Dr. JacQuene Rainey is next president of TCAT Jackson

The Board of Regents governs Tennessee's public community colleges and colleges of applied technology. Its fall quarterly board meeting was Thursday and Friday, Sept. 19-20, 2024, at Dyersburg State Community College.

The Board also received a preliminary report on Fall 2024 student enrollment, indicating a 7 percent overall increase across the system compared to the same date in Fall 2023. The preliminary numbers include a 4 percent increase at the community colleges and 21 percent at the TCATs.

There was another large increase in high school students dual enrolled in college classes -- 10 percent more than the same time last year. Official and more complete enrollment numbers will be reported later, but the preliminary report is promising in showing a continuing upturn in enrollment.

Staff also reported to the Board that 12,701 community college students earned a total of 14,061 degrees and other credentials during academic year 2023-24.

Other action by the Board included, but is not limited to:

* Approved the TBR system’s priorities for state legislative funding for fiscal year 2025-26, which now go to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) for consideration as the next of several steps in the budget process. The priority proposals include funding for a new customer relationship management (CRM) system; a proposed Expanding the Workforce Pipeline in Tennessee initiative; a new short term training fund to pay costs of short-term training that doesn’t normally qualify for existing financial aid; cybersecurity enhancements; a student support network with regional social services coordinators and mental health counselors, and a community college workforce development revitalization initiative for new workforce program training facilities.

* Approved a proposal for financial aid flexibility legislation to enable students to balance families, jobs, and the pursuit of education and training.

* Approved the TBR General Education Core, which goes into effect in 2025, the first revision of the core framework since its inception in 2002. It is the product of a five-year effort involving hundreds of faculty members, academic and student affairs leaders, institutional research teams and research librarians, and was approved by the community colleges as a proposal to the board.

* Approved the annual institutional mission profiles for community colleges, which also now go to THEC for its consideration.

* Approved 18 program implementations and replications at various TCAT campuses to be more responsive to the needs of students, businesses and industries.

* Heard informational reports on new student access and success data; outcomes of the TBR 2024 Statewide Workforce Convening in April; the preliminary annual workforce contact hours report to THEC; recent Regents Awards for Excellence in Philanthropy recipients; and informational updates on research and innovation projects now underway.

* Approved faculty emeriti designations for four retired community college faculty members.

* Approved quarterly meeting dates and locations for 2025: Feb. 26 at the TBR System Office in Nashville; June 12-13 at Northeast State Community College; Sept. 18-19 at Roane State Community College, and Dec. 9 at the System Office.

* Approved revisions to six TBR policies: Policy 2.01.00.00, General Education Requirements and Degree Requirements; 6.04.00.00, Pregnancy, Childbirth and Related Medical Conditions; 9.01.03.00, Advertising; 4.02.01.00, Approvals of Agreements and Contracts; 1.08.03.00, newly named Digital Identity, Authentication Management, and Access Control; and 1.08.04.00 Personally Identifiable Information.

Board materials containing details of the board’s actions, the complete committee and board agendas, and an executive summary are posted on the TBR website at https://www.tbr.edu/board/september-2024-quarterly-board-meeting. Video recordings of the board and committee meetings are archived for viewing anytime at the same meeting link.