Tennessee State president maps out next steps to restore $2.1 billion in underfunding

Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover gave an update Thursday on where things stand after the federal government said the school was shorted $2.1 billion by Tennessee over the last three decades.

President Joe Biden's administration sent letters to 16 state governors pointing to $13 billion in total underfunding for their historically Black land-grand universities on Sept. 19. The $2.1 billion shortfall at TSU topped that list.

The letter addressed to Gov. Bill Lee called for a "substantial state allocation" for TSU, along with a two-to-one match for any future federal funds that flow into the school. The university is a land-grant school, meaning it is public and draws funding from state and federal sources. The University of Tennessee, with five campuses statewide, is the only other land-grant university in Tennessee.

Glover said students have come back to her in tears after traveling to UT campuses and seeing the disparities in the quality of the facilities and resources compared to TSU.

“It was a very emotional moment,” Glover told the board. “They were saying, ‘Why? Why would they do us like this? What did we do wrong? Why is TSU treated like this?’”

Underfunding is not a new subject for TSU. In 2021, a state estimate said the university had been underfunded by anywhere from $151 million to $544 million over the course of 60 years. In response, Lee helped pass $250 million in one-time infrastructure funding for the school last year.

Here's what Glover, students and other leaders said Thursday during an update given to the university's board of trustees.

Dig deeper: Biden administration says Tennessee State University has been underfunded. Here's what that means.

Glover details proposed next steps

Glover included a series of next steps in her presentation to the board as conversations with Lee and state lawmakers continue. She said the university is developing a timeline and plan for the recovery of the funds owed to TSU.

Glover included a tentative five-year underfunding restoration plan with the following figures:

• Year 1: $285 million

• Year 2: $450 million

• Year 3: $450 million

• Year 4: $450 million

• Year 5: $512 million

The restoration of funds would prioritize things like student success, program enhancements and campus improvements. For example, Glover said, the proposed Year 1 plan includes money to upgrade research programs to attain research level 1 status, funds for a science, technology, engineering and mathematics center, a boost to the university’s endowment and scholarship funds and money for the academic sports complex, including a new football stadium.

Glover said she’s been encouraged by her meetings with state and federal lawmakers, along with students, as they press the state to make up for the underfunding. She called for patience as they continue to work together.

How the feds determined $2.1 billion in underfunding

Glover mapped out how the Biden administration arrived at the $2.1 billion figure on Thursday, explaining that it drew from a federal study based on National Center for Education Statistics data.

Tennessee Rep. Harold Love Jr., D-Nashville, led the 2021 effort to study underfunding at TSU. Earlier this year, he told The Tennessean his study and the federal study drew from "different buckets of funding."

Love looked at matching funds Tennessee did not provide for federal grants. The Biden administration compared how much money Tennessee spent per student at the University of Tennessee and compared it to what was provided to TSU.

Glover repeatedly emphasized that a clear understanding of the matter was the first order of business on Thursday. She presented an in-depth slideshow that broke down the numbers, leaving time for board discussion at the end of the two-hour meeting.

"It takes a lot of educating," Glover told the board.

TSU students meet with Tennessee, federal officials

Derrell Taylor, president of the university's Student Government Association, told the board he and other students have also traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with federal lawmakers and have spoken with Lee's office and state officials. He hopes students can be part of leading the charge to tackle the issue and find a solution.

Taylor said they plan to invite Tennessee lawmakers to visit campus as the next legislative session draws near.

“We don't want them to be present in these sessions in January and not even have stepped foot on our campus,” he said. “We want to take the opportunity to make sure that they're interacting with us in real time, so that they understand how important it is … that we are receiving adequate resources and equal opportunities for education.”

Chrishonda O'Quinn, vice president of the Student Government Association, said she and others formed a student task force after the underfunding news made headlines in September. The team has hosted meetings, created advertisements to raise awareness and engaged community members to advocate for TSU. They also hosted a town hall meeting in October, where well-known civil rights attorney Ben Crump spoke.

“Students are tired of having a lack of resources and so much talent,” O’Quinn said Thursday. “We’re ready to fight, and we want to make sure that they direct that toward the proper individuals.”

During a discussion later in the meeting, board members expressed concerns over whether the state would readily accept the $2.1 billion figure. One speculated that the matter would end up in court, while another said a negotiation may be the best path. The board ultimately adopted a resolution to work together with university leaders, the governor and state lawmakers to implement a plan to correct the funding model.

TSU draws scrutiny over management, housing shortage

The university has been mired in controversy in recent months after it was audited by the state comptroller.

TSU had record-high enrollment last fall, but rising rent in Nashville coupled with a shortfall in campus housing led to the university placing students in local hotel rooms. Released in February, the audit report cited poor planning at the university when it launched an extensive enrollment campaign and boosted scholarship funds despite being aware of the critical housing shortage.

Tennessee State Comptroller Jason Mumpower said the housing issue was "only a symptom of a much larger management problem," and the report highlighted "management's disregard of basic financial controls."

Audit: Poor planning, more scholarships led to TSU student housing shortage

Republican lawmakers made a proposal to vacate the TSU board, which drew staunch opposition from Glover and others. While Glover owned up to the mistakes TSU made in the push to draw more students, she also defended the school and cited its growth under her tenure.

Glover also pointed out TSU would be in a better financial position to handle the housing crisis had it been appropriately funded.

“To remove or dismantle TSU leadership at this point in time would not only hurt and destroy the legacy of TSU but will cause irreparable harm to our students and their families,” she told a special Senate committee in February. “It’s time to support TSU and not destroy TSU.”

Presidential search moves forward at TSU

Board Chair Deborah Cole closed the meeting with a brief update on the ongoing search for a new university president. Glover said she will retire at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.

The firm Academic Search has been hired to help with the process, according to materials provided by the board. ApTaskGlobal will also aid Academic Search. The search committee will include TSU staff, students, community members and stakeholders, among others.

From September: Tennessee State University approves first steps in search for new president

The first search committee meeting is not yet set, but it's expected to fall in the weeks before or after Thanksgiving, the materials said. A timeline for the process will be finalized and released at a later time, Cole said. The board will have the final say on selecting a new president.

Todd Price and Kelly Puente contributed to this story.

Reach reporter Rachel Wegner at RAwegner@tennessean.com or find her on Twitter @RachelAnnWegner.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: HBCU underfunding: Tennessee State president outlines next steps