Dr. Eric Stokes, Tennessee State’s vice president for enrollment management, outlined a multi‑year plan to grow and improve the quality of incoming classes by expanding lead generation, modernizing communications and adjusting scholarship strategy.

Stokes said the office has purchased about 50,000 ACT name records so far, is implementing Slate CRM to manage prospect, application and admit communications, and plans a December launch of the Common Application integration. He described the Slate implementation as the foundation for segmented campaigns (apply/complete/admit‑to‑commit), campus‑event tracking, prospect management and automated routing rules that speed decisions for high‑qualification applicants.

On partnerships and yield tactics, Stokes highlighted an upcoming direct‑admit initiative with the governor’s office that will deliver additional inquiries into Slate and flagged expanded outreach to school counselors and community colleges. He said campus events and an admitted‑student mailer are being paired with stronger FAFSA pushes and earlier confirmation/payment steps to lock in enrollment sooner.

The office also described a scholarship redesign intended to lower the university’s institutional discount rate (which Stokes said previously exceeded 60%) to a sustainable range of approximately 38–42 percent. New and reworked awards include Presidential Scholars, the Tennessee State Renaissance Scholarship, the 1912 Heritage Scholarship and the TSU Torch Scholarship. Stokes explained those awards are intentionally structured with GPA/ACT or “or” criteria to balance accessibility and fiscal sustainability.

Trustees asked about the MNPS Trailblazer scholarship and whether it could expand beyond Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. Stokes said the program was based on an existing MOU; it is designed as a last‑dollar complement to HOPE and Pell and could be broadened to other districts pending financial analysis by the university’s consultants.

What happens next: Enrollment management will continue Slate rollouts, evaluate direct‑admit yields once live, complete financial modeling for any district expansion of targeted scholarships and track admitted‑student yield through the spring cycle.

Provenance: Dr. Eric Stokes’ presentation and board Q&A (SEG 683–SEG 1622).

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the transcript of Dr. Eric Stokes’ report and trustees’ follow‑up questions.