News
Tennessee 109th General Assembly
Focus Act - Governor Haslam has announced his next steps in accomplishing his "Drive to 55" initiative. His proposal enables the Tennessee Board of Regents to maintain a "sharpened focus" on the state's community and technical colleges, increases autonomy and local control for TBR universities, and a strengthens the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. The bill includes a restructuring of TBR, which includes the establishment of local governing boards for the six universities currently under the oversight of the Tennessee Board of Regents. This legislation is currently working its way through the state senate and house committees. There appears to be broad support for the bill, and we have every expectation it will pass, allowing the University of Memphis to establish its own governing board in 2017.