On Thursday, August 26, Chattanooga State Community College will host a grand opening ceremony to celebrate the establishment of the Center for Education and Human Services and to announce an expansion of its partnership with Tennessee Tech University.  The event begins at 10:30 a.m. at Chattanooga State’s campus located on 7158 Lee Highway.  The public is invited to attend.

Chattanooga State selected the Lee Highway campus as the location of its education and human services programs to accommodate an increased interest in both programs.  To ensure all programs related to training educators are working cooperatively, Tennessee Tech University will also locate its Elementary Education program at the Center for Education and Human Services.

Since 2005, Tennessee Tech has been partnering with Chattanooga State to offer a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education.  Known as a 2+2 program, the collaboration allows Chattanooga State students, who have completed their associate degree in elementary education, the opportunity to earn a 4-year degree from Tennessee Tech on Chattanooga State’s campus.

With the designation of the Center for Education and Human Services, Chattanooga State and Tennessee Tech will be able to offer advanced degrees in several education-related majors.  According to Dr. Fannie Hewlett, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Chattanooga State, providing access to graduate level courses is a natural progression of this long-standing relationship.  “Chattanooga State and Tennessee Tech have strengthened their collaboration to meet regional workforce needs,” says Hewlett.  “Chattanooga State students will now have the opportunity to easily move into one of the state’s most respected advanced degree programs.We are fortunate that Tennessee Tech has agreed to work with us to support the community’s request for exceptionally strong educators.”

Committed to strengthening the quality of education in Hamilton County and the surrounding region, Tennessee Tech University will also offer a variety of free online classes; two of which will also be taught onsite at the Center for Education and Human Services.  Providing opportunities to earn college credit towards an undergraduate or graduate degree or to acquire recertification points, these classes are available to any current or future educator free of charge.  Registration is required for each class.

• Using Technology to Improve Instruction  Available online and onsite
• Classroom Spanish for Teachers    Available online and onsite
• Mentoring Pre-service and Novice Teachers  Online only
• Praxis II Preparation     Online only
• Creating Online Curriculum    Online only
• Professional Readings for Educators   Online only
• Personal Wellness for Practitioners   Online only

For more information about Tennessee Tech University’s bachelor’s, master’s, and educational specialist degree programs and the free classes for educators, contact Janie Robbins, associate director for extended programs and regional development, at 931.473.8022 or by email at jrobbins@tntech.edu.  For additional information about Tennessee Tech University and its educational programs, call 1.800.255.8881 or visit the college’s Web site at www.tntech.edu.

To contact the Center for Education and Human Services, call at 423.697.4797.

For more information about Chattanooga State Community College and its educational programs, call the Chattanooga State information hotline at 423.697.4404 or toll free at 1.866.547.3733 or visit the college’s Web site at www.chattanoogastate.edu.

Chattanooga State Community College is a comprehensive, regionally accredited community college, operated under the policies and guidelines of the Tennessee Board of Regents College System.  Founded in 1965 and serving a six-county area in Southeast Tennessee, Chattanooga State offers a wide array of programs and services.