Tennessee Higher Education Commission
Richard G. Rhoda, Executive Director

Academic Programs

In concert with the legislative changes enacted under the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010, the approval process for new academic programs was recently modified, and includes heightened attention to institutional mission distinction, a focus on the importance of institutional collaboration, and workforce development, and avoidance of duplication of programs and services.

 

Academic Policies

• A1.0 - New Academic Programs: Approval Process
• A1.0 - Attachment A (Financial Estimate Form)
• A1.0- Attachment B (Letters of Intent)
• A1.1- New Academic Programs
• A1.1- Attachment A (Financial Estimate Form)

 

As described in Academic Policy A1.0, institutions wishing to begin the Letter of Intent process for proposing new academic programs should reference the following resources while conducting their initial feasibility study:

• Academic Program Inventory
• Annual Academic Program Review
• Academic Program Review Presentation
• Active Letters of Intent
• Program Actions
• Post Approval Monitoring Summary
• 2010 Supply and Demand Study
• High Need Fields

Performance Funding

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission's Performance Funding program has been in operation for over thirty years. It is nationally recognized as a successful statewide supplemental funding incentive to encourage continuous improvement of programs and services. All public universities and community colleges have been able to earn additional funds (up to 5.45 percent of the institution’s state funding) on the basis of quality improvement as measured by a common set of indicators.

 

The incentive has encouraged institutions to build comprehensive evaluation systems whereby they can reliably measure student learning. The Performance Funding Program serves as an accountability instrument for each five-year Master Plan and tracks measures the Commission is statutorily required to report annually to the Tennessee General Assembly. For the 2010-15 cycle, institutions will focus on two quality standards: Quality of Student Learning and Quality of Student Support and Success.

 

Performance Funding 2010-2015 Cycle

• Overview
• Guidebook
• Calendar
• Institutional and Governing Board Contact Information
• 2010-11 Update

Historical

• Performance Funding 1978 – 1982 Standards (pilot cycles)
• Cycle 1:  Performance Funding 1982 – 1987 Standards
• Cycle 2:  Performance Funding 1987 – 1992 Standards
• Cycle 3:  Performance Funding 1992 – 1997 Standards
• Cycle 4:  Performance Funding 1997 –  2000 Standards
• Cycle 5:  Performance Funding 2000 – 2005 Standards
• Cycle 6:  Performance Funding 2005 – 2010 Standards

Peformance Funding: Points and Dollars Recommendations

• Performance Funding Recommendations
• Performance Funding Recommendations: Community Colleges
• Performance Funding Recommendations: Universities

Resources

• Outcomes-Based Funding Formula
• Academic Program Inventory: Low-Producing
• Community Colleges:  Embedded Certificates Proposal
• Community Colleges:  Certificate Inventory
• Accreditation Agency Report
• High Need Fields
• Student Sub-Populations
• Assessment Implementation Training Workshop
• NSSE in Tennessee- Key Findings 2011
• CSSE in Tennessee- Key Findings 2011

Resources - National

• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation
• Educational Testing Service
• NCHEMS Information Center
• National Survey of Student Engagement
• Community College Survey of Student Engagement
• State Higher Education Executive Officers
• October 2011 NSSE Workshop

Research

• Performance Incentives and Public College Accountability in the United States:  A Quarter Century Policy Audit (2010)
• Higher Education Stakeholders' Perception of Tennessee's Current Performance Funding Policy (2005)
• Changing Perceptions and Outcomes:  The Tennessee Performance Funding Experience (2004)
• Designing State Incentive Programs that Work in Higher Education (1989)
• Annotated Bibliography on Performance Funding

Grant and Outreach Programs

The Academic Affairs Division is responsible for outreach to institutions via both state and federal grant programs, including the Improving Teacher Quality grant program, the UTeach Program, the SREB Doctoral Scholars Program, and the Diversity in Teaching Program.

Improving Teacher Quality Grants

This federal program was established to provide grants for colleges and universities to develop and implement workshops for K-12 teachers in the areas of mathematics, science and humanities. The purpose is to establish a collaborative planning partnership between higher education and K-12 education for teacher preparation and continuing professional development.

• 2013 ITQ Awards
  

Diversity in Teaching Grants

The Diversity in Teaching Grant (formerly known as the Minority Teacher Education grant program) is a competitive matching grant program that aims to increase the number of qualified teachers from under-represented groups who are committed to diversity as an instructional tool and entering the teaching profession in grades K-12.

• 2013-2015 Diversity in Teaching Request for Proposals
• 2013-2015 Received Proposals

UTeach Replication Sites

In partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education and the UTeach Institute at the University of Texas-Austin, THEC is proud to announce the opening of four UTeach replication sites across the state. Each of these sites seeks to increase the number of K-12 Math and Science teachers in Tennessee by providing high-quality advising and instruction to Math and Science majors who wish to pursue a career in teaching. For more information, please visit one our four campus UTeach sites.

• MTeach - Middle Tennessee State University
• VolsTeach - University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• UTeaChattanooga - University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
• UTeach Memphis - University of Memphis

SREB Programs

• SREB Electronic Campus Program
• SREB Electronic Campus Course Nomination Form
• SREB Electronic Campus Program Nomination Form
• SREB Doctoral Scholars Program
• SREB Academic Common Market

Postsecondary Opportunities for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Since 2007, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Council on Developmental Disabilities have participated in a statewide taskforce to increase awareness and develop postsecondary opportunities for students who have an intellectual disability and are seeking continuing education and career development opportunities at a Tennessee college or university.  Currently, there are two programs in Tennessee for students with intellectual disabilities:  Vanderbilt University and UT Knoxville.  The Think College website is an excellent resource for learning more about postsecondary education opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities across the nation.

 

Core to College Program

Core to College is a multi-state grant initiative designed to promote strong collaboration between higher education and the K-12 sectors in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards and aligned assessments.

• Core to College Program Summary
• Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors - Core to College
• Common Core State Standards Information
• PARCC Assessment Information
• April Curriculum Redesign Convening Summary

 

P-16 Initiatives

Several P-16 Initiatives are housed within the Academic Affairs Division, the most notable of which is the higher education portion of Tennessee's First to the Top Program.

• THEC First to the Top
• Tennessee Department of Education First to the Top
• Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers

CCTA Info

Several facets of the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010 are monitored by the Academic Affairs division, including mission distinction, articulation and transfer reporting, dual admissions, and research enhancement.

• Complete College Tennessee Act Summary
• Institutional Mission Profiles
• Performance Funding Quality Assurance
• Articulation and Transfer Report
• Universally Transferrable General Education 41 Hour Core
• Universally Transferrable 19-Hour Pre-Major Pathways
• Dual Admissions

Research Enhancement

• University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Enhanced Research and Graduate Education: The UTK-ORNL collaborative Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education has been established. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission has approved the UTK Ph.D. in Energy Science and Engineering. (last updated January 2011)
• Memphis Research Consortium: The Consortium represents the collaboration of the University of Memphis, UT Health Science Center, St. Jude Hospital and other Memphis-based business and health providers toward enhanced research in specified biotech and health-related fields. (last updated January 2011)

Resources

• Carnegie Classifications
• American Council on Education

Centers of Excellence

In 1984, the General Assembly and the Governor of Tennessee announced the creation of a new "Centers of Excellence" program for Tennessee public higher education. Selected through a statewide competitive process, the Centers of Excellence are designed to build upon the research strengths of the campuses of Tennessee Board of Regents and University of Tennessee. Their purpose is to focus on the capabilities of public higher education to serve the people of Tennessee by expanding the state's research base; thereby, increasing its national and international stature and its economic competitiveness.

Listing of Centers of Excellence

Centers of Emphasis

The Centers of Emphasis program (formerly called "Campus Centers") began in 1984 with matching funds from the state. Each community college or technical institute now has at least one Center. The Centers have been established on a competitive basis through formal proposals submitted to the Tennessee Board of Regents for approval.

Listing of Centers of Emphasis

Chairs of Excellence

The Chairs of Excellence program began in the midst of the education reform and improvement measures passed by the General Assembly in the mid-1980s. This program brings eminent scholars to Tennessee public institutions and attracts research initiatives and private funding to our state. The program has resulted in an unprecedented level of donations to higher education from private and corporate sources.

Listing of Chairs of Excellence