News

SkillsUSA has selected the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology at Harriman and Pulaski as two of its 24 national Models of Excellence for 2023, the highest honor bestowed on SkillsUSA chapters.

SkillsUSA is one of the nation’s largest student organizations for career and technical education. Its Models of Excellence program annually recognizes the exceptional integration of personal, workplace and technical skills into SkillsUSA chapter activities.

Career and technical education students from Tennessee colleges and other postsecondary programs won 68 medals as they demonstrated excellence in dozens of competitions at the 2023 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, bringing home more medals than any other state delegation. Students from the College System of Tennessee's community and technical colleges captured 65 of the medals.

During its quarterly meeting Friday, the Tennessee Board of Regents approved operating budgets and tuition rates for the upcoming academic year, capital budget requests for 2024-25, and appointed Heath McMillian as president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Jackson.

McMillian came to TCAT Jackson in May 2022 as executive vice president to lead development of the BlueOval City Campus, and has been serving as interim president since October when former president Jeff Sisk was appointed executive director of the systemwide TBR Center for Workforce Development.

The College System of Tennessee has received a momentous opportunity in the form of a $1.4 million grant from Ascendium Education Group, providing vital resources to strengthen student supports and success that can shape the future of our state’s academic pathways. 

The Tennessee Board of Regents will hold its regular quarterly meeting next week at Chattanooga State Community College, with committee meetings on Thursday, June 15, 2023, and the full board on Friday, June 16.

The Board of Regents governs the state’s public community colleges and colleges of applied technology.

The Center for First-generation Student Success announced that Tennessee’s 13 community colleges are among the 76 new member institutions of the First Scholars Network for 2023-24 – colleges and universities chosen based upon their demonstrated commitment to improving experiences and advancing success for first-generation college students.

The Tennessee Board of Regents committee chairs will meet May 31, 2023, to receive informational reports and review the draft agenda for the full board’s next quarterly meeting in June. The Personnel and Compensation Committee and Audit Committee also will meet following the committee chairs.

The Search Advisory Committee leading the Tennessee Board of Regents' search for the next president of Jackson State Community College has been appointed and will meet for its orientation session and a public forum Tuesday, May 16.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, announced the inclusion of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) in a National Science Foundation (NSF) Transforming Engineering and Management in STEM (TEAMS) Engine grant. This grant will provide TBR with additional resources needed to drive innovation, enhance student success, and promote collaboration between faculty and staff within the system.

With more than 60 percent of jobs in the U.S. requiring more than a high school diploma, pursuing higher education is more important than ever. However, the traditional four-year university isn't the only path to success. With the rapid evolution of technology and a competitive job market, developing strong skills in high-demand fields can make all the difference.

A public forum and interview for the finalist for the next president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Jackson, Heath R. McMillian, is scheduled for May 22.

McMillian, TCAT Jackson’s current executive vice president and interim president, was named finalist for the TCAT Jackson presidency by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) April 27.

NASHVILLE (May 3, 2023) – Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Paris has officially changed its name to Tennessee College of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll, recognizing its broader service area.

“While TCAT Henry/Carroll will still provide the highest quality services and programs to our students, the new name has enabled us to plan for future program expansions in our service areas,” stated TCAT Henry/Carroll President Willie Huffman. 

NASHVILLE (May 3, 2023) – A recent statewide partnership between Tennessee’s community and technical colleges is providing a seamless pathway where students can earn a credential at a Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) and apply those credits to an aligned program at a partnering community college. With the increasing demand for more specialized training in technical careers, the new articulation agreement between the state’s technical and community colleges helps align workforce training with industry need. 

The Tennessee Board of Regents today appointed Dr. Gwendolyn Sutton as the new president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Memphis, effective May 1. She joined the staff at TCAT Memphis in 2003 and has served as its vice president since 2017.

Dr. Sutton succeeds Dr. Roland Rayner, who retired in February after serving as the college’s president since 2010 and more than 32 years of service in the College System of Tennessee.

The Tennessee Board of Regents will hold a special called meeting Thursday, April 27, to consider appointment of the next president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Memphis, and other business below.

Two more Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology – TCATs Crossville and McMinnville – have earned VETS Campus certification by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, certifying their commitment to programs and services to help veterans succeed as they pursue their education.

The number of high school students dual-enrolled in Tennessee’s community and technical colleges has increased 68 percent from Fall 2015 to Fall 2022 – the fastest growing group of students on the college campuses.

The College System of Tennessee honored its outstanding students, faculty, staff, supporters and partners of the year at the Fifth Annual Statewide Outstanding Achievement Recognition (SOAR) celebration Wednesday night, March 29, in Nashville.

The search advisory committee assisting with the search for the next president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Memphis has selected two finalists for the position, both of whom will participate in public interviews on the campus Tuesday, April 4, the next step in the selection process.

The finalists are: 

The Tennessee Board of Regents will hold its next quarterly meeting Thursday, March 30 at 9 a.m. CT at the TBR system office, 1 Bridgestone Park, Nashville. The meeting will also be live-streamed and archived on the TBR website at https://www.tbr.edu/board/march-2023-quarterly-board-meeting.