Tennessee Board of Regents

Thanks to Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, Senator Ken Yager, and Kelly Keisling - State Representative for visiting the Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Oneida/Huntsville campus this afternoon. We appreciate their continued advocacy and support of critical programs that prepare more Tennesseans to achieve successful futures.

A great Friday in Newbern for the Third Annual TCAT Northwest Fish Fry Fundraiser! Thanks to all within this community and region for their continued support of this institution and the programs that solidify ’s future workforce!

Dyersburg State Celebrated as College of the Year at SOAR Awards, Along with Individual Student Recognition – Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) proudly celebrated a prestigious milestone on February 27, when it was awarded College of the Year at the Seventh Annual Statewide Outstanding Achievement Recognition (SOAR) Awards in Nashville. This exceptional accolade highlights DSCC’s commitment to exce...

Tennessee Board of Regents Vice Chair Emily Reynolds was one of the three honorees of the Women in Numbers’ 2017 silver anniversary spring membership reception last week at Nashville’s Skyway Studios.

The nonpartisan WIN Tennessee honored Reynolds, Nashville Mayor Megan Berry and state Sen. Thelma Harper as “trailblazers in political circles from both sides of the aisle.” Reynolds, who has been a member of the Board of Regents since 2010, was introduced by Gov. Bill Haslam.

The governor chairs the Board of Regents and the vice chair presides in his absence. “The vice chair does all the work, and she has played that role through an eventful time for the Tennessee Board of Regents,” Gov. Haslam said, including the retirement of the TBR system’s chancellor, the appointment of an interim, the search for and selection of a new chancellor, and the major restructuring of the system under the FOCUS Act.

“Throughout all of that, Emily was the very picture of steadiness and wisdom. To show you how strong she is in that role, I think about half of the Tennessee Board of Regents is here to support her because they have seen what I have -- that she is a strong leader who does it in her own way but very thoroughly,” the governor said. “It shows the wisdom and steadiness that she’s had in really chairing that board for the last several years and I’ll be grateful and higher education in Tennessee will always be different because Emily has played that role.”

Gov. Haslam also cited Reynolds' work in helping him raise $40 million in private contributions to help fund the new $160 million Tennessee State Museum, under construction at the Tennessee Bicentennial Capitol Mall.

“You really get to know someone when you raise money with them. You get to know a lot about their style and insight and wisdom but mostly what you see is the depth of their relationships. The depth of her relationships speaks volumes,” the governor said. “I believe that if you get the relationships right, most everything else works out from there. And Emily is someone who gets the relationships right.

“This is the kind of woman I would always want to have on my team no matter what I’m doing because she’s going to bring integrity, she’s going to bring insight and competence and most of all she’s going to bring this: whether you’re electing or hiring males or females, to whatever position it is, I hope you will always bring somebody on your team who is like Emily -- someone who realizes the world doesn’t revolve around them, that we serve a bigger cause and because of that, everyone around that person gets better,” Gov. Haslam concluded.

Women in Numbers, established in 1992, is a nonpartisan organization established to engage, encourage and endorse qualified women to be elected to public office. WIN also hosts educational forums to give women the guidance and tools they need to engage in the political process and run a viable campaign. In 2012, the organization launched the WIN Salon Series to engage the community and foster conversation among civic-minded individuals.

Reynolds was formerly the senior vice president of government relations for the Tennessee Valley Authority. She has an extensive career in public service, including as the 31st secretary of the U.S. Senate from 2003 to 2007, when she managed the legislative, financial and administrative operations of the upper chamber of Congress.

She began her career as special assistant to the late U.S. Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker Jr., and subsequently worked in several U.S. Senate and gubernatorial campaigns.

In 1995, Gov. Don Sundquist appointed her to serve as the vice chair and executive director of the Governor’s TennCare Roundtable. Later that year, she was named state director for U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, managed the senator's six offices across Tennessee.

She became the senator’s chief of staff in Washington in 2001. In that role, she supervised the senator’s Washington and Tennessee offices, with responsibility for the management and coordination of staffing, legislative activity, communications, constituent relations and scheduling.

A native of Nashville, Reynolds is a graduate of Stephens College in Columbia, Mo.

Regent Thomas A.H. White is recognized in the Times Free Press for his new service on the Tennessee Board of Regents. We're glad that he and our other new Regent, Joey Hatch, are here.

Tennessee Board of Regents, Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission get new Chattanooga members NASHVILLE — Two Chattanoogans appointed by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam to serve on the Tennessee Board of Regents and Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission hope to bring unique perspectives to their new roles.

The Tennessee Board of Regents awarded Jackson-based West Tennessee Healthcare its highest honor for institutions supporting TBR's community and technical colleges, the Regents Award for Excellence in Philanthropy.

“West Tennessee Healthcare has given its funds, time and energy to expand the horizons of Jackson State Community College students,” said Dr. Barbara Prescott, Board of Regents member, as she presented the award.

“We are blessed” to have you as a partner, said Dr. Allana Hamilton, Jackson State president. “Together, we are changing lives, one student at a time.”

Accepting the award were James Ross, interim president of West Tennessee Healthcare, and Vicki Burch, chairwoman of the organization’s board.

“This is a great day,” Ross said. “West Tennessee Healthcare would not be able to survive, to thrive without local institutions like Jackson State who educate a great many of the organization’s 5,800 employees,” Ross added.

Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology diploma students will find it easier to transfer to Bethel University – and receive up to 30 credit hours toward their degrees – under a new articulation agreement between Bethel and the Tennessee Board of Regents.

The agreement formally recognizes Bethel University and the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology as educational institutions working together to provide education opportunities for currently enrolled and future students of both. Bethel has agreed to award up to 30 credit hours toward bachelor of science degrees in four programs, to students who have earned diplomas in 23 approved programs of study at the TCATs.

Under the agreement, TCAT students wishing to transfer to Bethel must meet all normal admission criteria, be in good standing at the TCAT, have earned a diploma in one of the approved programs of study at the TCAT and have a minimum cumulative grade average of C in the approved program of study.

For students who meet that criteria, Bethel will provide a one-time award of up to 30 credit hours, to be applied to the elective requirements of one of four chosen bachelor of science programs of study at Bethel: management and organizational development, organizational leadership, criminal justice, and emergency services management. Credit is based on the evaluation of official transcripts issued to Bethel by the TCAT.

During a ceremonial signing event Tuesday attended by the directors of most TCAT campuses, TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings thanked Bethel University’s director of recruitment, Dr. Regina Willis, for her role in developing the agreement.

“I want to thank Bethel University -- and you particularly because you were the champion of this and without you this would not have happened. On behalf of the directors, I want to thank you very much for your passion and for making this a reality because you know the quality of the students,” Tydings said.

Willis said the articulation agreement is personal to her because she graduated from TCAT-Paris and then enrolled at Bethel for her bachelor’s degree -- and later earned her doctorate. “I graduated from the Paris TCAT and that inspired me so much. I tell everyone that I learned the most valuable lesson of my life there: I learned that I love to learn as an adult and I did not want to stop. So someone told me about Bethel University and I enrolled there,” she said.

“I’ve been at Bethel for 10 and a half years and all this time I have been moving toward getting an agreement like this in place. I have visited various TCATs throughout the state and at every single one, I’ve been met with enthusiasm. My recruitment team has left saying `Wow, those people are so passionate about their students.’ So this partnership is perfect in many ways -- but the most important thing is that we all care about students in Tennessee. That’s our goal, to help them know there are other opportunities out there available to them. That’s my passion and that’s why we’re here today,” Willis said.
James King, TBR executive vice chancellor and the senior leader of the College of Applied Technology since 1999, also signed the agreement. He noted that the academic journey Willis started at TCAT Paris eventually led her to a doctorate and a career in higher education.

Southwest Tennessee Community College's Commencement Saturday at FedExForum was a beautiful end to 2017's Spring Commencement season for Tennessee's community college graduates. Congratulations to ALL our graduates. And special thanks to Gov. Bill Haslam for delivering the Commencement addresses and recognizing the first class of Tennessee Promise graduates at both Southwest and Cleveland State Community College on consecutive Saturdays!

Great article in The New York Times today on Tennessee Promise, led by new Motlow State Community College graduate Nicole-Lynn Riel's unexpected journey from high school to college.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/14/nyregion/for-cuomos-free-tuition-plan-lessons-from-tennessee.html?hpw&rref=nyregion&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0

Free Tuition? Tennessee Could Tutor New York Enrollment is up by a third and federal student loan debt is down in the first state to offer free tuition at its community colleges.

Commencement 2017 continued today: Gov. Bill Haslam delivered the commencement address today at Cleveland State Community College, fulfilling a pledge he made to the first class of Tennessee Promise students two years ago. The first group of Tennessee Promise students is graduating this spring.