Press Releases

Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor John Morgan is at the White House today taking part in a summit of higher education leaders focused on expanding college opportunity.He and others will join President Barack Obama and the First Lady to announce commitments to help more students afford and graduate from college with a quality education and skills.

Tennessee was named one of only three states selected to receive a grant valued at $1 million to increase on-time college completion rates.

The Tennessee Board of Regents today unanimously approved William Seymour as the next president of Cleveland State Community College.

Seymour will assume his leadership role on January 2 after current president Carl Hite retires.

The Board took the action during its regular quarterly board meeting in Nashville, acting on a recommendation from TBR Chancellor John Morgan. Seymour was selected after a nationwide search. He currently serves as vice president for Institutional Advancement at Jackson State Community College in Jackson, Tenn.

The Tennessee Board of Regents will meet in regular quarterly session on Thursday, Dec. 5, at the TBR Offices in Nashville. The meeting will begin at noon CST in the Genesco Building Training Center.

William Seymour will be recommended as the next president to lead Cleveland State Community College pending approval by the Tennessee Board of Regents on Dec. 5.

TBR Chancellor John Morgan will recommend Seymour’s appointment to the Board during its quarterly meeting in Nashville on Thursday, Dec. 5. If approved, Seymour will become president on Jan. 2, replacing Carl Hite, who will retire at the end of the year after leading Cleveland State for 17 years. Seymour currently serves as vice president for Institutional Advancement at Jackson State Community College in Jackson, Tenn.

The Search Advisory Committee members for a new president of the University of Memphis have been selected and will meet for the first time in December following a public forum on the UofM campus about the search process.

The advisory committee will meet at 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, on the UofM campus in the University Center Bluff Room. Campus and community members are also invited to an open forum to discuss the criteria and search process for the new president from 11 a.m. – noon in the University Center River Room.

The TBR Completion Initiative Support Program is designed to provide grant funds to help TBR campuses increase the educational attainment level of all citizens of the state of Tennessee, with a primary focus on underrepresented and other targeted student populations. For details and application information, visit

http://tbr.edu/offices/accessanddiversity.aspx?id=6108

Tennessee Board of Regents Committee Chairs, Audit Committee and Academic Policies and Programs Committee meetings are scheduled at the TBR office in Nashville on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

The Committee Chairs meeting will begin at noon CST and include the following agenda items:

1. Finance and Business Issues

2. Legislative Initiatives and Legislative Briefings

3. Update on the Director’s Search at Morristown

Four finalists have been selected for the presidency of Cleveland State Community College. Each will participate in interviews, campus forums and community receptions during the week of Nov. 4.

Effective October 1, 2013, the federal CONUS travel per diems are increasing. Below are rates that will change:

• Lunch at $51 per diem rate increase from $11 to $12

General Lodging Changes:

• Level I Counties and Cities increase from $107 to $122 + tax
• Level II Counties and Cities increase from $97 to $102 + tax
• Level III Counties and Cities increase from $77 to $83 + tax

Lodging changes under Exception One (chancellor, presidents, directors, etc.)