Tennessee’s community and technical colleges awarded nearly 23,000 degrees, diplomas and certificates to graduating students in 2020-21

Tennessee’s public community and technical colleges awarded 22,956 degrees, diplomas and certificates to graduates during academic year 2020-21, essentially tying the record set the previous year despite enrollment declines.

Students earned 15,791 associate degrees and technical certificates at the 13 community colleges during the year, and the 27 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) awarded 7,165 diplomas and technical certificates, which they award instead of degrees. Their combined total of 22,956 credential awards was only one less than the previous year’s record number of 22,957 awards.

At the community colleges, 51 percent of the credentials awarded were Associate degrees designed to transfer to universities, and 49 percent were workforce-ready Associate of Applied Science degrees and technical certificates that enable graduates to start their careers immediately.

The student-completion data was one of several informational reports presented at the fall quarterly meeting today and Thursday of the Tennessee Board of Regents, which governs the College System of Tennessee – the state’s public community colleges and colleges of applied technology.

TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings said the graduation numbers mean the system is on a path to achieve its Drive to 55 goals by 2025. Drive to 55, established as state policy in 2013, is an effort to increase the percentage of working-age Tennesseans with a college-level credential to 55 percent by 2025. Each sector of higher education in the state has its own targets to achieve the overall goal.

The Board also received preliminary student enrollment figures for the current fall semester. At the TCATs, 12,117 students have registered as of this week, an increase of 9.4 percent over Fall 2020. At the community colleges, 73,123 students were enrolled, an 8.8 percent decline from Fall 2020.

While the community college numbers reflect a national enrollment decline at two-year colleges during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tydings noted that the system’s numbers are preliminary and will improve before the end of the semester. That’s partly because several of the community colleges have increased their offerings of accelerated courses this fall – concentrated courses that students typically complete in seven weeks – which means some will have two accelerated terms this semester, with more students enrolling in the second term starting in October. In addition, registration at the TCATs is continuous and enrollments typically rise through the term.

There were other bright spots in the enrollment numbers. Two community colleges have enrollment increases: Cleveland State Community College is up 1.9 percent and Dyersburg State Community College is up 1.7 percent. And dual enrollment – high school students taking college courses – at the TCATs is rapidly increasing. There are 2,106 dual-enrolled high school students at TCATs, a 47 percent increase over this time last year. Dual-enrolled students at the community colleges decreased only 1 percent overall, and increased at seven community colleges. First-time students enrolling at the community colleges after a “gap year” following high school increased by 57 percent over last year. And students participating in higher education programs in correctional institutions have doubled since 2019.

Tydings also attributed some of the enrollment increases at the TCATs to the additional state funding approved this year by Gov. Bill Lee and the General Assembly to increase capacity at the technical colleges and reduce student wait lists that exist for some programs. The funding is adding more faculty, space, equipment and programs to enable more students to enroll.

“We are deeply grateful to the governor and our legislators for the money they have infused into our TCATs to address the wait lists we had,” the chancellor said.

The community colleges’ preliminary enrollment numbers:

• Chattanooga State: 6,575
• Cleveland State: 3,161
• Columbia State: 5,387
• Dyersburg State: 2,778
• Jackson State: 3,938
• Motlow State: 5,852
• Nashville State: 6,647
• Northeast State: 5,205
• Pellissippi State: 8,835
• Roane State: 4,775
• Southwest Tennessee: 7,174
• Volunteer State: 7,417
• Walters State: 5,379
• TOTAL: 73,123

In other action, the Board of Regents and its committees:

• Approved new funding requests for the fiscal year 2022-23 state budget cycle, which now go to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) for its consideration. Ultimately, any new funding must be approved by the state legislature and the governor. The requests are for:
  • Campus safety and security improvements, $5.2 million.
  • TCAT student success initiatives, $2.7 million.
  • Systemwide student success and workforce development enhancements, including student success technology and improvements at the TBR Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, $1.5 million.
• Approved the system’s capital outlay (construction) budget requests for 2022-23, which also go to THEC for consideration:
  • Roane State Community College, $71.5 million for a new Allied Health Campus in Knoxville, which will also house allied health programs offered by TCAT Knoxville.
  • Nashville State Community College, $35.5 million to renovate the college’s Clarksville Campus and construct a second building there. TCAT Dickson would also offer Practical Nursing programs there.
  • Columbia State Community College, $50.2 million for a new Health Sciences and Industrial Technologies Center on the Columbia Campus. It would also house some industrial technology programs offered by TCAT Hohenwald.

• Approved criteria for the next president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Nashville, following the death earlier this month of Mark Lenz, who served as the college’s president since 2009. Regent Joey Hatch will chair the Board’s search committee. Other members – including representatives of the college community, business and industry – will be appointed. The members and search details will be announced soon.

• Approved 18 new career and technical education programs at the TCATs.

• Approved the merger of TCAT Whiteville into TCAT Jackson, making the Whiteville campus a branch of TCAT Jackson.

• Received a report on the new systemwide Strategic Plan Metrics Dashboard, now posted on the TBR website and designed to provide public accountability and transparency on how well the system and its colleges are doing in meeting the student success and other elements of the Strategic Plan. The dashboard is accessible via a tab on the Strategic Plan webpage at https://www.tbr.edu/board/2015-25-tbr-strategic-plan.

• Eliminated a special dual-enrollment tuition rate, effective Jan. 1. The General Assembly approved funding to pay tuition and mandatory fees for up to four dual-enrollment courses for high school students taking college-credit courses, effective next year. Previously, the state paid for 2½ dual-enrollment courses per student at a discounted rate. The change makes it possible for high school students to earn more college credit free of tuition and mandatory fees. 

• Observed Roane State Community College’s 50th anniversary with a short video chronicling the college’s history and accomplishments.

• Received a presentation on the system’s Open Education Resources initiative to reduce the costs of textbooks and other materials for students.

• Received a report on the new TBR Police Department, which will provide campus security at the TCATs. The new department won approval by the state’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission last week.

• Approved resolutions of appreciation for Dr. Jerry Faulkner, who retired Aug. 31 as president of Volunteer State Community College, and Sonja F. Mason, who is retiring next month as Board Secretary, and a memorial resolution honoring TCAT Nashville President Mark Lenz who died earlier this month.

• Appointed Mariah H. Perry as the new Board Secretary.

Complete Board agendas and materials, and a recording of the committee and Board meetings, are archived on the TBR website at https://www.tbr.edu/board/september-2021-quarterly-meeting