TSU, Nashville State Community College reaffirm agreement to help students get four-year degrees

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The presidents of Tennessee State University and Nashville State Community College have reaffirmed an agreement to help students get a four-year degree.

TSU President Glenda Glover speaks at press conference. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

TSU President Glenda Glover and NSCC President Shanna Jackson held a press conference at NSCC on Tuesday to reaffirm the Dual Admission Agreement the institutions made in 2009, as well as announce new ways to partner moving forward.

The agreement provided certain guarantees to students who committed to Tennessee State early in their college career, such as priority advising and registration, as well as access to TSU’s campus.

However, there have been some changes since the agreement was made. For instance, the Tennessee Board of Regents instituted the Tennessee Transfer Pathways program, which superseded DAAs and provided guarantees to community college graduates statewide.

The reaffirmation focuses on ways to get Nashville State students to commit to TSU as early as possible. Those that do commit early do not have to pay an application fee. Additionally, students who excel academically at Nashville State may be eligible for TSU transfer scholarships, and 100 percent of the courses students take at Nashville State will transfer to TSU.

“We’re just pleased and honored to have this partnership,” Glover said. “We look forward to receiving Nashville State students as TSU students. Simply put, it’s just time to become a TSU Tiger.”

NSCC’s president expressed similar sentiment.

“Nashville State has long enjoyed a partnership with Tennessee State University,” said Jackson, a TSU graduate. “I am grateful to President Glover and her staff for the commitment to strengthening and growing the relationship between our institutions.”

TSU and NSCC are in the process of finalizing several new articulation agreements in the area of hospitality and tourism, as well as teacher education.

“In fact, most recently, there were three much needed new pathways that were created for future high school teachers in the area of biology, chemistry and mathematics (STEM),” Jackson said. “And this is only the beginning.”

On Tuesday, the presidents signed an agreement that would allow articulation from a university parallel associate of science at NSCC to a bachelor of science in biology or mathematics or chemistry with teacher certification/licensure.

“We’re focusing on the STEM majors because we know that employment demands in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math are steadily increasing,” Glover said. “TSU has solid partnerships with certain companies, and Nashville State students will have access to the same companies.”

The NSCC-TSU partnership is a continuing effort by Tennessee State to attract community college students. Earlier this year, TSU partnered with Motlow State Community College to offer an agriculture degree in Fayetteville, Tennessee.

Under the “2 + 2” Ag program, participants get an associate’s degree at MSCC, then have the option of getting a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences from TSU, which can be conveniently done at MSCC.

For more about community college initiatives at TSU, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/commcolleges/