Spring 2026 Commission Meeting

This meeting will be conducted permitting member participation by electronic or other means of communication.  

Any member of the public wishing to address the Commission should make a request in writing to: Jessie Greene at jessie.greene@tn.gov or by contacting 615-519-7730. To be considered by the Commission at this meeting, requests must be received no later than two (2) business days in advance of the meeting date. The request to comment must include the name of the interested entity, group, or individual. The name of those who have requested to comment will be called in the order that requests were received. When the requester’s name is called, the requester may come to the podium and the requester will have up to three minutes to comment.

AGENDA
TENNESSEE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION
Spring Quarterly Meeting
The Nashville Room, 3rd Floor
TN Tower
312 Rosa L. Parks Ave, Nashville, TN
May 15, 2026, 9:00 a.m. CDT
Video Streaming Link 
 Combined Commission Materials

Call to Order

Adoption of Agenda  

Public Comment

Approval of Minutes: February 20, 2026, Winter Quarterly Meeting

Chair’s Report

Executive Director’s Report

Institution Spotlight – Southern College of Optometry

Consent Calendar

        I.        Postsecondary State Authorization (Action Item)
                  A.    Authorization of New Institutions
                  B.    Optional Expedited Authorization

Regular Calendar

      I.       Legislative Update (Information Item)

     II.      Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation Revenue Update (Information Item)

    III.      New Academic Programs (Action Items)
               A.   University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Bioinformatics, Bachelor of Science (BS)
               B.   University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management,
                      Master of Science (MS)
              C.    Austin Peay State University: Athletic Training, Master of Science in Athletic Training
                      (MSAT)
              D.    East Tennessee State University: Hospitality and Tourism Management, Bachelor of
                      Business Administration (BBA)
              E.    East Tennessee State University: Environment, Health, and Disaster Science, Master of
                     Science (MS)
              F.    Middle Tennessee State University: Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Master of
                     Science (MS)
             G.   Tennessee Technological University: Integrative Biology, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

 IV.      Tuition and Fee Policy (Action Item)
            A.    FY2026-27 Binding Tuition and Fee Policy
            B.    FY2026-27 Separate Tuition and Fee Policy Requests

 V.     Focused Baccalaureate Degrees (Information Item)

 VI.   Other Business