It Seems Like Yesterday...

By Bill Kraus

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

        As we approach the groundbreaking of our third building here at the Smyrna campus, it does seem like yesterday when I began my affiliation with Motlow State Community College. It was in 2005, and I came to the school, which was held on the second floor of the Tennessee National Guard facilities further east of our present school. When I first entered the building, I noticed many Army personnel and found among those on the first floor, a small handful of our students. I am not sure how many classes were being offered at that time, but few, I am sure, and I would imagine that our total student body numbered in the hundreds rather than today's thousands.

        Here it is 13 years later in my "Motlow life," and we are about to add another 80,000-plus square feet in college facilities. Having been through two previous groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies, this is just one more step in our growth and development. The plans and design for the latest in our campus development are beautiful and very impressive.

        However, as I look forward to the opening of this badly needed added facility, I am reminded what makes this school excellent and successful. While the campus physically will be very impressive and indeed an asset for the Town of Smyrna, the true mark of success is the fantastic group of students here, a most responsive staff and leadership, and last, but certainly not least, the very dedicated and committed faculty, both regular and adjunct. The continued growth of our campus, as clearly evidenced by the upcoming groundbreaking of the new building, is a direct result of tremendous hard work that has gone into this college by the "Team."

Dr. William H. "Bill" Kraus, adjunct professor of political science

        We have come a long way from the facilities at the Tennessee National Guard, and I wonder how we will look and be as a college in the next 13 years in 2031. Any guesses or projections?

        Another chapter of Motlow State in Smyrna is unfolding....

Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Motlow Smyrna Building Set for March 23

Smyrna Campus Academic Dean Welcomes Students

Welcome Students!

I hope you all had a very restful break and are as excited as I am about the start of classes. We have a lot to look forward to this semester.

First, construction on the new facility and additional parking will finally begin in mid-March. The new 80,000-square-foot facility plans are finished, and the building is on schedule to be completed by July 2019. By the conclusion of this semester, our campus will be bustling with construction activity, and will have 650 additional parking spaces! These additional spaces will be very welcomed, and will be coming just in time for the surge in enrollment we are expecting from TN Reconnect.

Second, we have several new programs beginning this semester. New to the Smyrna Campus in the Spring 2018 schedule are Cybersecurity, Medical Lab Coding, and prerequisite courses for our Medical Lab Technician Program, which will accept the first cohort of students in Fall 2018. Additionally, we just signed an articulation agreement with the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith that will allow qualifying students who have completed their associate degree at Motlow to work toward B.A.S. degrees online. The Academic Unit is also pursuing an A.S. degree in Concrete Management with an articulation agreement with MTSU’s Bachelor Program, and is researching a Dental Assisting Program and Sonography Program in hopes that we can offer these programs around the time our new facility opens. We also plan to bring our EMT program to the Smyrna Campus in Spring 2020 once renovations of our current facilities are complete. All of this hard work on program development is in effort to ensure our students and community have every opportunity to attain better income, better jobs, and better lives for their families.

Finally, I encourage you take advantage of all the opportunities you have to gain support and build connections with fellow students, faculty and staff on campus. You can do this by joining a club, interacting with faculty and staff outside of class at numerous campus events, and by taking advantage of the Writing Center, free tutoring, and the Math Lab located in our Student Success Center. We truly have a unique group of caring individuals dedicated to their professions and to your success. Please do not hesitate to reach out for assistance. We all hope you have a great semester, and we look forward to seeing many of you graduate in May!

Cheers,

Elizabeth Fitch

Smyrna Campus Academic Dean

Rep. Mike Sparks Updates Motlow Students on New Building and Career Opportunities

         SMYRNA -- Students at the Motlow Smyrna campus were eager to hear about the much-needed 70,000-square-foot building addition during a talk by Tennessee Rep. Mike Sparks on Sept. 26.

         Sparks spoke to the Motlow Mass Comm students and others about the growing need on campus for classroom and office space, as well as the communication-challenges he faces. Sparks has advocated for an expansion of the Smyrna college campus for many years.

         “I see a great opportunity here at Motlow, especially in the fields of nursing and mass communications,” said Sparks. “A student can complete their associate degree, work in that related field of study, and move on to Middle Tennessee State University or another four-year institution.”

 

         “I am very excited for the opportunities these students have here at Motlow and equally as excited for the new building expansion,” said Charles Whiting, who serves as an instructor for the Mass Comm program.

         Sparks spoke about late Smyrna Mayor Bob Spivey, who had a vision for bringing a Motlow campus to Smyrna.

         “If it wasn’t for the vision of Bob Spivey, you all wouldn’t be sitting in those seats today,” Sparks added. “I remember Spivey telling me that he was on a mission to bring the college to our community. Have a vision and find positive and encouraging mentors in your life.”

         The Motlow Smyrna campus is the fastest growing community college in the state of Tennessee. Motlow State Community College, which has four campuses, has the largest enrollment in school history and is among the fastest growing colleges in Tennessee, according to official enrollment numbers released recently for the fall 2017 semester.

         Motlow as a whole enrolled 6,597 students this fall, a 12.9 percent increase over the 5,841 enrolled during the same period last fall. Final enrollment numbers are based on the preliminary census report from the Tennessee Board of Regents.

         Full-Time Equivalency, which is a formula that determines how many students are attending full time, rose almost as dramatically. Motlow's FTE is 4,481 this year, a 9.7 percent increase over the 4,084 last year.

         As a comparison, in fall 2014, Motlow had an enrollment of 4,822 and an FTE of 2,995. In just three years, enrollment has increased 37 percent, and FTE has shot up almost 50 percent.

         The State Building Commission has officially approved funding for additions at Motlow State Community College's Smyrna Campus. The monies will be used to create a third building at this location. They will also cover the cost of increasing access to parking for students and additional renovations to existing facilities.

         The $27.2 million project was officially approved by the State Building Commission, which oversees construction of all public state buildings and structures. In recent years, the Commission's responsibility has been expanded to include authority over most improvement and demolition projects of property owned by the state.

          "I have always been a strong supporter of initiatives and investments that enhance education opportunities for residents in our community and state," Sparks noted. "I am pleased that the State Building Commission has made this important investment in Rutherford County, and I am thankful for the Commission's support. We hope to break ground next spring 2018 on the new building."  

         Sparks serves as a member of the House Insurance & Banking Committee and the House Business & Utilities Committee, as well as the House Business & Utilities Subcommittee. Sparks lives in Smyrna and represents House District 49, which includes part of Rutherford County. He can be reached by email at rep.mike.sparks@capitol.tn.gov or by calling (615) 741-6829.