice and identity intersected in Maryland’s politically powerful African American community in 2012 as the state prepared to vote on marriage equality. It comes on the heels of recent reports showing that while many majority-white colleges and universities have embraced the call for LGBT inclusion, HBCUs have been notably slow to extend their historical mission of social justice to the success of their LGBT students.
“TSU is very pleased to screen this documentary, and to host discussions and activities that promote the equal treatment of all students on our campus,” Cox said, reminding the community about the University’s “strong policy” against harassment or discrimination of any kind.
Visibly pleased and upbeat that TSU is screening The New Black documentary and hosting programs to mark LGBT History Month is Iesha Milliner, president of TSU’s Gay Straight Alliance, who contributed in developing the proposal for the HRC grant.
“I am glad that for the first time TSU is showing such support for the Alliance in its 10 years on this campus,” said Milliner, a junior Art Education major from Nashville. “The campus screening of The New Black will bring the student body together and provide answers to many questions that are asked on a daily basis. My greatest hope is that this event will open the eyes of this community to the LGBTQ issues that exist on this campus.”
The New Black has screened in more than 85 cities around the country through ITVS’s Community Cinema public education and civic engagement initiative. The documentary has garnered numerous awards, including the Audience Award at Philadelphia QFest, AFI Docs and Frameline International LGBT Film Festival, where it also received an honorable mention as Outstanding Documentary Feature. At New York City’s Urbanworld Film Festival, it won the jury award for Best Documentary Feature.
Other HBCUs that received funding to screen the documentary are Alabama State University, Johnson C. Smith University and Spelman College.
The screening at TSU on October 16 is at 5:30 p.m., in the Floyd Payne Campus Center Forum. Other events marking LGBT History Month will begin October 13-17. They will include displays, nationally recognized motivational speakers, panel discussions, free HIV screenings and workshops. For registration and more information, go to: http://www.tnstate.edu/eeoaa/tsusafezone.aspx
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 42 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.
TSU Diversity and Inclusion Summit Brings Together Three HBCU Presidents
Dr. Kevin D. Rome, of Lincoln University, left; Dr. William B. Bynum, of Mississippi Valley State University; and Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover say non-minority institutions should take a lesson from HBCUs on how they are coping in the face of limited resources. The university presidents joined forces to discuss the question of relevancy of HBCUs and whether they can embrace the culture of diversity and continue to play a key role in the nation’s higher education landscape. (photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – In spite of fewer resources compared to the nation’s other majority institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities graduate impressive number of majors in education and in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Responding to critics who question the relevancy of HBCUs and whether they can embrace the culture of diversity they have demanded of others, a panel of HBCU presidents meeting at Tennessee State University Monday said HBCUs continue to play a key role in the nation’s higher education landscape and have become more diverse in student population, faculty and staff.
“Those raising questions about the relevancy of HBCUs have no case to back their claim,” said President Glenda Baskin Glover, of TSU, in an opening statement, adding that the question should be about how HBCUs have survived with limited resources and yet produce outstanding graduates.
“How can HBCU’s become a model for other institutions by operating with limited resources and yet we have survived with a high level of performance by putting out more than 5 percent of all graduates in the nation annually? That should be the question,” Dr. Glover asserted.
Attending a three-day “Diversity and Inclusion Summit on HBCU’s,” Dr. Glover, Dr. William B. Bynum, of Mississippi Valley State University; and Dr. Kevin D. Rome, of Lincoln University Missouri, answered questions about HBCU mission, good governance, customer service, and a culture of openness that embraces all without regard to race, sexual preference or heritage.
The summit brought together participants from institutions and organizations across the country including the Association of Public Land Grant Universities, Clark Atlanta University, Indiana University, Alcorn State University, Xavier University, Prairie View A&M University, Alabama A&M University, Vanderbilt University, Fisk University, and Florida A&M University.
On the issue of limited resources with high return, Bynum and Rome agreed with Glover that instead of questioning HBCU’s relevancy, critics should be asking how non-minority institutions could learn from HBCUs.
“Not only are our institutions diverse, HBCUs are relevant to those students who are there,” said Dr. Rome, at whose Lincoln University blacks are now in the minority at 40 percent, a shift seen in the last six years. “HBCUs give opportunities to those who would not have had those same opportunities at other institutions. Their graduates are making great difference as doctors, engineers and educators.”
“Are we still true to the HBCU mission,” Reese asked.
“We should be true to our mission, focus on what we are about, and continue to do what we do well,” said Dr. Bynum, warning that HBCUs should not try to take on the mantle of being everything to everyone. “This is not a one-size fits all business. Role models and mentorships are the backbone of what we are about.”
On the broader issues of diversity and inclusion, especially dealing with lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender, the presidents said their institutions have exercised complete openness on “individual” free expression, and have instituted policies that put no barriers to individual practices.
“It is an asset that we can do things that embrace everyone,” Dr. Rome said. “If we are in the business of teaching, then we must be ready to embrace and allow people to speak out and not be faced with questioning who they are.”
Presidents Bynum and Glover agreed that universities should be a place where people can be who they are.
Drawing from his background as a sociologist, Bynum said he was dismissive of the long-held belief by “religious conservatives” that being gay is a lifestyle choice.
“For those in the black community who say being gay is a choice, science has proven them wrong,” said the MVSU president. “And the comparison of gay rights to civil rights has great merit because it all comes down to a mater of individual right.”
Dr. Glover, the longtime educator and trained lawyer, sees the issue as a matter of constitutional right.
“I am a strong supporter of the Constitution that tells one to be what they want,” Dr. Glover said. “We can’t close the doors on some and say we are diverse. Allowing people to be what they are is what diversity is.”
Among other issues, the presidents said resources, especially funding, was one of the main problems facing HBCUs. For instance, in Tennessee, it is not how many students you recruit but how many you graduate that determine funding level, Dr. Glover told her colleagues.
“So why we try to go the traditional recruitment route, we have to recruit in a certain way to carry out the mandate of the state, and remember to recruit students who can help us get funding,” Glover said.
On the question of how HBCUs can be a model for other institutions, the TSU president repeated her assertion that non-minority institutions should learn how HBCUs have remained successful in the face of limited resources.
The summit, which started Sunday, ends Tuesday.
Break-out sessions discussed topics including “The New HBCU: Does Diversity and Inclusion Impact the Relevance of HBCUs?”; “Beyond the Choir: Developing a Culture of Inclusion and Excellence”; “Repositioning HBCUs for the Future”; “Student Leadership Apprentices: Whose Mentor are You”; “Renovating Academy: Challenges Associated with a Diverse Faculty”; and “Exploring the Chemical Dynamics of an HBCU to the Global marketplace: A Possible Plausible STEM Transition.”
At a reception Monday night for summit participants in the Holiday Inn Express Downtown Nashville, Dr. Dennis Rahiim, CEO of the Center for Black Student Achievement, wowed the gathering with words of inspiration.
He was followed by Freedom Rider and Civil Rights Activist Dr. Ernest “Rip” Patton, who spoke about his role in organizing the first lunch counter sit-ins in Nashville in the early 1960s.
Later, President Glover, along with summit Chair, Dr. Jewell Winn, presented awards and gifts to sponsors and supporters including AT&T, NADOHE, HCA, AGB, APLU and the Tennessee Board of Regents.
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.
