Mission Statement
We build strong minds, careers and communities through exceptional teaching and learning, workforce development and service.
Accreditations
Primary
Cleveland State Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Cleveland State Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Cleveland State Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Program
Advanced Technologies Programs: The Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering (ATMAE), 3801 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 190, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607, telephone: (919) 635-8335.
Business and Administrative Professional Technology Programs: The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), 11520 West 119th Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66213. The accreditation runs from 2013 to 2023.
Early Childhood Education: The Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1401 H Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, District of Columbia, 20005, telephone: (202) 232-8777. The accreditation runs from 2022-2029.
Law Enforcement Training Academy: Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Commission, 3025 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, Tennessee 37214, telephone: (615) 741-4461. The accreditation runs from July 2021 through July 2022.
Medical Assisting Program: Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 9355 - 113th Street N, #7709, Seminole, Florida 33775, telephone: (727) 210-2350. The accreditation runs from 2017 to 2027.
Nursing Program: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, telephone: (404) 975-5000, http://www.acenursing.org. The accreditation runs from 2018 to 2026.
Approvals
ACT WorkKeys Solutions Provider
Department of Defense Tuition Assistance
Pearson Vue Testing Center
NOCTI Area Test Center
Tennessee Board of Nursing, 665 Mainstream Drive, Nashville, Tennessee 37243, telephone: (615) 532-5166, https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/nursing-board/nursing-board/about.html.
Tennessee Higher Education Commission VETS Campus
Tennessee National Guard STRONG
Veterans Education - certain courses/programs approved for veterans benefits
Memberships
AMA Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation
American Association of Community Colleges
American Association of Medical Assistants Council to Collegiate Education for Nursing
Association for Institutional Research (AIR)
Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs
Athens Area Chamber of Commerce
Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce
Cleveland Media Association
Community Colleges of Appalachia
Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)
Etowah Area Chamber of Commerce
McMinn County Economic Development Agency
Meigs County-Decatur Chamber of Commerce
Monroe County Chamber of Commerce
National Association for the Education of Young Children
National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development
National Junior College Athletic Association
Organization for Associate Degree Nursing
Polk County Chamber of Commerce
Public Relations Society of America
Southeast Tennessee Association for Human Resources
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Tennessee Association for Continuing Higher Education Tennessee College Association
Tennessee Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (TACTE)
Tennessee College and University Professional Association for Human Resources
Tennessee College Public Relations Association
Tennessee Community College Athletic Association
Tennessee Service-Learning Consortium
The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE)
The National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR)
Trans-Atlantic Technology and Training Alliance (TA3)
A Community College Comes to Cleveland/Bradley County
A Dedicated Few
As is often the case, through the vision, dedication and perseverance of a few, great things can be achieved. One cannot trace the history of Cleveland State without hearing about the men and women who devoted their time and skills, surmounting political encumbrances, skepticism, competition and sometimes-rigid opposition to make Cleveland State a reality. Their goal was reached in June 1965 when the State Board of Education officially named Cleveland as the site for a new community college.
In the Beginning
In 1958, the Tennessee General Assembly established a legislative council to study state-supported higher education in Tennessee. In 1960, the General Assembly produced the results of the study in the Pierce-Albright Report, which concluded that the district most deficient in terms of higher education was the Third Congressional District of Southeast Tennessee. In 1963, based upon the need identified by the Pierce-Albright Report, the General Assembly appropriated $200,000 for use over a two-year period to implement the findings of the report. Under the direction of Commissioner J. Howard Warf, the State Department of Education developed plans for the establishment of a group of community colleges with the goal of placing an institution of higher learning within 50 miles of every prospective college student in Tennessee. In June 1965, acting upon recommendations of the late Governor Frank G. Clement and the State Department of Education, the General Assembly authorized the establishment of three community colleges, one in each Grand Division of the state. Thus, began the work to bring a community college to Cleveland, Tennessee.
The Campaign to Bring a Community College to Cleveland
Once the announcement was made to establish three community colleges in Tennessee, a campaign was immediately launched by the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce to have Chattanooga selected as one of the sites. Recognizing the economic factors in having a community college in Cleveland, an insurance executive and former public school teacher, Frank Manly, appealed to city and county officials to organize and exert efforts to have Cleveland chosen as the site. A committee was formed which included Cleveland Mayor William Fillauer and Eugene Callaway, both personal friends of the governor; Hallman Bell, the governor’s Bradley County campaign manager; and John Dunlap, a state committeeman of the Democratic Party. These community leaders united with Frank Manly to initiate action. The State Board of Education mandated three conditions for a location to be considered as a college site: a contribution of $250,000, land in the amount of 100 acres or more and all utilities to the site. The committee immediately went to work speaking with influential individuals as well as organizations for support, including the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce. Through the efforts of Grover Ash and others, the Bradley County Court resolved to provide more than 100 acres of land that had become county property due to unpaid taxes. An agreement was reached by the county court and city commission in which each would provide $125,000 to meet the state requirement of $250,000. In June 1965, a committee was selected to present Cleveland’s bid to the state selection committee.
The Announcement is Made
On June 22, 1965, at 10 a.m., the hard work and dedication paid off. The State Board of Education announced that Cleveland had been selected as the site for one of the three community colleges. Exuberant newspaper headlines carried the news: “Officials Jubilant Over School,” “City Gets Junior College,” “Excellent Choice.” On October 8, 1965, Commissioner Warf announced that an architectural firm for Cleveland’s new college had been selected and, following the approval from the State Building Commission, a contract for construction would be signed. Cleveland State Community College received its official name in February 1966 after the State Board of Education issued an edict declaring that the name of the state’s three new community colleges should contain the name of the community in which each was located.
The First Quarter
Dr. David F. Adkisson was appointed president of the new college in January 1967. Temporary offices were opened at 623 Broad Street in a converted residence. It was in the spring of 1967 that the task to recruit the first class began. Without physical facilities, fancy literature, equipment, a faculty or even firsthand information of what the college would be like, Dr. George Mathis, Dean of Students, began a monumental sales task. In August of 1967, the first college catalog was published. Associate degree programs were offered in 17 fields of study with both day and evening classes. Not less than 98 quarter hours of credit, including physical education, were required to obtain an associate degree. In addition, a number of certificate programs in concentrated areas of study were available. A total of 30 credit hours of coursework were required to obtain a Certificate of Proficiency. An Adult Education Program for “personal enrichment” and an extensive summer program of coursework were also offered. For full-time students who were residents of Tennessee, tuition cost was $50 a quarter and registration was $5 a quarter.
In a short time, Cleveland State became a major force in the community. Enrollment increased steadily and new course offerings and degree programs were continually added to meet the needs of both students and area business and industry. Skilled and community-oriented instructors were drawn to the challenges of a new concept in education, as well as the opportunity of working in an attractive area.
In 1969, Cleveland State received accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees and has maintained accreditation since. Through the years, construction and expansion of buildings rapidly progressed, culminating in completion of the Community Services Building in 1979.
2021 - Two New Buildings in One Year
Cleveland State Community College opened the new Health and Science Center in March 2021. This is the first new academic building for the college in over 46 years. The building includes Nursing, EMT and Medical Assistant Skills and Simulation labs, state-of-the-art biology and microbiology labs, five general classrooms, three conference rooms, student study and collaboration space, faculty offices and 2,400 square feet of multi-function space for classes and events. In order to gain access to the state funds allocated for this capital project, the college had to provide a 10 percent match of $2.5M to qualify for the full amount of $25M.
The college also opened the new McMinn Higher Education Center (located in Athens, TN) in June 2021. The McMinn Higher Education Center includes the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT), Cleveland State Community College (CSCC) and the McMinn County UT Extension Institute of Agriculture. This project relocated all CSCC leased space, expanded TCAT programs, relocated UT Extension and created a space for local industry training to upgrade the workforce. With the creation of this center, Cleveland State is now able to offer more general transfer, biology and chemistry labs, as well as expand academic programs.
Cleveland State Today
From the original 681 students and five buildings in 1967, Cleveland State’s enrollment has continued to increase to 3,200 students with 11 buildings. Dr. Adkisson described Cleveland State’s role in the community as a “partnership with the community to fulfill its needs” and defined “community” in its broader sense to include all of the counties served by Cleveland State. In its 55-year history, Cleveland State Community College has had a total of seven presidents. In their own unique and individual ways, they have furthered the goals and objectives of the founding fathers of Cleveland State Community College. Each successor to the presidency of Cleveland State has been true to the original precept to “fulfill the needs of the community.”
Campus Descriptions
Cleveland State Community College is an accredited public comprehensive community college committed to quality education and open access. The college operates within the governance of the Tennessee Board of Regents.
Approximately 3,200 credit students and 1,500 non-credit students enroll in Cleveland State Community College in a typical fall semester. The credit student population is split about evenly in the choice of transfer or career-technical programs. The average age of all students is 21 years. All persons are welcome at Cleveland State, and the student population is nonracially identifiable.
There are over 200 employees at the college, including more than 75 full-time faculty members. Over 70 percent of the faculty hold master’s degree or higher.
Situated in the scenic corridor of hills and valleys of southeast Tennessee, Cleveland State presents an attractive atmosphere in which to enjoy varied facets of an educational experience. The community offers an abundance of service facilities and recreational opportunities. The college is located between Exits 25 and 27 on Interstate 75, thirty miles northeast of Chattanooga.
The 105-acre campus has 11 major buildings housing modern classrooms, laboratories and student activity centers. Additional features include an excellent library, a multimedia production studio, dynamic classrooms, computer laboratories, a 400-seat theatre, a 3,000-seat gymnasium, athletic fields and a satellite downlink receiver that enables the college to serve as a site for many teleconferences. Cleveland State offers classes throughout the service area, which includes Bradley, Meigs, McMinn, Monroe and Polk counties.
The college also maintains off-site locations to serve students locally. The college offers a wide selection of credit and non-credit courses at the McMinn Higher Education Center in Athens and at the Monroe County Center in Vonore. In addition, many college support services are available at these sites to assist students in the college’s northern service area.
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