The president of Tennessee State University announced her retirement Monday. After more than a decade leading the school, Dr. Glenda Glover will step down at the end of the academic year.
Glover says one of her proudest accomplishments as president of TSU has been raising its profile to compete on a national level. She shared this anecdote at the announcement:
“I had a student who said to me … that ‘TSU is my first choice, and Howard is my second choice.’ So I thought that was a good statement,” she said with a chuckle.
Under her leadership, the historically Black university has attracted more grant money and boosted enrollment to record levels. Glover said “it’s time” for her to move on, and that she’s accomplished all goals she set out to achieve.
Yet, as TSU alumnus Gerald Durley said, this is not the end of Glover’s career.
“She is not retiring; she is rewiring!” Durley said. “She has got other things to do on a grander scale.”
Glover said she wants to use her voice on a national platform to fight for equal access to higher education. She also expressed interest in other national issues, like how students learn about history, reproductive rights and voting rights.
“My next move is going to be assisting those who are so often left behind, those who can’t really fight for themselves sometimes,” she told WPLN News.
Glover said she hasn’t decided yet how she’s going to achieve that, and she’s still looking for the right platform. Though, she did note she’s not considering a run for public office.
Her departure comes after criticism from the state over the mismanagement of finances and a lack of housing. A state audit scrutinized the school’s increase in scholarship funding and enrollment without having enough dorms to accommodate students. But for decades, the state underfunded TSU by as much as $544 million.
Tennessee has begun the process of making up those funds. The university received $250 million earlier this year, but it cannot be spent on auxiliary facilities, like dorms. Still, TSU Dean of Students Frank Stevenson told This Is Nashville in January that the funding can help add housing indirectly, by freeing up the school’s credit.
The path ahead
An interim president has not yet been named. Student Government Association President Derrell Taylor shared his hopes for the school’s next leader.
“I believe that it can be challenging within higher education to find genuine and authentic leadership, and Dr. Glover was a prime example of what that looked like. So, I’m really hoping that the next university president has that same level of intention and passion and dedication to the students.”
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