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.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is partnering with FedEx to reinstitute a program that trains and develops students with top leadership skills to help them be even more competitive in the workforce.
Called “Leadership TSU,” 40 students – from freshmen to seniors – with demonstrated ability to lead, have been selected as the first cohorts of the program, which kicked off Jan. 20.
LTSU, considered the highest level of leadership training at the university, with 27 learning outcomes that have been modeled around the nation, closed out about seven years ago, according to Frank Stevenson, TSU’s dean of students.
“We are bringing it back under the same idea of developing top leaders at the university. We secured the funding and created the opportunity,” he said. “We pitched the idea to FedEx about creating an opportunity for students to learn some of their best practices, they immediately were on board.”
He said in addition to material and other support, FedEx will expose the cohorts to “some of the company’s leadership practices that fit in with what they do.” TSU faculty and national leadership training experts are also participating in the training.
Dr. Joseph Walker III, Chairmain of the TSU Board of Trustees, right, meets with Dean of Students Frank Stevenson during the LTSU cohorts’ visit to Dr. Walker’s residence. (Submitted Photo)
A component of the training program, Stevenson said, is to connect cohorts to successful individuals and groups “to share with our students and cohorts the habits of successful people.”
For instance, on Jan. 19, TSU Board of Trustees Chairman, Dr. Joseph Walker III, and his wife, Dr. Stephanie Walker, hosted the inaugural class of LTSU at their home. Dr. Joseph Walker, pastor of Nashville’s Mt. Zion Baptist Church, is presiding bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International, as well as chairman of the TSU Board of Trustees. His wife, Dr. Stephanie Walker, is a top pediatrician. They are authors of several books and publications.
“Leadership TSU is a game changer,” Bishop Walker said. “Dr. Stephanie and I were honored to host this group of extraordinary students. Their stories are powerful and their drive for success is contagious. The future looks bright and this program will be a major contributor.”
LTSU is a one-year program. To be nominated, students must maintain a minimum 2.5 grade point average. Stevenson said the current cohorts have a combined average GPA of 3.2, and were nominated by their deans, vice presidents, and the president.
“We wanted them (nominators) to identify those students who had already exhibited incredible leadership skills, and who really celebrate the best of TSU culture in terms of how they carry themselves. We asked them to also nominate those students, who in their mind, would best benefit from this training or this opportunity,” Stevenson said.
Donovan Stewart, the current Mr. Sophomore, is a member of the reinstituted LTSU. He said he is serious-minded and happy to be a part of such a diverse group of fellow students.
“It is a great feeling to be selected,” said Donovan, a nursing major from Birmingham, Alabama. “It is a great feeling to be acknowledged, not only for academics, but also leadership. And it is a good thing to get people from different backgrounds.”
As part of their initial activities, the group will visit the Tennessee State Capitol on Feb. 1 to hear about law and policy making from top elected officials, Stevenson said. In March, they will “make a social justice learning trip” to Washington, D.C.
TSU Assistant Dean of Students, Erica Gilmore, who is also at-large council member; and Tasha Andrews, director of student activities, coordinate LTSU along with Stevenson. Andrews spoke about the caliber of students in the program and why they were selected.
“As student affairs practitioners, we really understand that being a student leader goes beyond academic excellence. It is more about being well rounded and well cultivated,” she said. “We have students with 2.7 or 2.8. Some of them may have a low GPA, but they excel in other ways. It was important that we had a very diverse group. All of those students bring leadership traits that we admire and that are unique to each of them.”
Students interested in being selected for the 2020 class of Leadership TSU should contact the Office of the Dean of Students at (615) 963-2154 or fsteven1@tnstate.edu.mailloc.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – As a new school year begins, deans, admissions officials and staff are making all the stops to spread the word about the quality educational opportunities at Tennessee State University.
On Thursday, July 23, during a meeting of more than 90 Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools guidance counselors on the TSU campus, officials used the opportunity to remind them about the affordable cost of education at the University, that nearly 85 percent of students get employment immediately after graduation, and that a high number of graduates are accepted in graduate schools.
Since the counselors serve as a direct link between the schools and the University, the goal was to encourage them to steer their students and potential graduates toward post-secondary education at TSU, said Dr. John Cade, interim vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Support Services.
“We offer an affordable, quality education that prepares our students with the necessary skills and competencies to be successful,” Cade said. His remarks were followed by deans of the various colleges, who gave brief remarks on the uniqueness of their offerings and programs.
According to Dr. Gregory Clark, director of Alumni Outreach and High School Relations, 21 percent of TSU’s enrollment comes from Metropolitan Nashville Public High Schools.
“We look forward to admitting all of our potential students from Metro Schools this fall,” Cade added as he acquainted the counselors with University programs, registration requirements, tuition and fees, and scholarship opportunities.
Dwight Martin, right, of the College of Engineering at Tennessee State University, talks to visitors about offerings in his college during last year’s meeting of high school guidance counselors on the TSU campus. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
The architectural engineering program in the College of Engineering – one of only 20 in the nation – and a flight school program, one of only two in Tennessee, were among programs announced by the deans for their uniqueness.
Additionally, a global education which exposes students to the world around them through travel and study-abroad initiatives is just one of the many good reasons why “TSU is the go-to school,” the counselors were told.
With more than half of the counselors comprise of TSU students and graduates, the message about the quality of the University’s education was easy to get across.
During last year’s meeting of the counselors at TSU, Dr. Barbara Mullins, school counselor for the Freshman Academy at John Overton High School, who earned her doctorate from TSU, said the quality of a TSU education is comparable to the best anywhere.
“When I talk to students about TSU, I talk about the ‘TSU experience’ because I know about it first-hand,” Mullins said. “More than anything else, the personal care that comes with getting an education at TSU really stands out.”
Like Mullins, teacher recruitment is another key link between TSU and Metro Schools. The University remains a key pipeline to recruiting Metro and area teachers. Recent reports show that for the past three years, TSU has been one of the top teacher preparation programs in the state, providing exceptionally qualified candidates for teaching positions not only across Tennessee and the southern region, but right here in the University’s backyard with MNPS.
In 2012, 52 of the 553 new hires were from TSU, placing the University in the number one spot, with MTSU coming in a close second with 50 hires. Lipscomb, Trevecca and Vanderbilt came in at third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
Nationally, 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 provides HBCU students and their families with “valuable advice” about college admissions, campus life and financial aid resources. It said TSU’s undergraduate and graduate offerings and concentrations in biology, chemistry and elementary education made the school’s teacher preparation program more attractive.
“We are thrilled about this No. 1 ranking,” the dean of the College of Education, Dr. Kimberly King-Jupiter, 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.”
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.
