THEC committee approves four new academic programs and revised quality-assurance standards

The Tennessee Higher Education CommissionAccess, Academics and Student Success Committee on the call-to-order voted to approve a slate of institutional authorizations and four new degree programs, and to adopt revised Quality Assurance Funding standards.

Dr. Stephanie Bellerchase, senior director of postsecondary state authorization, presented recommendations to grant regular and optional expedited authorization to the institutions listed in the meeting materials and noted subject-matter approvals (for licensure-related programs) from the Tennessee Board of Dentistry and institutional accreditation for South University (SACSCOC). The motion to adopt the authorization recommendations passed with five ayes.

On academic programs, the committee approved: - Middle Tennessee State UniversityMaster of Fine Arts in Film and Television (three-year, 60-credit, in-person cohort model), presented by Dr. Amy Aldridge and Professor Ali Sultan. The presenters told commissioners enrollment would begin with cohorts of about 15, grow toward 20, and estimated in-state tuition and fees at roughly $12,000 per year for a typical student in the materials presented. - Southwest Tennessee Community CollegeAssociate of Applied Science in Artificial Intelligence Technology (60 credits) with an embedded 18-credit technical certificate and planned fall 2026 implementation at the Macon Cove campus. Presenters described employer partnerships and projected entry-level wages and labor-market demand in the Memphis region. Commissioners asked about advisory-board membership, dual-enrollment, and enrollment and expense projections; the program was approved by roll call. - Tennessee Technological UniversityMaster of Social Work (60 credits), a majority-online program with evening on-campus classes, planned clinical placements, and CSWE accreditation pursuit. Dr. John Liu said a $2.5 million grant would help offset start-up deficits in the first years; commissioners probed the accreditation timeline, tuition and return-on-investment, and community partnerships; the commission approved the program by roll call. - University of MemphisBachelor of Applied Science (120 credits) with concentrations in construction leadership, manufacturing supervision, and information technology. Presenters emphasized transfer-friendly pathways for TCAT and applied-associate graduates and credit-for-prior-learning mechanisms. The roll-call result reported 4 ayes and 1 abstain.

Finally, Dr. Julie Roberts presented finalized Quality Assurance Funding standards consolidating prior measures into three buckets: academic program quality, student success, and student engagement. Roberts said the standards would align with the outcomes-based funding review and continue to use national student-engagement surveys with added career-readiness modules; commissioners repeatedly asked how survey data would be acted on at campus level. The QAF proposal, which the commission said would move roughly $80 million in state resources, passed on a roll-call vote.

The committee took no public comments, thanked the Tennessee Board of Regents host, and adjourned. Where the record gives a corrected figure (for example, corrected tuition numbers discussed during questioning), this article uses the corrected number provided in the meeting.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in roll calls during the meeting): - Agenda adoption: carried (secretary reported five ayes). - Postsecondary authorization recommendations: carried (five ayes). - MTSU MFA in Film and Television: carried (roll-call recorded aye votes). - Southwest Tennessee Community College AI AAS: carried (roll-call recorded aye votes). - Tennessee Tech MSW: carried (roll-call recorded aye votes). - University of Memphis BAS: carried (reported as 4 ayes, 1 abstain). - Quality Assurance Funding standards: carried (roll-call recorded ayes).