Tennessee Board of Regents

The Tennessee Board of Regents today approved a 25 percent increase in the Drive to 55 targets at its 13 community colleges – increasing the number of degree recipients needed to meet the targets to 134,055 by 2025.

The new targets represent an increase of 26,667 community college graduates, from the 107,388 graduates that would have been needed during that same time period under the previous targets set in 2015.

Overall enrollment in Tennessee’s community colleges for the current fall semester is 88,352 students, an increase of 1,132 – or 1.3 percent -- over the official Fall 2017 enrollment count, according to preliminary data presented to the Tennessee Board of Regents Thursday.

Tennessee's community colleges are “probably the furthest along in implementing guided pathways reforms” of any community college system in the nation, a new study by Columbia University concludes.

The Tennessee Board of Regents will hold its fall quarterly meeting Sept. 27-28 at Dyersburg State Community College. The agenda includes updates and reports on fall semester enrollments, community college graduation rates, Drive to 55 degree and certificate targets, legislative priorities, system budget requests and a new digital engagement initiative that will offer students digital textbooks at lower costs.

Students in Jackson State’s Radiologic Technology Program achieved a 100 percent pass rate in the most recent semester, a testament to the program’s longevity and success.

Each of the 21 students who finished the program in August passed the national certification exam on his or her first attempt. The program has produced a 100 percent pass rate on first attempt in six of the last eight years.

Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings’ statement today regarding UT President Joe DiPietro’s retirement announcement:

The Audit Committee of the Tennessee Board of Regents and the chairs of the board’s six standing committees will meet Tuesday, Sept. 11, to review a number of items in advance of the full Board’s next quarterly meeting Sept. 27-28.

More than 80,000 students open a new academic year today at Tennessee’s 13 public community colleges, where they’ll find an array of new facilities, programs and welcome back celebrations.

Fifty-one educators and economic development professionals from state and local agencies assembled this week to launch the second class in the TNTrained program, a new initiative of the College System of Tennessee and the state departments that help recruit new jobs to Tennessee.

Cris Perkins has been appointed assistant vice chancellor for strategic advancement at the College System of Tennessee, assuming responsibility for system-level development, advancement and fundraising to bolster its Student Success and Workforce Development mission.

Perkins’ work also will support the development activities at the College System’s 13 community colleges and 27 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology. The system is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents.