Recent News

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.