Ronald Johnson, who has served as interim president of Tennessee State University for the past six months, has abruptly resigned his position. He was scheduled to serve as president until June 30, 2025. It appears that his decision to resign was made after pressure from the board of trustees.
“As the appointed board of trustees for Tennessee State University, our job is to ensure the future strength of the school through thoughtful and decisive governance,” TSU board chair Dakasha Winton said in a statement. “In service of this commitment, and as board chair, I spoke with interim president Dr. Johnson about separating from the university. He has chosen to resign and tendered his resignation.”
As JBHE reported last week, administrators recently informed the university’s board of trustees that the university was heading towards a $46 million deficit by the end of the current academic year on June 30, 2025. This year, undergraduate enrollment at Tennessee State University dropped by a staggering 23.5 percent, while graduate enrollment decreased by over 12 percent. Most notably, enrollment in first-year programs dropped by over 50 percent, causing an estimated $28 million reduction in expected revenues.
Dr. Johnson previously served as interim president of Kentucky State University, and was president of Clark Atlanta University for three years. He has held faculty appointments with Texas Southern University, Florida A&M University, and Howard University, as well as Northeastern University in Boston.
Dr. Johnson is a graduate of Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, where he received his bachelor’s degree in economics and MBA in finance. He holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University in California.
The university’s board of trustees has appointed Dwayne Tucker, a Tennessee State University alumnus as the new interim president of the university. He has served on the board since April and will give up his board seat while serving as interim president. Tucker is the CEO of LEAD Public Schools, a network of five charter middle and high schools in the Nashville area. About 80 percent of the students at LEAD Public Schools are Black or Hispanic.
“I am both honored and humbled by this appointment,” Tucker said in a statement. “As a proud TSU alum, I care deeply about securing the strongest possible future for my alma mater and for the students who entrust us with their education. This is why I have served all along. We have serious and important work to do, and I look forward to joining the board in doing that work transparently and with integrity. It’s the TSU way.”
