News

The Tennessee Board of Regents has launched the process of revisiting and potentially revising its Strategic Plan for the statewide system of public community and technical colleges.

The Strategic Plan Steering Committee held its first session Jan. 31, led by Dr. Russ Deaton, executive vice chancellor for policy and strategy. Board Vice Chair Emily J. Reynolds and Chancellor Flora W. Tydings addressed the committee, underscoring the importance of the work and thanking members for their time.

Tennessee’s public community and technical colleges delivered more than 1.4 million hours of direct workforce training in Academic Year 2023-24, the Tennessee Board of Regents Center for Workforce Development announced. TBR colleges trained approximately 44,800 students/employees through their broad range of workforce programs.

A groundbreaking partnership between Pellissippi State Community College and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) exemplifies how the Tennessee’s 13 community colleges are meeting critical workforce needs through innovative industry collaborations.

The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) has selected 25 college educators from across the state to serve as HIP Ambassadors for 2025. They will share with their campus colleagues information about High Impact Practices (HIPs) – evidence-based teaching and student-experience activities that help students learn, advance and graduate.

The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) along with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) announced today a new partnership with Ithaka S+R to expand educational opportunities for adult learners across the state.

The research project will bring together leaders from Tennessee's community colleges to develop innovative strategies supporting degree completion for Tennesseans who have previously earned college credits but did not finish and cannot return due to account holds.

The TBR Center for Workforce Development and the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) are proud to announce an exciting, first-of-its-kind program at Nashville State Community College (NSCC). Starting Feb.

Students, faculty and staff at Tennessee’s community and technical colleges donated or collected the equivalent of 110,851 food items during the College System of Tennessee’s 26th Annual Food Drive Challenge. The food and cash donations go to campus food pantries for students in need and to local food programs serving their communities.

Total enrollment in the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) increased to 44,723 during academic year 2023-24 – a 19 percent increase over the previous year – according to a new report presented to the Tennessee Board of Regents during its quarterly meeting Tuesday, Dec. 10.

The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), which governs the state’s public community colleges and colleges of applied technology, will hold its next regular quarterly meeting Dec. 10, 2024, at the TBR system office in Nashville.

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) has announced that the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now open for all Tennessee students. The U.S. Department of Education has officially released the new form, marking a significant milestone in the financial aid process for prospective college students.

Tennessee’s community and technical colleges honored veterans – including students, faculty, staff and alumni – in Veterans Day activities on campuses statewide on Veterans Day.

As part of those ceremonies, a veteran at each college was also awarded the Chancellor’s Commendation for Military Veterans, a special recognition launched in 2020 by Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings.

The Tennessee Board of Regents will hold a special called meeting Tuesday, Nov. 12, to consider institutional compensation proposals for 10 colleges and faculty emeritus designations for five retired faculty members. The board’s committee chairs and Audit Committee will meet after the full board's session.

The Board of Regents governs Tennessee's Community Colleges and Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs).

Tennessee’s community colleges and TCATs have launched their 26th annual Food Drive Challenge, collecting food and cash donations for campus food pantries and local food bank programs serving their communities.

Emily J. Reynolds, a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents since 2010 and its vice chair since 2013, is one of seven women honored by YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee in its 32nd Academy for Women of Achievement (AWA) celebration. 

Eleven Tennessee Community Colleges and Colleges of Applied Technology are receiving grants totaling $4,777,312 to boost career and technical education (CTE) programs, through the federal Perkins Grant program.

The newest round of Perkins READI (Reimagine Engage And Develop for Innovation) Grants have been awarded to the following institutions following a competitive application process by the Tennessee Board of Regents:

Dr. Tracy D. Hall, president of Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis, is one of 25 innovative leaders selected from across the country to participate in the second cohort of the Aspen Presidents Fellowship, sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. The Fellowship is a unique yearlong professional development experience that helps community college presidents refine and reform their agenda to drive transformative change.

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Tennessee's community colleges and TCATs have united in a statewide effort to provide essential aid to Northeast Tennessee residents affected by the storm's devastating aftermath. Through a coordinated initiative led by the TBR – The College System of Tennessee, over 14,000 cases of bottled water have been collected and distributed to assist those in need in Northeast Tennessee.

TBR – The College System of Tennessee is proud to announce that Dr. Tachaka Hollins, assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs, and Zachary Adams, assistant vice chancellors for academic affairs and workforce alignment, have been appointed to significant roles within two esteemed educational boards. Their selections highlight the system’s commitment to advancing educational excellence and workforce alignment across the region.

The Tennessee Board of Regents mourns the passing of Governor Winfield Dunn, Governor of Tennessee from 1971 to 1975, who recommended the creation of the Tennessee Board of Regents and the TBR System in 1972. 

During its quarterly meeting Friday, the Tennessee Board of Regents appointed Dr. JacQuene Rainey as the next president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Jackson, effective Oct.1.