{"id":3240,"date":"2023-06-05T14:59:41","date_gmt":"2023-06-05T14:59:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ww2.nscc.edu\/thensccvoice\/?page_id=3240"},"modified":"2023-06-05T14:59:42","modified_gmt":"2023-06-05T14:59:42","slug":"april-may-2023-volume-6-issue-9-10","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ww2.nscc.edu\/thensccvoice\/april-may-2023-volume-6-issue-9-10\/","title":{"rendered":"April\/May 2023 Volume 6 Issue 9\/10"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Update from the President<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

by Dr. Shanna L. Jackson<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Greetings,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Spring semester has ended and we are busy preparing for the start of the Summer term. Our 59th<\/sup> Commencement on May 9th<\/sup> was a wonderful celebration of our graduates’ accomplishments. Hosted for the second year at Lipscomb University\u2019s Allen Arena, we were honored to have Nashville Predators CEO and President Sean Henry as our guest speaker.  We will not know our final graduate count until Summer term ends but are estimating over 1,100 Associate degrees and Technical certificates will be awarded.  Almost 500 graduates crossed the stage at Commencement!  Special thanks to Ms. Evelyn Hadley for chairing the Commencement Committee and all involved in supporting this special event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commencement is one of my favorite days of the year because it is the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice, not just for students or their supporters, but for every employee at Nashville State.  For over 50 years we have been a bridge to opportunity for the students we serve.  But there is more we can do and that is why Vision 2030: A Student Ready College<\/em> and our LEADS Core Values are so important.  We cannot afford to leave any group of students or our communities behind.  We must keep Moving Forward! <\/em>Below are a few updates from the President:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SOAR Award Winner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On March 29 we celebrated our student SOAR nominees. Help me extend a special congratulations to Loren Hatcher for her piece photograph \u201cHowdy,\u201d which won the top honor in the SOAR Virtually Art Gallery competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

North Davidson Campus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We are celebrating the first anniversary of our ribbon cutting for the North Davidson Campus that took place on April 19, 2022. For the first fall, North Davidson served more than 200 students. Dr. Kimberly Malone-Haddox and team are positioning the campus for continued growth by being active in the community and area high schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early College High School Graduates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We are celebrating the success of our second cohort of Early College graduates. 47 out of 57 graduates completed their Associate Degree with Nashville State. As a class they earned over 3,200 college credits.  These students are not only going on to in-state public and private Universities, but a large portion are attending out of state public and private institutions like LSU, Syracuse, Spellman and Colorado State! I had the honor of speaking at their High School graduation and it was a joyous occasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Holiday<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The General Assembly approved Gov. Lee\u2019s proposed legislation to make Juneteenth a state holiday, celebrating African American Emancipation. Therefore, on Monday, June 19 the college will be closed in observance of Juneteenth<\/em>.  This is a new addition to our holiday schedule moving forward; our administrative days remain the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Budget<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We anticipate being ahead of this year’s budget enrollment projections by June 30 because of the great work happening to increase enrollment and retention. For next year, we are submitting a budget based on flat enrollment for Fall, Spring and Summer with no tuition increase.  Based on these assumptions we are forecasting revenues to exceed expenses by $300,000. However, it is critical that we continue to focus on improving retention, increasing enrollment and keeping expenses in budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Salary Increases<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Tennessee Board of Regents recommended that Community Colleges provide at minimum a 3% across the board salary increase for all eligible employees and the remaining 2% of the Governor\u2019s 5% recommendation be put toward compensation plans.  I am pleased to announce that Nashville State will provide a 4.5% across the board increase for eligible employees and the remaining .5% will be directed toward recommendations in the revised compensation plan.  The compensation plan revisions have been submitted to TBR for approval at the June Quarterly Board Meeting.  If approved, more information about the revisions to the compensation plan will be shared.  Employees will receive updated salary letters by the first week of July.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fall Convocation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Save the date August 9 from 8:30am-4pm for Fall Convocation. More details will be coming in early July with information about location, format and the schedule for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enrollment Update<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Early registration for Summer and Fall is underway.  You can view the enrollment dashboards using these links:<\/p>\n\n\n\n