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Texas Southern Students Upbeat Despite Upheaval at the Top

Texas Southern University The trial of former president Priscilla Slade has divided students, but the campus buzz has been more about the Texas Southern Tigers, above.

By Ashley R. Harris
Black College Wire

On Aug. 27, maroon-and-white banners welcomed back Texas Southern University students for their first year since the school's former president, Priscilla Slade, was indicted on charges of misappropriating university funds.

Despite the legal woes of Slade and her administration, many Texas Southern students were upbeat about the upcoming academic year.

Priscilla Slade

“Campus morale is really high right now,” said Christopher Harvey, a sophomore and interim attorney general for the Student Government Association. “A lot of students are excited about classes and being on the yard.”

Slade was president for seven years. On June 7, 2006, the Board of Regents at the school officially fired her after having reviewed her spending records, which included more than $9,000 for a bed and thousands on landscaping and manicures. The regents called the spending excessive and illegal. Slade repaid some of the money, but contended that all funds were spent in fundraising efforts.

Two students credited with Slade's eventual downfall testified Aug. 30 in her criminal trial that she cared more about spending money on her home than security for the historically black university, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Justin R. Jordan and Oliver J. Brown said they worked for Slade's ouster by writing letters, which were distributed across campus. Together with William G. Hudson, the group known as the "TSU Three" sued the school in 2005 for retaliation for publicly criticizing the university administration.

The three, who were in student government together, have been credited with bringing enough evidence to the Harris County District Attorney's office to secure two indictments against Slade for misapplication of fiduciary property, the Chronicle said.

The trial has left many students divided on their feelings about Slade, but on the first day of classes, the buzz around campus was more about the upcoming annual showdown between rivals Prairie View A&M University and the Texas Southern Tigers. The Tigers lost the Sept. 1 contest, 34-14.

The bulky white buildings that enclose the students on campus seem to keep them away from the media, which is a good thing, Harvey said.

“Unfortunately, Dr. Slade is no longer with us,” Harvey said. “But what’s most important is that as students we’re really focused on the main goal, which is matriculation.

“We don’t let what’s going on with the trial deter our study habits.”

A portion of the Texas Southern population believes there is a concerted effort by the Texas Legislature to eliminate the school, one of two historically black colleges in the Houston area and one of a handful in Texas.

Floyd McAdams, a 23-year-old communications senior, said he and others think the lawmakers are trying to combine the school with the neighboring University of Houston, as with efforts to roll Prairie View A&M University into Texas A&M, in College Station.

“Of course people say that she [expletive] us over, but you have to take the bitter with the sweet,” McAdams said. “The real problem is that you have higher-ups who see this as a perfect opportunity to get rid of us.

“We had a line wrapped around the corner on our honors day after the Slade incident happened, but the media was nowhere to be seen. But here we are on the first day of school, and they’re looking to see if we’re falling apart.”

Regardless, the dawn of the semester is usually an exciting time for college students, and Texas Southern is no different, said Onelia Flores, a 26-year-old freshman.

Flores, like many freshmen interviewed, was not aware of the trial and its impact on Texas Southern. What she did notice was a more international face to the campus, a recent development due to the marketing campaigns of many historically black colleges.

Harvey acknowledges that from a student’s perspective, there is still work to be done by the administrators and students to bring the university back to where it was before the Slade scandal.

“We’re still in a transition period,” Harvey said. “It’s like our house has been remodeled and now we’re putting the furniture back in.

“We’re focused on progress, not regress.”

Administrators could not be reached for comment.

Ashley R. Harris is a June graduate of the University of Houston. To comment, e-mail .

Posted Sept. 4, 2007