The effect of HBCU hiring styles on student morale

The leader behind an HBCU is just as significant as the students, as they act as the stepping stone for student voice and culture. According to the “Medium” Blog, the hiring board of trustees at non-specific HBCUs focused on experience, such as those who had held the presidency elsewhere, where they were able to reach tenure. When analyzing the American Council on Education’s survey on college presidential hiring, The Medium found that first-time presidents with no HBCU experience lasted an average of four years, which is something boards continuously overlook. This change is important as less experienced presidents fail to align with students, therefore failing to do what is best for the student body. The hiring styles of Florida A&M University and Tennessee State University display just how crucial presidential selection is to student voices and morale.

Florida A&M University

In June of 2025, Marva Johnson was appointed by the Board of Governors as President of FAMU. As stated by floridaphoenix.com, Johnson was the chair of the Florida Board of Education during the time that Governor Ron DeSantis began serving as the Governor of Florida. Ron DeSantis is a republican who has been a critic of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program. Marva Johnson was appointed to the presidency position by DeSantis. Diverse Education reported that students began to organize protests on campus, chanting “NO MAGA MARVA.” A reporter from WTXL in Tallahassee, Florida reported the plans of protest.

Local college students plan to hold anti-Marva Johnson rally Saturday amid impending presidency

A student by the name of Elijah Hooks even created a protest on the platform “Change.org”, stating that Marva’s “far-right politics do not support the school's mission.” This appointment has left students anxious and angry regarding the future of their HBCU. They fear that the mission of FAMU is being threatened as Johnson’s qualifications do not reflect her understanding of the average HBCU student.

Tennessee State University

In December of 2024, former student and member of board member Dwayne Tucker was appointed as interim President as a result of the retiring of former President Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover. She is said to have left as the school began facing financial hardships. Dwayne Tucker is stated to be good with finances despite staff mentioning he has encountered problems with his performance. Dwayne Tucker was officially appointed full-time President of TSU in August 2025. Since then, students have voiced that they are confident about this decision, as he was the CEO of LEAD Public Schools in Nashville and has had a “distinguished career in academia and the corporate sector,” as stated by Dr.Venkatswarup, the chair of the TSU Faculty Senate. In accordance with statements by tntribune.com, Tucker introduced a “students first” initiative that focuses on the student experience – helping ease the anxiety towards financial hardships. Along with that, he has acknowledged the desperate need for a money strategy for the school and plans to take TSU from a shortage to a surplus.

Dwayne Tucker, appointed as the ninth president of Tennessee State University. (Source: TSU Newsroom, August 5, 2025.)

FAMU’s political hire caused an uproar on the campus as students believe Marva Johnson is unfit for the position and is taking the position from an insincere standpoint. TSU’s alum and HBCU experienced hire has left students confident in the schools future and decisions. Leadership selection is something that affects students' voices and morale. Student voices are central to HBCUs, and leadership decisions will either strengthen or break a community. Future presidential hiring should focus on contenders who know more about understanding an HBCU student rather than the logic of the school, and just as such, it should be inclusive, listening to student voices before making a decision.