CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Cleveland State Community College officials say that increasing enrollment is not the endgame for Tennessee Promise on their campus.
Tennessee Promise started this fall. It pays for two years of post-secondary education at any of the state’s 13 community colleges, 27 colleges of applied technology or any eligible institution offering an associate’s degree program. It is part of Gov. Bill Haslam’s “Drive to 55” initiative, which seeks to increase the state’s college graduation rate from 32 percent to 55 percent over the next 10 years.
“It’s a game-changer,” said Cleveland State president Dr. Bill Seymour, who said freshman enrollment rose by 16 percent this semester after decreasing the last four years.
But the program’s success must be measured by how well the school helps students to successfully graduate, Seymour said. Student retention and goal-driven achievement go hand-in-hand with boosting enrollment in Cleveland State’s strategic “road map” over the next five years, he said.
Cleveland State’s now-mandatory first-year seminar, a freshman success class, is one way the school intends to keep students and faculty engaged and focused on achievement, Seymour said.