Gov. Phil Bredesen visited Chattanooga State on Tuesday for an hour-long, roundtable discussion with a diverse 12-student panel, including myself. The panel included student government representatives, transfer students, medical and media students, non-traditional students and three students who have moved here from other countries—namely, Honduras, Colombia and Taiwan—to attend college.
The discussion was moderated by the governor, who was flanked by Chattanooga State president Dr. James Catanzaro to his left and state Senator Andy Berke to his right. Chattanooga Times Free Press publisher Tom Griscom was also in attendance.
In his opening remarks, Gov. Bredesen said there was "not a lot of fresh revenue" to go around due to the economy. Thus, the discussion would focus on "working on the efficiency" of current programs and resources, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of college graduates in Tennessee.
Approximately 35,000 college degrees are awarded each year in Tennessee. The state wants that number to be closer to 59,000 per year, according to the Making Opportunity Affordable-Tennessee Initiative. Gov. Bredesen said he likes to go to the source when it comes to finding out the real issues in the education system, which in this case means the students.
The discussion centered around five topics:
- The articulation agreement between Chattanooga State and UTC.
- How to smooth the transfer process between community colleges and 4-year schools.
- Would dorms benefit Chattanooga State?
- Adding 4-year programs to Chattanooga State.
- Why students drop out, and how to help older students adjust to newer technology.
Articulation Agreement and Smoothing the Transfer Process
Early discussion focused on students transferring from Chattanooga State to a four-year institution. Many students voiced frustration with the process, saying they ultimately felt like a lot of credits did not equate. Dr. Catanzaro quickly brought up the articulation agreements between Chattanooga State and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He said that if students come to Chattanooga State and know they will be transferring in two years, they will know right away what they need to take, and will have no problems.
The panel generally agreed that students have a responsibility to keep up with the transfer process. One student, Robbie Myers, noted that he had mostly advised himself before realizing he failed to completely grasp the articulation process. Upon transfer, only 12 of 30 credit hours in his Computer Science Software Systems program transferred.
I raised the issue of the undecided student: If students come to Chattanooga State undecided, and wait a year to decide whether they would like a transfer degree, they are already behind because they were not following the articulation agreement from the beginning. In other words, when you come to Chattanooga State, you don't have the luxury of being an undecided major for very long.
Other students mentioned UTC's general education requirements as a roadblock on the path to a four-year degree. Once they have fulfilled the requirements at Chattanooga State for an Associate of Arts or Science transfer degree, they still have to fulfill UTC's general education requirements. That equates to three more years of college instead of the two students generally expect after leaving a community college.
In the governor's closing remarks, he said this issue is the most troubling.
Would Dorms Benefit Chattanooga State?
Citing the mission to bring in more non-traditional students, Gov. Bredesen asked the panel if making the campus more appealing would get more people to come back to college and graduate. In particular, he focused on adding dorms. The panel agreed that dorms are a good idea, but the reasons varied. Some believed dorms would be a great way to increase student participation on campus, while others believed that the primary use of a dorm should be need-based—as many students travel 30–45 minutes to attend class and others don't have transportation at all.
I mentioned that the dorms should be need-based as opposed to focused on improving student life. Chattanooga State does just about as well as a two-year school can do. I said, "The fact is, we're not UTC ... We're not a four-year school, and we don't have Greek life." Students come to Chattanooga State for class, then they leave.
Gov. Bredesen interjected, "But is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
During his closing remarks, he said he heard what he expected to on the topic of student life and campus living. No surprises for him there.
Adding Four-Year Programs to Chattanooga State
Many students appealed to the governor to add four-year programs at Chattanooga State. Matt Nassar, pre-med, explained that he has been accepted into Vanderbilt, which will cost him around $200,000 to complete his degree. If given the choice to stay at Chattanooga State for a full 4-year program, he wouldn't hesitate because of the savings.
Jessie Knowles, editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, believes that Chattanooga State has the ability and resources to offer competitive, four-year programs in various media fields. The governor said this is a growing trend in Tennessee and the nation, but that, ultimately, they may not be his focus.
Gov. Bredesen said he values these perspectives and is interested in learning more about the idea of having four-year degree programs at two-year institutions.
Dropouts and Adjusting to New Technology
While discussing making college more appealing for older students, the panel agreed there should be more technological adjustment seminars and programs before the semester begins. Panelists noted that many classes, specifically remedial or developmental math classes, are offered primarily online. Victor Bryant voiced concerns about this trend, saying that for him, online courses were not conducive to better learning.
During the discussion, the governor paused to say he has never understood why students drop out for seemingly no reason at all. Several panelists offered their theories, many of which focused on financial aid, while others, including myself, focused on the diverse backgrounds of community college students. I mentioned that more often, first-year students at UTC include students fresh out of high school, but at any given Chattanooga State orientation you will find grandparents, parents, full-time and part-time workers, and students without any financial assistance.
During his closing remarks, Gov. Bredesen said that helping students with technology is important and that he's very interested in why students drop out and wants to limit this from happening.
Every student on the panel spoke at least once, and the governor stuck around for photos, questions and comments from the students before entertaining the media. In my estimation, the panel was well worth the trip for the governor. I think he and Dr. Catanzaro will take away a closer look at the transfer process between community colleges and other four-year institutions.
Matt Davis is a student Chattanooga State. He works part-time for the school.
Matt Nassar on Nov. 26, 2009
Great article, Matt!
Matt Davis on Dec. 4, 2009
Thanks, see you at Dr. C's on Thursday.