TSU Alumni Association endorses one of its own as university's next president

If the Tennessee State University National Alumni Association has their way, Glenda Glover will be the university’s next president.

Following the four presidential candidates’ campus visits this week, the alumni association sent the TSU presidential search committee a letter endorsing Glover on Friday. Glover is currently the dean of the College of Business at Jackson State University.

Robert Greene, TSUNAA’s general counsel, said the association had representatives at all of the candidates’ forums — and alumni from around the country watched the forums on a live stream via the Internet.

“When you look on paper, how many people do you know with a bachelor’s, a Ph.D., a J.D., a C.P.A. ... She’s had substantial administrative experience, she’s worked in the private sector,” Greene said. “She’s had experience at [historically black colleges and universities], and she’s had experience at predominantly white institutions.”

Glover also has another thing going for her in the eyes of TSU alumni: she’s one of them. Glover earned her undergraduate degree in math from TSU in 1974.

“It’s a no-brainer to me ... and it’s not just me,” Greene said. “We’ve talked to legislators, we’ve talked to council persons, we’ve talked to former administrators and other alumni. As of yet, I’ve not had anybody say, ‘I’m not supporting her.’

“We want to make sure the governor and the chancellor know what the sentiment of the people is.”

Community leader Rev. Enoch Fuzz of Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville confirmed that there’s been a groundswell of support for Glover. Roughly a dozen people, he said, have voiced their support for her in conversations over the last several days.

The other candidates for the job include Ainsley Carry, vice president for student affairs at Auburn University; Bennie Harris, vice president of development and alumni relations at Lipscomb University; and Candace Campbell Jackson, vice president and chief of staff at the University of Akron.

Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor John Morgan will receive feedback from the search committee and make a recommendation to the board “within a few weeks” after the campus visits, according to the TBR’s website.