Dwayne Tucker, President, Tennessee State University

In a conversation with Invest:, Dwayne Tucker, President of Tennessee State University, reflects on how decades in the private sector have shaped his approach to leading a public institution. Drawing on a customer-first mindset honed in financial services, Tucker explains how refocusing on students has driven meaningful changes on campus.

What lessons from your private sector background are most relevant to you as you navigate some of these challenges while leading a public university?

I spent over 40 years in the financial services business, and probably about 30 of those years were focused on underperforming businesses that were missing expectations in terms of financial and growth. What I learned from that experience is when an organization is underperforming, it is usually because it has lost sight of its customer. That is the number one reason most organizations do not achieve their goals.

At Tennessee State, our customers are our students. Our job is to create an environment that is not only academic but also engaging, where students can learn, feel supported, and have a great experience while they are here.

Part of what we have done in a short period of time is elevate our focus on the needs of our students. I make it a point to spend time in the cafeteria a couple of days a week talking directly with students to learn how we can improve student engagement help them achieve their best academic outcomes and continue to feel comfortable being on our campus.

From those conversations, we have made policy changes that help create a safer and more welcoming environment on campus, including strengthening our security measures. We have also adjusted how we host major events like commencement. This year, for example, we will have three graduation ceremonies to ensure every graduate and their family can celebrate together.

Those are the kinds of changes that come from listening to our students and being responsive to what they need.

What opportunities do you see in the higher education landscape?

Nashville is the healthcare capital of the world. We have a nursing program, but I believe we have an opportunity to strategically partner with healthcare companies in Nashville to support strategic plans and growth by producing the resources and talent they need to meet their growth objectives. We think there’s an opportunity to expand our nursing program, for example.

We also see room to strategically expand our nursing program to further support this vital sector. Beyond healthcare, there’s continued opportunity to strengthen partnerships with companies like Amazon and other major corporations moving into Nashville, particularly through our growing AI program.

By producing engineers and students with strong STEM backgrounds, especially in areas tied to emerging technologies, we’re able to prepare qualified, life-ready graduates who can contribute immediately to the workforce. That’s the good thing about being in Nashville. There’s a wealth of opportunity to connect education with industry in ways that truly make an impact.