3.4.2  

The institution’s continuing education, outreach, and service programs are consistent with the institution’s mission.

RATIONALE FOR COMPLIANCE JUDGMENT

The continuing education, outreach, and service programs offered by Nashville State Technical Community College (NSCC) are comprehensive, represent progressive partnerships, exemplary services and provide responsible leadership.  Continuing education operates under the title of Workforce and Community Development [1].  Courses offered include CEU, non-credit, and credit courses.  A total of 4,065 students enrolled in 551 classes offered by Workforce and Community Development in the 2005-2006 academic year.  Courses were conducted at 31 different companies.  Primary business clients include Dell Computers, Nissan Corp., Saturn Corp., Nashville Electric Service, and Army Corp of Engineers.  NSCC full-time and adjunct instructors teach credit courses that are offered under contract with local business and industry.  Tennessee Board of Regents policy [2] requires financial separation of credit and non-credit course offerings. 

The Career Employment Center coordinates Project Paycheck [3] which is an annual outreach activity conducted in cooperation with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and local businesses.  Job and Career Fairs [4] and College Transfer days are periodically held on campus.  

The Center for Information Technology Education (CITE) [5] is a National Science Foundation (NSF) regional information technology center that provides a variety of outreach activities in the mid-Tennessee region. 

The Case Files project [6] is a National Science Foundation project designed to dissemination the problem-based-case-based teaching and learning strategies to a national audience. 

NSCC has a unique business partnership with the Sage Group, which is a corporate training organization that offers technical courses nationally [7].  Additional information about granting credit for Sage Group course work is covered in CS 3.4.8