News

Tennessee’s community and technical colleges are stepping up their preparations to assist the adult learners who will enroll tuition-free in 2018 using the state’s new Tennessee Reconnect scholarship program.

As a series of 10 TN Reconnect Regional Strategic Roundtables wraps up today, it’s evident that Tennessee Board of Regents’ colleges will be well-prepared to help the anticipated large number of adults who will start classes in Fall 2018 with Reconnect paying their tuition and mandatory fees.

The board will convene at 1 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 14, in the Wemyss Auditorium of Caudill Hall on the campus of Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin.

Two committees of the Tennessee Board of Regents and the chairs of all the board’s committees will meet Tuesday, Nov. 21, to review a number of items in advance of the full Board’s next quarterly meeting in December.

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded nearly $800,000 to Southwest Tennessee Community College to support its childcare program for students with young children. The grant will fund care for 45 children of Pell Grant-eligible students pursuing an associate degree. 

The Tennessee Board of Regents appointed Laura Monks as the new president of the TCAT–Shelbyville. Monks has served as interim president since former president Ivan Jones retired Sept. 1 and her appointment as president is effective Nov. 1.

A Search Advisory Committee has been appointed to lead the search for the next president of Nashville State Community College, and the committee will convene its first meeting Oct. 25 after a public forum to gather campus and community input.

A Search Advisory Committee has been appointed to lead the search for a new president of Motlow State Community College. The committee will convene for the first time Oct. 24 at the college, immediately after a public forum to gather campus and community input.

The Tennessee Board of Regents will hold a special called meeting Oct. 23 to consider the appointment of a new president at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Shelbyville. The new president will succeed former president Ivan Jones, who retired Sept. 1.

Regent Hatch was among four community leaders inducted into the Nashville Public Education Foundation’s Public Schools Hall of Fame Wednesday. He is the second Regent in the Hall, following Board Vice Chair Emily J. Reynolds' induction in 2012.

Students from 22 high schools will visit 15 area companies Oct. 6 & 20 to learn about careers in a growing industry that expects 2 million job openings over the next decade. Co-sponsored locally by Jackson State Community College and the Jackson Chamber, Manufacturing Day is a celebration of modern manufacturing held annually.

The Tennessee Board of Regents appointed Cliff Wightman as the new president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Crossville during its fall quarterly meeting in Memphis. TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings recommended Wightman for the appointment, effective Oct. 1, following more than two months of work by a search committee.

The Tennessee Board of Regents approved four priority requests for education, job-training and security initiatives across the state’s community and technical college system for the next fiscal year on Friday, including 100 new success coaches to bolster student advising.

The first class of Tennessee Promise students entered college in the fall of 2015. After four semesters, 56.2 percent of the first class of Promise students are either still enrolled, have earned a college credential, or transferred to a four-year university. That compares to 38.9 percent of their peers – a 17.3 percentage point difference.

Overall enrollment in the state’s 13 community colleges on the 14th day of classes for fall semester was 86,621, up 2.2 percent from the 84,773 on the same date in fall 2016.

The College System of Tennessee's governing board will meet Sept. 21-22 at Southwest Tennessee Community College’s Macon Cove Campus. Major agenda items include fiscal year 2018-19 budget requests for new initiatives and capital projects; updates on the progress of Tennessee Promise students, fall semester enrollment and 2016-17 graduation rates; appointment of a new president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Crossville, and search criteria for a new president of Motlow State Community College.

The beginning of the fall semester 2017 marks 50 years since classes were first offered on the Jackson State Community College campus. To commemorate this milestone, the college is hosting a reception in the Student Center on its main campus September 11 from 2 to 4 p.m.

“This will be a time to focus on the tremendous impact that the college has had in the lives of our students as well as in the communities we serve,” said Dr. Allana Hamilton, JSCC president. “We look forward to seeing former students, faculty and staff at this momentous event in our history.”

AT&T's contribution will provide up to $3,000 for each of the 27 technical colleges to buy new equipment in computer IT training programs, helping students learn skills in cloud computing, systems administration and network backups and recovery.

Tennessee Promise students at community colleges in the Tennessee Board of Regents system looking to complete their four-year degrees will benefit from a new transfer scholarship program established by the University of Tennessee at Martin.

Two committees of the Tennessee Board of Regents and the chairs of all the board’s committees will meet Tuesday, Aug. 29, to review a number of items in advance of the full board’s next quarterly meeting in September.

Columbia State, Jackson State and Walters State community colleges win funding to implement various student success initiatives.