UTC and Chattanooga State Community College sign Applied Leadership articulation agreement

A new Bachelor of Applied Science: Applied Leadership (BAS-AL) articulation agreement was made official between the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Chattanooga State Community College on Friday, Jan. 6, when a signing ceremony took place in the University Center’s UC Foundation Room on the UTC campus.

Signed by UTC Chancellor Steven R. Angle and Chattanooga State Community College President Rebecca Ashford, the articulation agreement guarantees UTC admission to Chattanooga State students who have completed the 60-credit-hour Associate of Applied Science in Business concentration. The agreement lays out a clear path for the remaining 60 course credits to be completed at UTC to receive a BAS-AL degree.

“We are thrilled to partner with Chattanooga State in providing this pathway for students to a BAS-AL degree,” Angle said. “This program’s target audience is working adults and adults between jobs who need a bachelor’s degree for career advancement. The articulation agreement demonstrates how higher education institutions work together to provide a trained workforce that will go on to impact and drive the economy throughout Tennessee and the Chattanooga region.”

Launched in fall 2021, the BAS-AL program, housed in the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies (CHEPS), is a fully online program created to serve nontraditional students with previous college, military or work experience—also known as adult learners—who want to complete their undergraduate degrees.

“The majority of Chattanooga State students intend to transfer and complete a bachelor’s degree, making seamless transfer to the university of critical importance,” Ashford said. “I am proud to expand our current transfer agreements with UTC to include the BAS-AL degree. This program is a great opportunity for adult learners to continue their education and further prepare for a meaningful career.”

The online component is essential for the program’s success. Many adult learners can’t get to a brick-and-mortar campus during standard business hours due to their jobs.

“Our Business division offers six fully online transfer degree options and this partnership provides a seamless pathway for our online learners to continue their educational goals,” said Clomeisha Tumlin, First Horizon Business Chair of Excellence and department head of Business at Chattanooga State.

More than a dozen seven-week courses have been created for BAS-AL majors. The program accepts transfer credits, military training and prior learning experience portfolio credit, allowing students to build upon previous academic experience.

The BAS-AL program has grown from its inaugural enrollment of 11 to having 53 members in fall 2022—including its first three graduates during December commencement ceremonies.

The efforts behind the program’s conceptualization and design were led by Dr. David Rausch, associate dean of CHEPS and professor and director of learning and leadership programs at UTC, and Dr. Beth Crawford, UC Foundation professor and program adviser.

“To have this seamless transfer agreement in place helps us to meet the multi-faceted needs of the contemporary learner, which is our focus,” Rausch said. “We are honored to support the learning of those who deal with multiple life priorities.”