Nashville’s historically Black college, Tennessee State University (TSU), is in dire straits and recently let go of 114 employees in an attempt to shore up its faltering budget. These layoffs follow the state’s failure to continue funding the university’s payroll needs, raising questions about the institution’s long-term viability, as FOX 17 reported.
TSU’s financial situation has gotten so bad that the state had to take money out of the 2025 budget too soon in order to start the 2024 academic year. This involved the liquidation of $32 million that had been originally set aside for a school agriculture facility, according to a NewsChannel 5 update. The problem is made worse by the fact that TSU’s payroll costs, which range from $18 to $20 million each month, are beyond the existing budget.
Ronald Johnson, the university’s acting president, told lawmakers in a statement that TSU is making “purposeful and decisive steps” toward financial recovery, according to NewsChannel 5. Johnson promised that in spite of the challenges, their strategy remained “unwavering”. However, due to a history of underfunding, there are increasing calls for the state to address what lawmakers like Rep. G.A. Hardaway describe as a systematic lack of funding for education.
TSU students and alumni have united against state officials’ demands, including the suggestion to sell up the downtown Avon Williams Campus, in a defiant protest against proposed austerity measures. “They’re suggesting that TSU sell the land in downtown Nashville to raise money, but that’s problematic because there are books in those archives, right up on that hill, that demonstrate that the state of Tennessee is aware that it owes TSU $2.1 billion. “That’s without the interest,” TSU alumnus Barry Barlow told WSMV4, citing government reports to back up his assertion.
The stakeholders at TSU continue to hold the view that the state should first pay off the substantial amount of historical debt it owes the university, even though state officials such as Comptroller Jason Mumpower have proposed necessary fiscal measures, such as drastically reducing academic programs and giving the board of trustees emergency powers. Rep. Hardaway emphasized in his demand for prompt state action that “the federal government and state auditors have made it clear TSU is owed over $2 billion,” according to NewsChannel 5.
The TSU community is still dealing with the effects of the financial crisis in the meantime, wondering if the planned sales and budget cuts will jeopardize the core values and goals of the venerable university that continues to serve as a cornerstone for many in the community.
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