MTSU, Roane State sign transfer agreements

The presidents of Middle Tennessee State University and Roane State Community College signed agreements on Sept. 26 that will ease the transition for students seeking to transfer from the college to the university in Murfreesboro.

Sidney A. McPhee of MTSU and Gary Goff of Roane State authorized three agreements that create dual admissions, concurrent enrollment, and reverse transfer options between the college and the university. The signing took place at the Knoxville Museum of Art during MTSU’s “True Blue Tour,” a six-city admissions caravan of deans, administrators, and counselors, a press release said.

“We welcome this opportunity to strengthen our already strong ties with Roane State,” McPhee said. “MTSU is the No. 1 destination of transfer students in Tennessee and this agreement makes it even easier for Roane State students to attend our university.”

“Roane State is excited to sign these three agreements with MTSU. The agreements will provide greater opportunities for our students,” Goff said. “We are proud to partner with Middle Tennessee State University.”

Here is more information from the press release:

The dual admission program allows eligible Roane State students to get MTSU advising, registration priority, and admission while still attending the community college.

The concurrent enrollment aspect of the new agreement allows students to enroll for classes at both institutions simultaneously and get financial aid for the total number of credits if needed. That change will help students who have selected majors that require lower-division courses not available at the community college level, such as nutrition, interior design, and concrete industry management.

The reverse transfer portion of the plan gives former Roane State students who enrolled at MTSU before receiving a two-year associate’s degree from the college the opportunity to transfer MTSU credits back to Roane State and receive a diploma.

Students must meet certain criteria to be eligible for the new partnership with Roane State, including meeting admissions standards for MTSU.

The press release said MTSU is the state’s largest undergraduate university and the largest and oldest institution in the Tennessee Board of Regents system. The school has also established dual-admission programs with Nashville State, Chattanooga State, Dyersburg State, and Motlow State community colleges.

Roane State is a two-year TBR college providing transfer curricula, career-preparation programs and continuing education. Founded in 1971, the college has campuses in Crossville, Harriman, Huntsville, Jamestown, Knoxville, LaFollette, Lenoir City, Oak Ridge, and Wartburg.