The main Roane State Community College campus in Harriman. The college also has a branch campus in Oak Ridge.
Roane State Community College has received a $27,310 Tennessee Higher Education Commission Ready to Reconnect grant to support adult students.
The grant will fund communication tools (email newsletter, texting services, and mailings) that will help adult students better understand their degree options and how to navigate the enrollment process. The grant will also pay for training that will teach faculty how to assess whether adults’ work experience could count toward college credit.
“Increasing outreach to adult students and improving the process for awarding adults college credit for their work experience are two key areas that can lead to more adults completing degrees,” said Diane Ward, Roane State vice president for student learning. “With the Ready to Reconnect grant, we can take major steps forward in these areas and better serve adult learners in our communities.”
Roane State will institute an Adult Advisory Council, intended to inform the college about adult students’ needs and preferences regarding course scheduling, course delivery methods, communications, and student support services. As a result of the work done in Adult Advisory Council meetings, Roane State will be able to create program structures and offer courses that are more accessible to adult learners.
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission awarded $726,130 in Ready to Reconnect grants to 16 higher education institutions to build support systems that significantly improve outcomes for adult students.
To apply for grant funding, institutions were required to first complete the Adult Learning Focused Institution assessment provided by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning. This assessment served as a foundation for their project proposal and provided institutions with insight into the perspectives of their current adult learners and the obstacles they face.
The Ready to Reconnect grants were chosen through a competitive application process. The grant program is administered by THEC and funded by a College Access Challenge Grant from the U.S. Department of Education as well as state funding.
“Tennessee has been at the forefront of engaging adult learners in Tennessee for a number of years and the Ready to Reconnect Grant is yet another example of our commitment to adult learners in higher education,” said THEC Interim Executive Director Russ Deaton. “We look forward to partnering with the 16 awarded institutions to implement these innovative ideas to promote success among our adult student population.”
Roane State is a two-year college providing transfer programs, 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.
For more information, visit roanestate.edu or call 1-866-GO2-RSCC (1-866-462-7722).
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