A state subcommittee on Monday set a timeframe for Tennessee State University’s board of trustees to address ongoing issues at the school.
The hearing followed a recent audit by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury outlining communication, finance and housing-related issues that have cropped up at the historically Black public university.
“TSU management has repeatedly fallen short of sound fiscal practices, adequate documentation, and responsive communications to concerned parents and students,” reads the report’s key conclusion. “In addition, there have been repeated inconsistencies between testimony given by TSU officials to state officials and actions later carried out.”
State audits of TSU have identified management issues dating back years, though TSU supporters have noted that underfunding by the state over the course of generations has helped cause some of those issues.
Members of the comptroller’s office on Monday presented their findings to the Joint Subcommittee on Education, Health and General Welfare, along with a plethora of suggested policy considerations. Suggestions included placing TSU under the direction of the Board of Regents, reconfiguring TSU’s current board of trustees, replacing TSU management, increasing reporting on aspects like scholarship and enrollment information and more. Additionally, the report suggests increasing on-campus housing options, which have not met demand in recent years. While TSU representatives defended the university, they also agreed that some improvements are necessary and expressed their commitment to cooperate.
“We’ve heard you,” said TSU president Glenda Glover. “That’s what I want you to know, we have heard you. When you say that we shouldn't have that many students, we've heard you. So what we're going to do is tighten up our procedures even more.”
The subcommittee unanimously voted to recommend an extension of TSU’s board of trustees for another year with continued reporting requirements.
