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Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: Campus News

President Melvin N. Johnson speaks at the Southern Heritage Classic Scholarship luncheon in Memphis.( Kenneth Cummings)

TSU President Melvin N. Johnson speaks at the annual Admissions Luncheon during homecoming on yesterday. (Kenneth Cummings)

Beginning his presidency at TSU in 2005, President Melvin N. Johnson has gained much support from students and the Nashville community. Johnson has also made changes and plans for the future, but many of the alumni feel as if the president is doing a poor job.

But some members of the Memphis alumni chapter of the TSU Alumni Association started a petition stating they feel TSU is in desperate need of a new president. They mainly want to know why a lot of things that have occurred on campus recently took place. One example is the university hiring consultants to plan and develop events while well qualified staff members were fired without an evaluation or a 30 day notice.

" We even made copies of the petitions and got alumni to sign it if they were displeased with the actions of President Johnson," said Celestine Lowe a 1957 graduate of TSU from Memphis.
The petitions the Memphis alumni chapter started have been given to the governor of Tennessee, Phil Bredesen, and to the Tennessee Board of Regents.

"The idea of the petitions that are being signed is to flood them with signatures from everyone," said Dr. Raymond Richardson, professor of physics and mathematics and advisor to the president for a year and a half.

According to Richardson, everyone thought Johnson would be a great president because of the way he presented himself, how he spoke and how he addressed university issues.

"President Johnson said that he would incorporate a 10/90 plan," Richardson said referring to a plan in which (Johnson) would address 10 issues within 90 days.

Richardson admits that he realizes Johnson has not been here long, but it is time for a change to come about.

"The first three months that Johnson was here went smoothly. The alumni, faculty, community (blacks and whites) gave him the benefit of the doubt," Richardson said.

Dwanna Washington, a senior criminal justice major from Mason, Tenn., said, "I think President Johnson is doing a great job. It's just his second year, he has nothing but great things planned for TSU."

Richardson says TSU had a relationship with IBM (International Business Machines), the seventh from the top of the fortune 500 companies and Johnson has " cut the opportunity off."

Another reason alumni, faculty, staff and students are petitioning against Johnson is the problems in Aeronautical and Industrial Technology (AIT), a study which teaches people how to fly.

The AIT department began to receive many students from other departments as well as other schools because of how well they were progressing.

Due to the over flow of students in the engineering department, the shortage of teachers became a major problem. The dean of engineering asked if the position could be advertised, and people who expressed interest were interviewed. Many of the interviews were not hired.

"A letter was then sent to the former vice-president of academic affairs and then sent to President Johnson," Richardson said. "Again President Johnson didn't do anything with the letter and sent it back to former vice-president of academic affairs."

The issue being taken lightly resulted in students not graduating because of the lack of faculty. Many classes were not offered based on the shortage in AIT. The president received this information a year before the class was scheduled to graduate.

Jonathan Miller, a senior engineering major from Jackson, Tenn., said, "It does seem as if the president isn't doing a good job as being the head administrator. However, he is human and he can only do one thing at a time. President Johnson will prevail."

Johnson's biggest fault to date according to Richardson was the issue of the desegregation Geier case of 1968. The TBR agreed to support the land grant for TSU's request along with The Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

"We were able to talk with the governor and set up a meeting to get funds," Richardson said.

Richardson continued in his disappointment. "Prior to their meeting with the governor, (Bredesen) advised President Johnson that he didn't want a presentation made during their conference."

After numerous warnings Johnson made a presentation to the governor anyway and as a result TSU did not receive any money for the case from him.

"Bredesen was immediately disappointed with Johnson beyond reason", Richardson said.•
At press time, Johnson was not available for comment.

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