Total enrollment in Tennessee Board of Regents universities, community colleges and online degree programs is approaching 200,000 for the first time. The state’s community colleges are leading the growth with increases as high as 31% at Dyersburg State.
Nashville State and Volunteer State are up 20% each. The average enrollment growth for community colleges is more than 16% over last year.
TBR officials say they assume the slow economy is driving those out-of-work back to the classroom. But Regents vice chancellor Paula Short says new students are also talking about their motivation.
“They’re seeking ways to retool and be more marketable, and those are specific things they are saying to our counselors and admissions officers.”
The Regents Online Degree Program has also expanded by more than 21% over last year. The systems’ six universities, by contrast, have increased enrollment by a more modest 6%. Leading the campus growth is Tennessee State University, whose student body has swelled by more than 8-percent.
TBR officials say such swift growth is good news but it puts a strain on student services and overcrowds some classrooms.
The Board of Regents announced Tuesday a retirement timeline for Chancellor Charles Manning. He’d previously announced his retirement, then agreed to stay on to guide the system through significant budget cuts. Manning now plans to step down in December of next year.
WEB EXTRA:
Headcounts by university campus:
Austin Peay
-2008 – 9,102
-2009 – 9,799
East Tennessee State
-2008 – 13,153
-2009 – 13,989
Middle Tennessee State
-2008 – 24,008
-2009 – 25,417
Tennessee State
-2008 – 8,249
-2009 – 8,953
Tennessee Tech
-2008 – 10,198
-2009 – 10,608
University of Memphis
-2008 – 20,602
-2009 – 21,781
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