News

In a special called meeting Aug. 6, 2025, the Tennessee Board of Regents appointed Dr. Saul Reyes as the next president of Walters State Community College. He will assume office as the college’s fifth president effective Sept. 8.

The Tennessee Board of Regents will hold a special called meeting Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, to consider the appointment of the next president of Walters State Community College and to receive a notice of proposed changes to the TBR Bylaws.

The board will receive and consider approval of Chancellor Flora W. Tydings’ recommendation of Dr. Saul Reyes for the Walters State presidency. Dr. Reyes is currently vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at the College of Central Florida.

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) today announced the launch of TN Direct Admissions, a new pilot program that automatically accepts eligible high school seniors into participating in-state public and private universities and the state's community and technical colleges, using existing academic data.

All 23 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) and 13 Tennessee community colleges are participating.

Tennessee community and technical college students earned a total of 52 medals across several career and technical education championship competitions at the 2025 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta.

Representing 24 colleges across Tennessee, 150 students competed in 84 of the 110 competitions and brought 27 gold, 9 silver and 16 bronze medals home to five community colleges and nine Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) across the state. Medalists are listed below.

A Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) search advisory committee has selected three finalists for the next president of Walters State Community College. The finalists will participate in open forums with the campus community and the public July 21, 22, and 23, the next step in the selection process.

The finalists are:

The Tennessee Council for Career and Technical Education will host its annual public hearing on Career and Technical Education (CTE) on Monday, July 14, 2025, from 9-11 a.m. CT at the Tennessee Board of Regents System Office, 1 Bridgestone Park, Nashville, TN.

The hearing will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to offer feedback and share perspectives on the current state of CTE programs across Tennessee. Topics will include opportunities, challenges, and strategies for improving CTE outcomes for students and employers.

During its quarterly meeting June 12-13, the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) approved building project proposals for its colleges, five new and revised policies, the proposed budget for the next fiscal year, and other measures.

Meeting at Northeast State Community College, the board heard presentations by Northeast President Jeff McCord and partnering host TCAT Elizabethton President Heath McMillian highlighting activities on their respective campuses focusing on student success.  The board governs Tennessee’s public community colleges and colleges of applied technology.

Gov. Bill Lee, other state and community leaders, and students celebrated the opening of the second phase of TCAT Elizabethton’s Boone’s Creek Extension Campus in Washington County on Tuesday, June 10 – a new building that has enabled expansion of the college’s career and technical education programs for the region.

The Tennessee Board of Regents will hold its next regular quarterly meeting June 12-13, 2025, at Northeast State Community College near Blountville, TN. The agenda includes, but is not limited to, consideration of proposed new and revised policies, compensation plans, faculty promotion and tenure recommendations, and various reports and updates.

The Tennessee Board of Regents committee chairs will meet Wednesday, May 28, 2025 to preview proposed revisions to TBR policies, receive informational updates, and preview the agenda for the full board’s next quarterly meeting in June. The board’s Personnel and Compensation Committee and Audit Committee will also meet following the committee chairs.

Fifteen Tennessee community and technical colleges across the state are receiving nearly $28.8 million to expand access to education and career pathways in high-demand health care fields through the state’s rural health initiative, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) announced May 21.

The Search Advisory Committee leading the Tennessee Board of Regents' search for the next president of Walters State Community College has been appointed, and a public forum on the search will be held April 22.

Board of Regents Member Miles Burdine is chair of the 16-member committee. Board Members Cayden Keltgen, Ross Roberts and Danni Varlan also are serving as committee members, along with representatives of the college’s faculty, staff, students and alumni, and business and civic leaders from the community. The full membership is listed below.

The College System of Tennessee today announced the 10 members of the inaugural Chancellor’s Fellowship Class of 2025-26, representing faculty and staff from community and technical colleges across the state.

The Chancellor’s Fellowship is a new cornerstone initiative of the Maxine Smith Leadership Series, designed to cultivate leadership talent among senior administrators across the college system. 

Members of the Chancellor’s Fellowship Class of 2025-26 are:

Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for community college students, presented its Paragon Award for New Presidents to three Tennessee community college presidents during its annual convention last week.

Two Tennessee Board of Regents staff members were honored by the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) during its 2025 annual conference.

We extend our heartfelt condolences on the passing of James W. "Jim" Ayers, founder and chairman of The Ayers Foundation Trust.

An entrepreneur, philanthropist, and friend to many, Mr. Ayers dedicated his life to serving rural Tennessee's young people and communities. His steadfast commitment to removing financial barriers to education has ensured that thousands of students across the state have greater access to higher education -- at our community and technical colleges and universities -- paving the way for their success.

The Tennessee Council for Career & Technical Education will hold its Spring Meeting May 1, 2025. The agenda includes review and approval of the Council’s By-Laws.

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) has designated March 31 - April 4, 2025, as "Finish the FAFSA Week." This initiative urges all high school seniors and their families to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before April 15 to maintain eligibility for up to two years of tuition-free college through the Tennessee Promise program.

A new case study from The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) showcases Tennessee's pioneering work in expanding postsecondary education opportunities for incarcerated students, spotlighting the critical roles played by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT).

In a special called meeting today, the Tennessee Board of Regents approved tuition and fees for Academic Year 2025-26, search criteria for the next president of Walters State Community College, and a new associate degree program at Roane State Community College.