Grand Opening for CSCC's Athens Location - The McMinn Higher Education Center

Grand Opening of the McMinn Higher Education Center

Grand Opening for CSCC's Athens Location - The McMinn Higher Education Center

Napierra Alexander
Monday, June 14, 2021 12:00 AM
Press Releases, Events, Academics, Employees, Alumni, Students, Community, TBR, All

Cleveland State Community College is celebrating its grand opening of the McMinn Higher Education Center (MHEC) located at 2345 Denso Drive in Athens. This center will be a location for students in McMinn County to complete their degrees without traveling to the Cleveland campus. This is the second new building to be dedicated for Cleveland State in the last three months after 46 years. 

“This new Athens facility will allow Cleveland State to offer more academic classes, including labs, that will expand the number of degrees that students can complete in Athens without going to Cleveland,” stated Dr. Bill Seymour, CSCC President. 

The center will not only house CSCC students, but be a collaborative space for higher education. Along with CSCC, the center will house the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) and the McMinn County UT Extension Institute of Agriculture. This project will relocate current CSCC leased space, expand TCAT programs and relocate both UT Extension and Adult Education and create a space for local industry training to upgrade the existing workforce.

“The unique partnership of multiple educational institutions under one roof will serve as a model for other communities across Tennessee,” stated Seymour. 

What can you look forward to seeing at the MHEC? The center has expanded CSCC offered programs to 30 concentrations that can be completed on site. There will also be an Honors College for students that thrive and enjoy extra challenge and rigor while developing leadership skills. Incoming college freshmen through the Summer Bridge Program will have the opportunity to be located in Athens. The program is a free three-week program to help incoming freshmen start on a more college-ready level, both academically and socially.

A partnership with McMinn County and the UT Extension will provide ongoing operations funding and expose a range of citizens to opportunities available through the College System of Tennessee. This facility was designed so that the Tennessee Board of Regents can offer programs by both the TCAT and community college to meet market demand with the flexibility to develop the programs and training of new industries. 

“We are so excited to welcome students, employees, and visitors into the MHEC,” stated Alisha Fox, Vice President of Finance & Operations. “This building showcases a unique partnership between Cleveland State, TCAT Athens, UT Extension, and Adult Education. Many people have put a lot of hard work into making this happen, and we are so looking forward to providing this state-of-the art learning environment in McMinn County. This has been a collaboration among multiple entities who have worked tirelessly over many years to see this dream become a reality, and we can't wait to share it with the community!”

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