Update from the President
by Dr. Shanna L. Jackson
Greetings,
The countdown to the new semester and academic year has begun. We are continuing to plan for on-ground courses in August as we monitor area conditions related to COVID. It is indeed my hope that we will welcome students back to campus safely this fall. However, if warranted, I am confident we are much more prepared to transition swiftly to support students and operate the college in a virtual environment than we were in March 2020 due to the efforts of our amazing faculty and staff.
The pandemic has been a catalyst for good transformational change in our classrooms and operations. While we still have room for improvement, the college has grown significantly in a short period of time. A special thanks to TSD, Online Learning, the Teaching Center and those directly involved with implementing and training others in the new tools we have acquired. We are Moving Forward!
Below are a few updates from the Office of the President:
Sharing the Good – There are many wonderful things happening at Nashville State! As I search for a new Executive Administrative Assistant, please send an email to my attention instead of using the form to recognize an individual (faculty, staff, or student), department, program, or group that has had a significant accomplishment or made a difference.
Enrollment – Our lead this summer has decreased in recent weeks as we have remained relatively flat from 2020. As of July 23rd, we were up .5% headcount and down .4% FTE over Fall of last year. We are down 15% headcount and 17.9% FTE from 2019. Below are the links to the fall daily enrollment reports:
Fall 2021 to Fall 2019 ETR Comparison Dashboard
Convocation – Convocation will take place on August 11th. The college will be closed for business and all employees are expected to participate. We will not gather as one on the White Bridge Road Campus this year. Instead, employees will gather at Clarksville, Humphreys, Southeast and White Bridge Road to participate in this important day. More information is forthcoming. Special thanks to Donna Whitehouse for leading and coordinating what I believe is going to be a momentous day.
I look forward to formally sharing our Vision 2030: A Student Ready College plan with you at Convocation. Vision 2030 is a framework to guide our efforts and resources for the remainder of this decade. It is affirmation of why our work is so important and establishes our key priorities. Nashville State has both the opportunity and responsibility to be a beacon of light and hope for the communities we serve. When Nashville State LEADS ourstudents SUCCEED!
Nashville State Earns Veterans Support Designation
by Tom Hayden, Associate Vice President, Office of Communications and Marketing
Nashville State Community College has earned the distinction as a Veterans Education Transition Support (VETS) Certified Campus from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
An institution receiving VETS Campus certification not only prioritizes outreach to veterans, but successfully delivers the services necessary to create a supportive environment where student veterans can prosper while pursuing their education.
Nashville State is among 26 military-friendly institutions throughout Tennessee that have been awarded this distinction.
“Nashville State is intentional in making sure our military veterans, reservists, and those on active duty have the support they need to flourish at the College and beyond,” said Dr. Carol Martin-Osorio, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. “Beyond direct veteran support, Nashville State provides laptops, food and transit assistance, along with academic advising and peer-to-peer mentoring.”
This past spring, 63 degrees and technical certificates were award to 44 Nashville State graduates, who use VA education benefits, such as the GI Bill. This list does not account for graduates who used other earned military-related benefits like Go Army Ed, MyCAA, and Tennessee STRONG.
“From the moment I first reached out to Nashville State until the time I graduated, all of my questions were answered, and I was supported and encouraged to not only succeed, but to engage with the College and assume a leadership role,” said 2021 graduate Joe Moore, who earned a Computer Information Technology A.A.S. degree with concentration in Systems Administration & Management and is a sergeant in the U.S. Army. During his time at Nashville State, Moore served as attorney general of the Student Government Association.
Passed into law in 2014 by the state legislature, the Tennessee Veterans Education Transition Support (VETS) Act establishes a program of recognition for higher education institutions which allocate resources for veterans’ successful transition from military service to college enrollment.
To qualify for the VETS Campus designation, institutions must:
- Conduct an annual campus survey of students who are veterans to identify the views, needs, issues and suggestions of veterans;
- Provide information to faculty and staff about military and veterans’ culture, including combat-related mental or physical disabilities or other challenges;
- Administer orientation programs for students who are veterans;
- Facilitate mentoring and support programs for students who are veterans;
- Develop outreach and communication strategies for military bases located near the campus, for the purpose of assessing veterans’ educational goals and meeting their identified needs;
- Create and maintain a process for the assessment of prior learning that grants academic credit to veterans for transferable training and experience attaining through military service; and
- Provide, on the campus website, information on the availability of prior learning assessments and potential program credit for skills, training or education obtained during military service.
For more information about Veterans Affairs at Nashville State, please contact VA Support Specialist Gwendolyn Falin at vetcom@nscc.edu or call 615-353-3211.
Malcolm’s Retirement Party!
by Christopher Saunders, CFM, Executive Director of Operations & Facilities
It was an event not to be forgotten. The retirement party for Malcom Johnson, Central Plant Manager was held on Friday July 16.
Malcolm and Lisa shared in the burritos, cake and ice cream cups. They opened gifts of appreciation from all of us.
You can’t say enough about the 33 years that Malcolm had been a part of NSCC. Malcolm was always available to provide support to NSCC 24/7. When there were power outages, electrical issues, natural disasters or HVAC problems on any campus, Malcolm was there to make sure it was resolved as soon as possible.
We wish the two of them well in their next adventure.
Put Down Roots
by Jessica Rabb, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
It’s time for me to put down roots on campus again. Many staff and faculty have been on campus the entire pandemic and all staff returned to campus in June. I am grateful for the work you have done for our students in person. I know it hasn’t been easy, and I expect you can feel unappreciated by those of us working remotely. We have all been isolated in many ways.
Back in April, I learned of staff efforts to enliven the courtyard in the W-building of the White Bridge Road Campus. The courtyard has a sculpture called The Three Sisters and picnic tables. It’s accessible through the campus post office on its South side. On the east side of the courtyard, in the hallway that gets lots of light, are beautiful plants that were started and cared for by Doug Jameson. Many of us can’t help but think of Doug when we walk through that hallway.
Well, I haven’t walked through that hallway in over a year, and when I did this summer it was incredibly comforting. With the help of Chris Saunders, Executive Director of Operations, I started to work with Chris Bledsoe in Maintenance to make a plan to bring plants into the courtyard. Chris transformed the courtyard into a beautiful space, and I bought native plants with the help of our Foundation and a grant from the Maddox Foundation that included money to teach students about wildlife conservation. So, we now have a native plant garden in the courtyard.
The courtyard environment has been transformed. For all of us, our work environment will be transformed starting August 11. We will all be around more people, at the very least. As usual, staff will lead the way, help us faculty that were working remotely put down roots. Staff are keeping the courtyard plants alive in my absence. That said, if the plants die, it’s totally my fault. August in Nashville is the worst time to put down actual roots. Duh.
This plant nursery specializes in native plants.
plants because they are along the east facing wall of the courtyard.
Sharing the Good!
by Tom Hayden, Associate Vice President, Office of Communications and Marketing
President Jackson Appointed to the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
President Jackson has been appointed to the 2021-2022 Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors. This appointment will help raise Nashville State’s profile and voice in the Nashville Region among business and community leaders.
Dr. Jackson is one of six new members appointed to the 42-person board. See the full list by clicking on this link.
The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce is Middle Tennessee’s largest business federation, representing more than 2,000-member companies.
Nashville GRAD Program Available to Davidson County Residents
by Tom Hayden, Associate Vice President, Office of Communications and Marketing
Nashville State Community College has announced that Davidson County residents may be eligible to apply for Nashville GRAD, a program that provides free, targeted financial assistance beyond tuition and academic support to students.
GRAD is available to those students who have applied and will be studying full-time at Nashville State in pursuit of an Associate degree or Technical Certificate. The application deadline for the program is August 11. It is free and easy to complete and staff are available to assist.
Started in fall 2019, Nashville GRAD is a college completion program modeled after the nationally recognized CUNY ASAP program. GRAD provides wrap-around services that focus on non-academic factors like access to transportation and food, that affect learning.
GRAD students at Nashville State receive:
- $100 per month for gas and groceries
- $300 per semester to be used for textbooks
- A loaner laptop to help with coursework
- Payment of industry certification fees
- Dedicated career development support
- Dedicated advisor support and personalized guidance
- Chance to build a strong network
“GRAD support goes beyond tuition assistance to provide needed support so Nashville State students can thrive in College and focus on their studies,” said Dr. Julie Williams, associate vice president of Student Affairs.
Students that are using the tuition-free Tennessee Promise scholarship and Tennessee Reconnect grant are eligible for Nashville GRAD.
GRAD is available through the continued support of our partners: Office of the Mayor of Nashville and Davidson County, Metro Council, Alliance Bernstein, Amazon, Bank of America, HCA Healthcare, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, Nashville State Community College Foundation, Piedmont Natural Gas, Tennessee Titans, The Memorial Foundation, SCORE, Southwest Airlines, and Verizon.
“Metro is proud to support Nashville GRAD and its mission to eliminate barriers to academic success,” said Mayor John Cooper. “This innovative, need-based program is already making a difference in our community. And as a city on the rise, it’s a vital part of our workforce development strategy to connect Nashvillians to quality jobs.”
The program’s first cohort of students graduated spring semester 2021.
“Nashville GRAD provided me with the opportunity to become the college student that I wanted to be,” said Luciano Donati, who earned an Associate of Science in Business Administration.
In addition to providing direction, a sense of community, and the supportive advising, Luciano leaned on the GRAD’s monetary assistance, saying, “It also provided financial support for moments in time in which life threw obstacles my way, and allowed me to have peace of mind and focus on my coursework. It has meant the world to me to be a part of the Nashville GRAD program.”
After graduating from Nashville State, Donati transferred to and enrolled in Middle Tennessee State University’s Jones College of Business, where starting this fall he will be majoring in Business Administration with minors in Finance and Economics.
Earlier this year, Nashville State received the Tennessee Board of Regents 2021 SOAR (Statewide Outstanding Achievement Recognition) Partnership Award for the Nashville GRAD program.
“Data shows that Nashville GRAD is making a difference for students who are committed to their studies, with the graduate rate nearly twice as high compared to other Davidson County students,” said Dr. Shanna L. Jackson, Nashville State’s president. “We remain committed to providing the highest quality education and being innovative in how we serve our communities.”
To learn more about the program, visit nscc.edu/nashville-grad, email nashgrad@nscc.edu, or call 615-353-3655.
Human Resources News
by Janet Dennis, Personnel Assistant, Human Resources
Please welcome our new employees to NSCC!
| Employee | Title | Department | Date |
| Justina Rogers | Director | Success Center/Nash Grad | 7/16/2021 |
| Dondi Sanders | Student Services Specialist II | Humphreys County | 7/16/2021 |
| Jameson Bear | Accounting Associate | Finance and Administration | 7/01/2021 |
| Elizabeth Robinson | DE & FWS Coordinator | Financial Aid | 7/01/2021 |
| Mario Hussey | Police Chief | Police and Security Services | 7/01/2021 |
| Carly Carpenter | Library Assistant | Learning Resources Center | 7/01/2021 |
| Ryan Parker | Development Officer | Foundation | 7/01/2021 |
