NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After releasing a scathing 82-page report on the state of Tennessee State University, the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury presented his case Thursday to a Senate Ad Hoc Committee.
TSU president Glenda Glover also got the chance to respond to the criticism.
"There is no money missing or misappropriated. No money missing or misappropriated," said Dr. Glover to the committee.
That line got a round of applause from the scores of TSU students and alumni in attendance, which prompted a gaveling down from Chairman John Lundberg, R-Bristol.
"This is an exchange of information, this is not a sporting event," said Sen. Lundberg.
It may not have been a sporting event, but the TSU faithful were clad in their team's colors and each side tried their best to score points.
"It has amazing alumni, but right now, TSU is not a well-run organization," said Jason Mumpower, Tennessee's Comptroller of the Treasury.
In the special report, the Tennessee Comptroller laid out a case for major changes at TSU, focusing in on how TSU leadership knew they had a housing crisis yet quadrupled their 2022 scholarship budget anyway.
"Not only was TSU not prepared to serve these students in terms of housing, they were not prepared to serve them in classroom instruction, in staffing, in food service, in security," said Mumpower.
For the first time since the report was released, Glover defended her actions.
"We’re not perfect beings and we’re not proud of some of the challenges or mistakes that have been identified. We have to own that, and we do, but I am proud of how quickly we address any issue and the substantial progress we have made," said Dr. Glover.
Glover argued if the state had paid the university the $544 million they're owed, this wouldn't have been a problem in the first place. You may remember, a report last year discovered due to a state accounting error, TSU missed out on a lot of funding it should have received.
Glover also says they're adjusting their strategy when it comes to next year's enrollment.
"We heard you, we heard you, we’re going to manage our enrollment to align with our housing capacity," said Glover.
But is it enough to save Glover's job? We asked Lt. Governor Randy McNally.
"The problems that they’ve had there, I think that probably change is in order," said the Republican from Oak Ridge.
We also asked that question at a Tennessee Black Caucus news conference.
"Dr. Glover did an outstanding job responding to those," said Rep. Sam McKenzie, a D-Knoxville. "[Lt. Governor McNally] is just flat wrong on this one."
Lawmakers could also consider the Comptroller's suggestion of dissolving TSU's current Board of Trustees and placing their oversight back under the Tennessee Board of Regents, that currently only governs community and technical colleges. "A system that has no structure whatsoever to support a four-year institution. That is discrimination," said Glover.
We won't know who won this face-off until the committee eventually reconvenes, but to TSU students, it's certainly no game.
"We have a huge support system and we're all like family so when it comes to our school. We're all very serious, and we support each other," said Egypt Johnson, a TSU freshman who attended the hearing.
