Murfreesboro Nashville Newbern Onedia Paris Pulaski Ripley Shelbyville Whiteville State universities Six universities were managed by TBR until 2017, when the state overhauled its public higher education system by creating an independent governing board for each university. The Tennessee legislature in 2016 passed the Focus on College and University Success Act, which separated the universities from the TBR, and Gov. Haslam followed with ceremonial signings of the law at the separated universities. The six universities formerly managed by TBR are: Austin Peay State University East Tennessee State University University of Memphis Middle Tennessee State University Tennessee State University Tennessee Technological University Governance Chancellors C. C. Humphreys, 1972–1975 Roy S. Nicks, 1975–1985 Thomas J. Garland, 1986–1990 Otis L. Floyd Jr., 1990–1993 Charles E. Smith, 1994–2000 Charles Manning, 2000–2010 John G. Morgan, 2010–2016 David Gregory (interim) 2016–2017 Flora Tydings, February 1, 2017–present Board The Tennessee Board of Regents system is governed by 19 board members. The board meets four times each year at regularly scheduled meetings, and the chairman may call additional meetings during the year as needed. The 19 members of the board consist of: 12 lay citizens appointed for six-year terms by the governor, with one each from the state's nine congressional districts and three grand divisions; two faculty members from among the system institutions appointed by the governor for a one-year term; one student from among the system institutions appointed by the governor for a one-year term ; and four ex officio members—the Governor of Tennessee, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Agriculture, and the Executive Director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, who is a non-voting member. See also List of colleges and universities in Tennessee Tennessee Blue Book References External links 1972 establishments in Tennessee Government of Tennessee Governing bodies of universities and colleges in the United States