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.
The class assists students in the development of "life skills necessary to their educational, career and life objectives," according to a Cleveland State news release. The course calls for critical thinking and is intended to teach students how to be self-aware and self-motivated while also being civicly aware and personally responsible.
"Tennessee Promise has brought to Cleveland State an abundance of new college students; now it is our mission to equip those students so they transform into college graduates," said Dr. Denise King, vice president for academic affairs, in a statement.
First-year seminar serves to build relationships, provide personalized guidance and deepen academic purpose, she said.
Data from the last two years shows that students who took the class were retained at a much higher level, Seymour said.
"That is why Cleveland State led an effort with the Tennessee Board of Regents to gain approval for requiring a success course," he said.
The school will introduce a number of other initiatives intended to support Tennessee Promise this fall, such as assigning all students to an academic adviser to develop a plan for obtaining a degree or certification, according to Cleveland State strategy documents.
Financial assistance for book purchases is also on the table with the implementation of a book assistance scholarship for new students with the greatest financial need, Seymour said.
Fall 2015 initiatives also call for the school to provide an incentive for students to take and pass 15 hours per semester by offering book assistance funds for the following semester.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.