[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6202340,"mediaKeyId","3787426-6dfc8809cfb4ca4105578e1dab90e04d","parentId",3787426,"title","Legislative session yields funds for TSU programs and a law changing university board appointments","audioSeconds",1153,"startMs",9207000,"endMs",10360000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3787426-6dfc8809cfb4ca4105578e1dab90e04d&start=9207&end=10360","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3787426-6dfc8809cfb4ca4105578e1dab90e04d/thumbnail_9207000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6202340/Tennessee/Legislative-session-yields-funds-for-TSU-programs-and-a-law-changing-university-board-appointments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6202340-dbc890498382dacb7cdaa1dccd8f336c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770348849&Signature=Up0lYcq5sykfFA0spuaE0RfxmZGqNHNevbcSAVgi1mB4kFAIk~UGo4hD9eSrKop-C2jHB6zUB8uv4ZALpwHxsSbO4vnn0kpZEkKZeZukkaCLfDKP7OQHA6u2JUgpgn5NC7GnO67H0V-K1Rrl-S1XNzwhWu7fijfwakIpARFXAvAcsIq6z4jAtTtb49xMOfQN6hsMeBDhxeoE760Jv5VXW9IUWulA6rKar4CWZ18xIir78XzgF1GkQ9gCabsXXq29vjDzcPLo~VWcrbecke11AX2vIPi9WQqyV7nHGyuK5WocRN15Y8mCZNE~iDPaTVmiIBTL-fzgo4~J5WOW4O-roQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tennessee State University","date","2025-06-12T22:16:58Z","article","Leah Dupree Love, the university's legislative consultant, briefed trustees on June 12 about the 2025 Tennessee legislative session and its effect on Tennessee State University.

Key budget items: Ms. Dupree Love said the legislature included FY2025 funding targeted to several TSU initiatives: a McMinnville Center appropriation (about $1.6 million), funding for the Institute for Agriculture and Environmental Research (described as just over $6 million) and support for the TSU cooperative extension. She also noted the university received recurring outcome-growth funding tied to measures such as student progression and degree production; the figure reported in the presentation for TSU's outcome-growth allocation was included in the session materials (trustees were told that outcome-growth allocations vary across institutions and were compared in the briefing to peer institutions).

Board-appointment change: The governance briefing described a 2025 bill that increases university board membership from 10 to 12 and changes appointing authorities: the number of governor appointees is reduced from eight to six while the speakers of the Tennessee House and Senate each gain authority to appoint members. Ms. Dupree Love explained that the change applies to all public university boards and that board members whose terms end in 2027 (she named three trustees whose terms expire then) will be affected by the change when their appointments next arise. She emphasized that current members may be reappointed but that the appointing authority will change for seats coming open under the new law.

Other matters and next steps: The briefing covered procedural items including the sunrise/sunset review process under the Focus Act (the board's next review window was discussed) and noted the legislative session adjourned in April with the next regular session starting January 13, 2026. Ms. Dupree Love also summarized work with the president and Ingram Group to restore legislative relationships during the session.

Why it matters: Outcome-growth and targeted capital funding will help specific TSU programs, while the changes to board appointments alter the mix of appointing authorities and will affect how future trustee seats are filled. Trustees asked for clarification about how three trustees whose terms expire in 2027 will be treated under the new appointment rules; Ms. Dupree Love said the practical effect will be determined in 2027 when seats turnover and the new appointing authorities take effect.

Ending note: Trustees asked for follow-up materials; the governance office will circulate the memo of bills that passed and work with counsel to confirm how the new appointment law will be implemented for seats that come up in 2027.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","06-12-25 TSU Board of Trustees Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","A June 12 governance briefing summarized the 2025 legislative session: Tennessee State received targeted capital and outcome-based funding and state legislators passed a law that will change how university trustees are appointed, expanding boards and shifting two appointments to legislative leaders.","taxTitle","Tennessee State University, Public Universities, School Districts, Tennessee","taxId",79446,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6202341,"Audit committee flags recurring control gaps; trustees press for faster fixes and staffing",12620,4980000,17600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3787426-6dfc8809cfb4ca4105578e1dab90e04d&start=4980&end=17600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3787426-6dfc8809cfb4ca4105578e1dab90e04d/thumbnail_4980000.jpg","/articles/6202341/Tennessee/Audit-committee-flags-recurring-control-gaps-trustees-press-for-faster-fixes-and-staffing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6202341-043ec8edfab72fe6f6a7f4c42990b6d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770348849&Signature=MgHD4EXB7ixb999ZPqRdaVd0P9KlJvflyU~8N3lm01O~cpkcKfyC3XLD0rtKCgeJzKmmH6S4JGIwBWnYIcQpcIZkHoWEkcUeF8KbmmJAOqbt15A6mJW7vP5TsIBkDkopd~wmH4AC~VAtpWhpiiuz9sxIKaErQ9-TXeOfCh1xhW1TuQYIk2AkP-4Cszh3rs15pI5oHZfz01CjUYmu6cgSCE7~0KiNDfKbEW4wToy6uEmxIDduTtoTPVOoHoljn~F7LuGE8xRW~8-64Ur~l~CS~NeQK2MtanJJMKtp0GroY595Pkt05CLHfvQZT-zSAexPqIEN3pRKg-LqgUF4hzFuAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tennessee State University's audit committee received a comprehensive review of internal and external audit findings on June 12, and trustees and audit staff agreed the university must accelerate fixes for recurring control weaknesses. Presentations by Internal Audit Director Dr. Renee Forbes Williams and others summarized required federal and state reports and 15 combined findings from recent external audits.

The external reports referenced by internal audit included the State of Tennessee single audit for year end 06/30/2024, the FY2023 financial and compliance audit and a FY2023 Triple E report; the external audits issued clean opinions on financial statements but collectively identified 15 findings, several of them repeats. Noted repeat issues included delayed bank reconciliations (previously identified in multiple audits), weak controls over ledgers/grants/student fees, collection procedures for accounts receivable and Title IV deficiencies such as untimely refunding of Title IV credits and reporting of enrollment status.

Dr. Forbes Williams told trustees the internal audit office completed required reviews during the year but that investigations and complaint responses had consumed a significant portion of audit staff time. She said the office had received 27 allegations with possible merit in 2024 and had closed or submitted 15. Dr. Forbes Williams also described an internal laptop-inventory audit that found no university-wide policy and noted the controller and other key accounting roles have been vacant for months, limiting accounting and control capacity.

Trustees pressed administration for clear timelines, stronger enforcement of policy and for management-level accountability: several trustees asked that an agreed list of the highest-priority audit fixes be assigned to specific managers with deadlines. Interim President Tucker told trustees he had reorganized some reporting lines to free up leadership bandwidth: for example, payroll moved to HR and IT now reports to a strategic adviser, with the intent of allowing finance leadership to concentrate on closing the audit findings. He also said the administration is exploring outside help and said the university has advertised open accounting and audit roles but has struggled to attract candidates while public controversy and turnover have continued.

The audit committee approved the FY2025'026 internal audit plan, subject to obtaining an external readiness/quality assessment and securing additional audit hours from an external firm. Dr. Forbes Williams noted the internal office's prospective hours for required audits total about 1,290 and said total projected audit hours for the plan are about 3,890; she also said external assistance is expected but the contract was under legal review and not yet finalized at the meeting.

Why it matters: The committee's review documented both operational deficiencies (bank reconciliations, collections, Title IV compliance) and structural capacity gaps (vacant accounting and audit positions), and trustees directed management to accelerate remedial action because recurring findings expose the university to financial, regulatory and reputational risk.

Next steps: Internal audit will provide the committee with a prioritized remediation plan, including named managers, timelines and progress updates. Trustees also requested regular updates on hiring and any interim use of contractors to close control gaps.

Ending note: Trustees emphasized that policy updates, training and enforcement must be paired with sufficient staffing and project management to ensure repeat findings are resolved and do not resurface in future audits.","At the June 12 audit committee meeting, internal and external audits disclosed 15 combined findings including repeat items on bank reconciliations, accounts receivable collections and Title IV compliance; trustees pressed for policy updates, staffing and timelines to fix repeated issues.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6202346,"Advancement director reports $5.37 million raised year-to-date; corporate giving soft amid questions about university stability",2880,2537000,5417000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3787426-6dfc8809cfb4ca4105578e1dab90e04d&start=2537&end=5417","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3787426-6dfc8809cfb4ca4105578e1dab90e04d/thumbnail_2537000.jpg","/articles/6202346/Tennessee/Advancement-director-reports-537-million-raised-year-to-date-corporate-giving-soft-amid-questions-about-university-stability","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6202346-a3cf912d9d4fd4fe06ab9a8de3ac56cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770348849&Signature=Z92K4Bs2TnwLboUktMLkpWjprC6nu28CzAcvvX-1N1Rv30sbWVtuKgWA67Ebq1onHeA5mBVHCXJUo-7kkJoICIUxK7KV7hO5u9dnuFUCAji5LETRwCvlVtheR1wL5sdalWkPMXVxcM9pF7nTz2un6sX3XLoW140jWy4LzfPRms~eOcrs~8Alo0SbfGTGO48WL3e~18kTgqdRbDNm9qpYr0whhEUbIZ-FK8fHwnShUWr1u0W8i5vDzZS0D7u~7KOnoCUa~CsyKauVfIpPlARW40HhwXgeq-xTDyTpNW4PbxdMBikqTSsBYf-sWTgYePDS76V0hML-fVomT-LaaPrS~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tennessee State University's institutional advancement team reported on June 12 that it had secured roughly $5.37 million in donations through May 24, 2025, an increase in alumni giving but a drop in corporate contributions that the office attributed to concerns among corporate partners about leadership stability and execution.

Dr. Toney, who presented the advancement update to trustees, said corporate funding had softened and that faculty and staff had been working to restore corporate confidence by having the interim president participate in donor conversations. \"Many of our corporate partners have cited some concerns about the university regarding some of the narratives and some of the questionable stability,\" Dr. Toney said.

The presentation highlighted several positive indicators: a 15% year-over-year increase in alumni giving and a 134% increase in student giving, according to materials Dr. Toney summarized for trustees. Advancement staff also reported progress migrating donor records and fundraising workflows to the Blackbaud platform, which the team said will be complete by fall 2025 and is expected to improve stewardship, reporting and prospect segmentation.

Trustees asked detailed questions about the composition of giving, the amounts tied to one-time gifts versus recurring corporate commitments, and the status of foundation and alumni-chapter funds. Dr. Toney said some large one-time gifts in prior years (for example, an example cited in discussion was a major church donation) do not recur; other corporate commitments have been delayed while the university works to satisfy deliverables or rebuild relationships. She said the advancement office had identified about $15 million in foundation-held funds overall but that the foundation and the university need to analyze how much of that is truly unrestricted and available for university use.

Trustees also asked about new donor-engagement activities: class reunions raised roughly $434,258 as of the report, and a Day of Giving tied to Founders Day aims at a $300,000 target. Dr. Toney said alumni and student engagement efforts were showing early signs of momentum and noted ongoing stewardship work to deliver impact reports to donors.

Why it matters: Philanthropic revenue is a material part of the university's diversified revenue plan as the institution seeks to address budget gaps. Declines in corporate giving, if not reversed, increase pressure on tuition and state funding.

What trustees asked for: Multiple trustees requested follow-up data: final FY2024 and FY2025 year-end gift totals, a breakdown of how much giving is new money versus payments on prior pledges, the amount of unrestricted foundation funds, average and median gift sizes by donor category, and clarity on which corporate gifts were one-time versus recurring. Dr. Toney agreed to provide the requested figures.

Ending note: Advancement officials said they would continue donor stewardship, finalize Blackbaud migration, and brief trustees with updated, itemized data in the board packet to accompany the full-board meeting the following day.","Tennessee State's Institutional Advancement reported $5.37 million in donations through May 24, 2025, growth in alumni giving and student donors, but a decline in corporate contributions tied to donor concerns about university stability.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6202351,"Tennessee State trustees back 6% tuition increase as university faces roughly $39 million deficit",3415,720000,4135000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3787426-6dfc8809cfb4ca4105578e1dab90e04d&start=720&end=4135","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3787426-6dfc8809cfb4ca4105578e1dab90e04d/thumbnail_720000.jpg","/articles/6202351/Tennessee/Tennessee-State-trustees-back-6-tuition-increase-as-university-faces-roughly-39-million-deficit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6202351-d4a5171b0e720c900050ece253d06898/orig.mp4?Expires=1770348849&Signature=Cn-v0TV2hGI4yq3nKxrNi9JusdOAL0t1OczRyWvi1Y1tv937AHbvqS9paxsCWIyeeeKQYBZlcyUlYWkCObhpLILiLq2uCkA0CX6MRHAeU78sRUZ1GUIDtfoxVKj-OYnGz34dRx~2rdxNQkNLb7nFltbwzJ~hj3aWHm4k6B6D-STF1TpKwIOWMeVhVah2njW3vjWcGb51n~ydpCWAw2~j7Bbg45ygpK4LvuXqJlVA4TeSB6k~zF1FhuFo7p9B96ZGyGUE0wNJs0EjdjDh0UlGLPQfKlbFdV2KMAYnTFfwxlFqVqlA5FNjGi4q97o0YpgHROwDpeHvI1-DKe2qPs9~ow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tennessee State University's finance committee recommended a 6% increase in maintenance and mandatory tuition and fees for 2025'1, and approved motions to forward both the university's FY2024'025 estimated budget and the FY2025'026 proposed budget to the full Board of Trustees.

The increase, presented to the Finance Committee on June 12, would raise in-state maintenance and mandatory fees by 6% and apply a 6% increase to maintenance and mandatory fees for out-of-state categories except the out-of-state tuition premium, which the presenter said would be held. The committee's actions followed a presentation from Jim Grady of Alvarez and Marcel, who said the university currently faces about a $39 million budget deficit and that the institution must \"take actions right now\" to address it. \"It's got a $39,000,000 budget deficit right now in the proposed budget,\" Grady said.

The finance presentation tied the proposed tuition increase to several elements of an overall deficit remediation plan that Grady summarized as a four-pronged approach: scholarship reductions, personnel cost reductions, operational (non-personnel) cost reductions and other revenue strategies. He told trustees that the university had already identified approximately $20'$25 million in deficit reduction measures and that personnel and non-personnel reductions each accounted for roughly $9'$10 million of that total so far.

Grady showed trustees projections the committee had shared earlier with state reviewers: a five-year funding request of about $95 million and a pro forma that had initially assumed a roughly $35 million deficit for FY2026. He said current budgeting work, including the proposed 6% tuition and fee increase, now shows a deficit in the proposed FY2026 budget slightly under $39 million. Grady said the difference between including and excluding the 6% increase is several million dollars and that not taking the increase would shift the burden elsewhere in the budget, potentially affecting classes and student services.

Trustees pressed presenters on enrollment assumptions and the effect of a proposed \"purge\" (a registration hold process) and other enrollment-control measures. Grady estimated the number of students potentially affected by the purge at \"somewhere around a thousand\" and warned that lower-than-expected enrollment would force deeper cuts. Grady and trustees discussed vacancy-driven personnel savings, including a plan to realize about $15 million of personnel cost reductions by leaving open identified noncritical positions and better position control.

After questions and debate the finance committee took three roll-call votes to forward recommendations to the full board: recommending the 6% tuition and mandatory fee increase, approving the FY2024'025 estimated budget, and approving the FY2025'026 proposed budget. Secretary roll calls recorded Trustees Norfleet, Traver and Winton voting \"yes\" on each measure and the chair announced each motion passed.

Why it matters: The trustee actions are intended to help the university narrow a multi-year budget gap as administrators implement a mix of revenue measures (including the tuition increase) and cost reductions. Trustees and presenters repeatedly linked near-term choices about scholarships, hiring and course scheduling to enrollment performance and to longer-term sustainability.

Trustees and administrators said follow-up will include closer monitoring of enrollment, additional deficit-reduction steps and continued scrutiny of vacant positions and contract/vendor savings. Several trustees urged continued work to quantify how proposed cuts and enrollment changes would affect student services and academic programs.

Ending note: The committee forwarded its recommendations to the full board; the full board is scheduled to act on the tuition and budgets at the university's board meeting following the committee actions.","After a presentation outlining a multi-year fiscal shortfall, the finance committee voted to recommend a 6% increase in maintenance and mandatory fees for 2025–26 and to forward the university's estimated and proposed budgets to the full board for approval.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Legislative session yields funds for TSU programs and a law changing university board appointments

Audit committee flags recurring control gaps; trustees press for faster fixes and staffing

Advancement director reports $5.37 million raised year-to-date; corporate giving soft amid questions about university stability

Tennessee State trustees back 6% tuition increase as university faces roughly $39 million deficit