Tennessee State University selects Dwayne Tucker, CEO of LEAD Public Schools, as new interim president

Dwayne Tucker (Photo by LEAD Public Schools)

The Tennessee State University Board of Trustees has selected LEAD Public Schools CEO Dwayne Tucker to lead the university, following Interim President Ronald Johnson’s resignation on Wednesday.

According to University leaders, the TSU graduate and Board of Trustees member will step down from the board to serve as interim President and will take a break from his role at LEAD to focus on TSU. Tucker’s appointment was announced during a special called meeting on Friday.

TSU Board of Trustees Chair Dakasha Winton said in a public statement that Tucker’s experience on the board and in education will play a key role in ongoing efforts at the university to avoid a $46 million deficit.

"This decision is in service of that priority," Winton said in a statement. "We are deeply grateful to Dwayne for making the sacrifice to serve TSU in this way. As a proud and accomplished TSU alum with proven leadership in addressing complex issues while developing innovative paths forward, he is uniquely capable of leading us through this important and challenging time."

Among other priorities, Tucker will be tasked with leading initiatives to stabilize the university’s financial situation, such as the Trajectory Change Initiative that was spearheaded by Johnson. University officials under Johnson’s leadership said last month that the university will seek funding from external sources, such as repurposed COVID-19 funds and donations from fundraisers, to help mitigate financial difficulties. The new plan is expected to leave TSU with a $3.7 million surplus.

Tucker said he plans to increase stakeholder engagement moving forward.

“I plan to arrive at the president's office at 7.30 a.m. on Monday and begin the work that we need to focus on in order to move Tennessee State University forward. I do recognize that the staff, faculty, and students are out for the holidays until next year, but I do think it's worthwhile for myself to spend some time during the break to connect with all of our stakeholders, students, families, communities, faculty, staff, and more importantly, the alumni,” Tucker said during Friday’s special called meeting.

“Hopefully, through that process, we can close out 2024 with a better understanding of the challenges facing Tennessee State University,” he continued. “And many of those challenges are quite significant.”

The shift comes weeks after a November State Building Commission meeting where Tennessee lawmakers continued to criticize TSU leaders for financial mismanagement, which led state legislators to oust TSU’s board in March.  University supporters have however continually made the case TSU has been underfunded compared to other state institutions that are not historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Johnson said during that meeting that much of today’s financial difficulties are the result of “outdated financial practices” under previous administrations that long predated his six-month tenure. However, he said many universities today are experiencing similar hardships as well after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The sector is contending with structural budget deficits and sustainability challenges. Even prominent institutions, including Big Ten universities, have reported substantial operating deficits signaling a broader issue,” he said at that meeting.