Two years ago, an unaffiliated group of alumni known as the Tougaloo College Alumni Coalition for Change called for the resignation of all top executives at the college, citing concerns with low student enrollment and questionable financial and administrative practices. A month later, then-president Carmen Walters announced her resignation.
According to a new report from the Clarion Ledger, the Tougaloo College Faculty Senate has been unsatisfied with the historically Black college’s senior leadership for years and recently issued multiple votes of no confidence targeting Tougaloo’s current president, Donzell Lee; provost, Josiah Sampson III, and registrar, Pam England.
In a March 19, 2025 memo to Blondean Davis, chair of the college’s board of trustees, the faculty senate cited several areas of concern regarding the college’s Office of Academic Affairs and Office of the Registrar.
The senate’s memo states the college has operated without a published catalogue since 2023, leaving the HBCU without proper records of its curriculum and academic policies. The memo alleges that the current administration has made policy changes without consulting the faculty, with many faculty members stating they have learned of policy updates after implementation. Furthermore, the memo states the 2025-2026 calendar has not yet been reviewed by the faculty senate.
In addition to improper policy practices, the faculty senate has concerns that the college’s administration is not prioritizing faculty hiring. Instead, many administrative salaries have significantly increased in recent years, while faculty salaries have remained stagnant and tenure-track positions have decreased.
Finally, the memo mentions an overall lack of transparency from Registrar England, stating she has overstepped her role by disregarding protocols and implementing her own audit processes. The senate initially issued a vote of no confidence in England in 2024. As concerns are still unaddressed a year later, the senate issued a second vote of no confidence for England, alongside votes of no confidence for Provost Sampson and President Lee.
In an email to the Clarion Ledger, President Lee wrote, “As an institution committed to academic excellence, shared governance, and transparency, we take the concerns of our faculty seriously, as evidence in my monthly meetings with Faculty Senate leadership.”
He continued, “While we respect the rights of faculty to voice their perspectives, it is also important to uphold institutional integrity and due process as we work toward a path forward that reflects the best interests of the college and its constituents.”
