Tougaloo president refutes claims of alumni group that seeks her ouster

Tougaloo College President Carmen J. Walters said a recent attempt by an alumni group to remove her as the university's president does not reflect the views of the greater body of Tougaloo graduates, and she called their allegations false.

As of Monday morning, 1,445 people had signed a petition towards a goal of 1,500 signatures advocating for a leadership change at the private 153-year-old historically black college in Jackson.

The Tougaloo College Alumni Coalition for Change has posted an online petition requesting the removal of the school’s current President Carmen J. Walters due to “repeated failures by the administration” concerning low enrollment, uninhabitable living conditions, and questionable fiscal practices.

Walters said the alumni coalition is not reflective of the official Tougaloo Alumni Association.

"This is a group of alums outside of the Alumni Association of Tougaloo College that is calling themselves a coalition," Walters said. "That group is seeking my removal, but the Tougaloo Committee Board and the Alumni of Tougaloo College directly are not seeking my removal."

Walters said she had no prior knowledge as to why the coalition wanted her removed as President and that the things put into question about her administration were false.

"Every alum is not a part of the Tougaloo Alumni Association," Walters said. "The role I play today and since my arrival coincides with the Alumni Association at Tougaloo College and the Board. When I arrived in 2019, during the COVID-19 period, I started having quarterly meetings with the Executive committee and chapter officers to keep everyone up to date. Over the years, I've tried my best to hold on to what is good for Tougaloo College. Small Colleges are suffering, and enrollment is one of the main areas."

President of the Alumni Association of Tougaloo College, Joyce Small Delk, offered no comment when asked about the coalition's movement.

According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, total undergraduate enrollment nationwide in degree-granting postsecondary institutions decreased by 9 % (from 17.5 million to 15.9 million students) from 2009 to 2020.

However, the NCES projects that between fall of 2020 and 2030, total undergraduate enrollment will increase by 8 % to 17.1 million students.

Tougaloo officials did not respond to repeated requests for the university's official enrollment figures. U.S. News, which maintains a popular annual ranking for universities and liberal arts colleges, takes self-reported data from universities and lists Tougaloo undergraduate enrollment at 687 as of 2021.

Tougaloo is ranked No. 151 by U.S. News in its National Liberal Arts College rankings. Millsaps College, by comparison, is ranked No. 136. Tougaloo is ranked No. 12 in the U.S. News HBCU rankings, tops among state HBCUs. Jackson State is ranked No. 19.

Walters said the focus had been inward by doubling the endowment, which was $14 million in 2019 but now sits at $31 million, making necessary changes to buildings with historical relevance and increasing enrollment.

Tougaloo group calls for change: Tougaloo College Alumni Coalition for Change seeks to remove current president

"I'm very proud of our efforts to raise money for Tougaloo College," Walters said. "We have partnered with large corporations and donors to help create an avenue for diversity, equity, and inclusion by simply telling our story and how they can support us. Tougaloo is a 150-year-old institution with buildings you can't tear down. We've done work on the chapel on other monumental buildings on campus. Now our focus is enrollment."

Walters said despite the coalition's concerns, she looks forward to her continuous service to Tougaloo College and efforts to connect with students.

"It was difficult for everyone trying to grow enrollment at Tougaloo College the last two years," Walters said. "We've all tried, but it has been challenging. To help with growing enrollment, we now have a partnership with the United Negro College Fund. UNCF has a $170 million grant from Blue Meridian Partners, a company designed to help small HBCUs such as Tougaloo College with enrollment. Of those funds, consultants are brought in to help us construct our process and change how we do admissions and financial aid."

Walters said she wanted high school students considering enrolling at Tougaloo College next semester to know that not only does the institution make doctors, lawyers, and leaders but also makes an impact on the world.

"When you think about an alum such as U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson saving America's democracy, that is leadership," Walters said. "When you think about alums such as Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, who is suing Mississippi because he wants equity and justice, that is why you want to come to Tougaloo. We make leaders and scholars."

Follow Clarion Ledger Breaking News and Trending Reporter Joshua Williams on Twitter @Bishoopp_ or email him at JLWilliams1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Tougaloo College president says claims alumni group are false