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ThursdayJanuary 26, 2023

The historic underfunding of Tennessee State University, and what comes next

Courtesy Tennessee State University / Facebook
A federal analysis shows TSU was underfunded more than any other public land-grant HBCU in the country.
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On Monday, Jan. 16, Tennessee State University announced its plans to spend a $250 million lump sum from the state on improvements to its campus. The money comes after the bipartisan Joint Land-Grant Institution Funding Study Committee found that between 1956 and 2006, the state of Tennessee underfunded Tennessee State University by as much as $544 million. The state’s other land-grant school, the University of Tennessee, was fully funded over this period.

We explore how this infusion of money will be used at TSU, and look at the history of how this underfunding came to light.

But first, we respond to your feedback in our weekly @ Us! segment.

Guests:

  • Antonio Renfroe, TSU student
  • Frank Stevenson, TSU associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students
  • Dr. Andrea Ringer, TSU assistant professor of history
  • Rep. Harold Love Jr., chair of the Joint Land-Grant Institution Funding Study Committee
  • Brittany L. Mosby, executive director of HBCU success on the Tennessee Higher Education Commission

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