Policies and Procedures Manual

Chapter 1: System of Governance

01:01:00   Statement of Philosophy

The operation of Northeast State Community College as a component of the Tennessee Board of Regents is based on the belief that each high school graduate or otherwise qualified person in Northeast Tennessee should have access to higher education opportunities. The College is committed to providing accessibility through an open enrollment admissions policy and a comprehensive curriculum of programs and services based on individual student and community needs.

Northeast State's open enrollment admissions policy provides for high school graduates or persons with equivalency certificates to enter a degree program and for other persons who are capable of benefiting to enter programs of continuing education and community service programs. Also, as part of the open enrollment admissions policy, the College supports keeping the cost for the student as low as possible and proposes to provide a comprehensive program of financial assistance for needy students. Keeping the people informed about the various educational opportunities available to them and motivating them to take advantage of these offerings is a major challenge accepted by the College. The College assumes an obligation to maintain delivery systems whereby all programs and services are offered within reasonable commuting distances to a Northeast State campus or teaching site. The College takes pride in admitting a highly diversified body of students and in providing opportunities to satisfy the students' needs.

The College believes that the comprehensive curriculum of programs and services should include opportunities for students to complete two years of college work at Northeast State in university parallel programs and transfer with minimum difficulty to four-year colleges and universities at the junior level. Also, the curriculum should include career technology programs that prepare students for immediate gainful employment. The College believes in awarding students who complete either a university parallel program or a career technology program an appropriate associate degree or certificate. As part of the requirements for a degree, the College believes that each student should, as part of their course of study, complete a specified number of hours in general education courses. Likewise, the College has the supposition that students graduating in a career technology program should have a significant amount of practical work experience. Related to this is the College's belief that the associate degree from Northeast State should, without question, be meaningful and that each person receiving a degree should have achieved certain basic skills and have attained specified competency levels.

Northeast State Community College prepares students for college level studies by operating pre-collegiate learning support studies and adult education programs. The College, through pre-advising and referrals through individual faculty members, affords the student the full spectrum of educational opportunities.

In addition to providing credit programs leading to certificates or degrees, the College is committed to providing a broad range of community service programs including non-credit courses, seminars, workshops, and conferences for individuals desiring additional education for professional growth or personal enrichment. Northeast State strives to be an institution which helps the region by cooperating and encouraging individual and community development.

As a complement to the comprehensive curriculum, the College is committed to a well-planned and well-managed program of student development activities including financial aid, counseling, health information services and activities which will provide students with maximum opportunities to grow emotionally, socially, and culturally. An awareness of the dignity and individual worth of each student is paramount and at all times provides the foundation on which the College bases all activities designed to help students reach their fullest human potential so they may use their assets more fully and thus live more effectively.

In managing the open enrollment admissions program, the comprehensive curriculum of programs and services and the program of student development activities, Northeast State seeks to work in concert with area high schools, the Tennessee Technology Center at Elizabethton, other colleges and universities, businesses and industries, and other educational and community agencies to maintain effective programs of articulation.

Accenting the College's commitment of providing accessibility to higher education opportunities is a dedication to an efficient and effective management system to ensure that the programs and services are of the highest quality and that the College is highly accountable as a public educational institution. As an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, the College strives to identify and employ the best-qualified faculty and staff. Preference is given to individuals who have outstanding academic credentials, believe in quality of services and programs and possess such personal traits as self-discipline, initiative, cooperativeness, and a desire for hard work, have a genuine concern for the welfare of students and an understanding of a comprehensive community college.

Northeast State subscribes to a well defined and implemented management and evaluation system whereby goals and objectives are established and sound decisions are made that are consistent with the needs of the student and community and are in accord with the directives rendered by the governing board. The College believes in a "participatory governance" system whereby students, faculty, staff, and the general public all have an opportunity for input into the decision-making process and curriculum planning. The College endeavors to maintain a committee structure and communication channels through which input can be provided and an attitude of "openness" can prevail. This management system is accountable, yet innovative and open for dialogue, constructive criticism and feedback. The system considers the present but allows planning for the future and is responsive to various state agencies and elected officials to ensure that the public's tax dollars are being utilized in a highly efficient manner. Further, the management system recognizes the value of each individual in a given position and affords an individual the opportunity to do the best possible job within their capability. In this regard, Northeast State stresses professional and personal development on the part of each employee.



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Divisional Review Responsibilities Checklist: President

Revision History: Nov. 2011; Edited Feb. 2022