Tennessee Higher Education Commission
Richard G. Rhoda, Executive Director

The Master Planning cycle has traditionally followed a five-year timeframe, with the most recent iteration spanning 2000-05. Following this five-year reference point, the new planning document will run from 2005-10. The following provides an overview of THEC master planning activity since the adoption of the 2000-05 Master Plan for Higher Education in Tennessee.

The General Assembly determined that a higher education system that failed to allow the transfer of seemingly identical or similar courses increased the time to degree and cost to the student and the state. It was also the perception of the General Assembly that public higher education was not taking adequate steps to remedy the problem.
Therefore, the legislature passed Public Chapter 795, Acts of 2000. Public Chapter 795 requires the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to work with the University of Tennessee and Tennessee Board of Regents to:

• Create and have in place by the 2001 fall semester, a university track program within UT and TBR consisting of sixty (60) semester hours of instruction within each major discipline that can be transferred and applied toward the requirements for a bachelor’s degree, thus allowing a student who has successfully completed the track to enter the receiving institution as a junior.

• Create an atmosphere that is conducive to transferability of credits among Tennessee’s public colleges and universities.

• Report to the Joint Education Oversight Committee and the chairs of the House and Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committees on the progress made toward full articulation on October 1 of each year.

Off-campus locations play a significant role within Tennessee’s higher education system. They meet the needs of many citizens who are unable to take advantage of the services provided at main campus locations and, in turn, serve the needs of the institution by making education available to more students. It is the responsibility of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, under the purview of the State, to review and approve any new locations. The off campus locations report provides information on the location of off-campus higher education facilities throughout the state.

T.C.A. §49-7-202 (c) (7) requires the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to “submit a biennial report to the governor and the general assembly, commenting upon major developments, trends, new policies, budgets and financial considerations which in the judgment of the commission will be useful to the governor and to the general assembly in planning for the sound and adequate development of the state's program of public higher education.”
The purpose of this report, Tennessee Higher Education Profiles and Trends, is to provide state policymakers with a brief overview of Tennessee higher education within a regional and national context. This report presents data and analyses on seven policy issues important to the state: 1) State Economy and Higher Education, 2) Student Preparation, 3) Student Participation, 4) Student Retention and Completion, 5) Finance, 6) Tuition and Financial Aid, and 7) Student Satisfaction.

Below is a searchable list of ACT Feedback Reports that profile the performance of Tennessee high school graduates in postsecondary education. Each academic year represents the first year collegiate performance of the previous year's ACT tested high school graduates. Reports are available for each high school, school district, public college or university, and higher education system.