Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010 

On January 27, Governor Bredesen signed into law his higher education initiative called the “Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010.”  The engrossed bill (legislation as amended and signed by the governor) is available here. Below is a brief description of each section of the bill. 

Section 1 – names the act the “Complete College Act of Tennessee Act of 2010”

Section 2 – deleted language regarding tuition that was inserted elsewhere in the bill

Section 3 - requires THEC to develop a statewide master plan that meets the goal of increasing educational attainment of Tennesseans, which includes approving institutional mission statements. It also requires the development of a new funding formula to incentivize outcomes to a greater degree across a range of variables, and it requires THEC to submit the funding formula and recommended tuition increases by December 1 each year

Section 4 – requires the development by THEC of a 60 hour set of classes, 41 general education and 19 pre- major, that will be fully transferable by the Fall 2011 semester. This section explains that THEC will consider the views of chief academic officers and faculty senates in its determination and also that the 19 pre-major hours can include elective courses.

Section 5 – adds the members of the senate and house education and finance committees to the list of groups THEC must give an annual funding formula report

Section 6 – provides for the dual admission of a student in both a two-year and a four-year institution if the student meets the requirements of both institutions

Section 7 – provides that four-year institutions shall not offer remedial or developmental courses, but it allows for a four-year institution to partner with a two-year institution to provide such education

Section 8 – requires the TBR in consultation with THEC to create a unified system of community colleges to be known as the Tennessee community college system

Section 9 – sets goal of UT/ ORNL project

Section 10 – explains that nothing in the law affects the federal law governing ORNL’s management and operation

Section 11 – recognizes Memphis Research Consortium

Section 12 – requires THEC to submit a side-by-side comparison of the projected funding each institution would receive under both the old and the new formulas

Section 13 – (Deleted) - Would have required a study between TBR and TN Labor and Workforce Development to determine the feasibility of the TBR managing adult education

Section 14 – (Deleted) - Would have required TBR to conduct a study of the feasibility of residential facilities at community colleges

Section 15 - (Deleted) - Would have required that the comptroller of the treasury shall audit the TBR, UT, and TBR

Section 16 – (New Section 13) –Severability Clause

Section 17 – (New Section 14) – Effective upon passage

Unnumbered New Section – Allows the comptroller of the treasury to audit TBR, THEC, and UT