The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) approved proposals for a new nuclear technology program at Roane State Community College and campus master plan for Austin Peay State University at Thursday’s summer quarterly meeting.¶
Commissioners said Roane’s new Associate of Applied Science in Nuclear Technology program will help build students' technical knowledge and engineering skills for careers in nuclear technology. The program includes instruction in physics, nuclear science, nuclear systems, nuclear plant and systems design, radiological safety, radiological applications and applicable law and regulations.¶
According to documents provided by THEC, the new Roane State program will seek accreditation in 2028 from the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering (ATMAE). The documents noted that the program aligns with the THEC State Master Plan, which focuses largely on workforce development to train more workers for jobs in high-demand fields.¶
The program will receive funding through Gov. Bill Lee’s Nuclear Energy Fund, which aims to “expand Tennessee’s nuclear development and manufacturing ecosystem.”¶
“We often talk about the importance of working together and building partnerships, and even though this program hasn't even started yet, it's a classic example of building those partnerships between the national lab [at Oak Ridge], the Board of Regents and Roane State … It’s a much-needed program in East Tennessee,” Commissioner Mike Ragsdale said before the board voted to approve the program.¶
In addition to the program at Roane State, THEC officials approved Austin Peay State University’s updated 2024 Master Plan to renovate and repurpose existing space to accommodate growth in enrollment and new programming.¶
“With the new Health Professions Building opening soon, the proposed Military Academic Building, the addition to Kimbrough, the Harvill renovation and expansion, and the reassignment and renovation of vacated space, the University will have made significant progress towards its facility renovation goals and deferred maintenance needs,” a THEC document about the plan read.¶
The meeting marked the first for five new commissioners, which included Ragsdale, Gadson William Perry, John Rader, Matt Van Epps and Charles Wood. For more information on the commission or other policy discussions at Thursday’s THEC meeting, visit the commission's website at www.tn.gov/thec ¶
