Jun 13th, 2024
Jackson State Community College (JSCC) hosted the quarterly meeting for the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) on Thursday, June 13 in JSCC’s McWherter Center in the Ayers auditorium.
During the meeting JSCC President Dr. Carol A. Rothstein unveiled the college’s new marketing campaign called “NextGen” featuring the commercial as part of the campaign to kick-off the presentation. She praised the hard work of the college’s faculty and staff who have tirelessly made the college what it is today. Following that praise, President Rothstein provided updates on the college’s new Athletic Director set to start June 15, and highlighted the college’s athletic programs along with new coaches who recently joined the institution.
Jackson State’s Advanced Maintenance Technician (AMT) Co-Op was a focal point of the meeting, having recently earned a national award for Program of Promise that was then toured by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee shortly after. The college’s Study Abroad program was also highlighted, having sent 23 students overseas this summer at nearly no cost to the student through scholarships funded through Global Learning. President Rothstein also discussed the opening of the Gibson County Center in Trenton this past year along with the creation and unveiling of Jax the Green Jay that saw great community involvement in the naming process.
Updates were also provided on the colleges two TBR funded projects currently underway called “Reimagining the Community College Experience,” rebranded by Jackson State as “Project Green Light,” and the Tennessee Coaching Project that primarily focuses on student advising. Enrollment for Fall 2024 is looking promising for JSCC, with an increase of 10% in total applications over last year alone and trending higher than the last three years.
President Rothstein discussed the college’s focus on relationships, resources, and reputation as points of reference for moving the college forward.
“Building our relationships, both internally across campus and externally, is a huge priority for us. We’re constantly striving to offer the next generation of West Tennesseans a quality education and investment in their futures and the legacy they will leave in West TN,” said President Rothstein. “We’re focused on areas of future growth, because here at Jackson State, we’re always looking forward.”
President Rothstein also mentioned in her update the recent announcement of JSCC’s dual admissions partnership with the University of Tennessee at Martin as well as JSCC’s partnership with JCM Early College High which has yielded 139 students graduating with their associate degree while in high school. President Rothstein also discussed the expansion of the Middle College program across all JSCC centers during the last academic year.
In addition to these projects and partnerships, Dr. Rothstein also gave an overview of recent and ongoing renovations and updates across campus. $40 million have been invested in facilities and updates covering over 15 major projects, including renovations to the JSCC baseball and softball fields, the administrative building, and the new regional workforce training center.
During the meeting, TBR provided additional updates regarding a 5% increase in tuition and fees for the 2024-25 Academic Year, capital budget requests for the 2025-26 Fiscal Year, the appointment of the next president of Tennessee College of Applied Technology Elizabethton, and a new associate degree program in nuclear technology at Roane State Community College, among others.
TCAT Crump and TCAT Jackson also included updates on current enrollment rates, recent accomplishments, and plans for future programs and expansions.
The full meeting was livestreamed and archived on the TBR website and can be found at https://www.tbr.edu/board/june-2024-quarterly-board-meeting.
PRPD-20240613-1