Vol State Looking Into Remote Courses In Smith County

Vol State Community College is looking into the possibility of offering classes to adults in Smith County this fall.

Nick Bishop serves as Vol State’s Vice President of Economic and Community Development.

“Two nights a week, we will launch evening courses on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Livingston campus,” Bishop said. “Our vision is to stream those Livingston courses over to Smith County High School in the evenings, and open those courses up to your Tennessee Reconnect population and any adult over the high school level.”

The idea comes a year after Vol State received grant funds to install Zoom video technology in Smith, Clay, Jackson, and Pickett County high schools to live-stream dual-enrollment courses.

Bishop said the program would help alleviate challenges many adults face in receiving an education.

“Maybe they are already enrolled at Vol State and don’t have to commute to one of the main campuses. This would eliminate that barrier and obstacle of transportation,” Bishop said. “We also hope to reach some of the Tennessee Reconnect population where they’re working during the day and transportation is a barrier in terms of distance trying to get to college after they get off work in the evenings.”

Bishop said offering courses in Smith County would benefit the entire community and the surrounding area.

“Having that locally, we think we can eliminate some of the barriers around transportation and even childcare,” Bishop said. “People won’t have to take off work early to go to college and that helps employers as well. We also encourage employers locally to try to support the endeavor as that will help build up and train the workforce in their own backyard.”

Bishop encourages other Upper Cumberland communities with the Zoom video technologies to contact Vol State if interested in offering remote courses.

Vol State has created a survey asking Smith County residents their interest in a potential course offering.

Bishop pitched the idea to Smith County’s board of education earlier this month to gain their approval. Vol State has requested local governments help fund at least one security guard and a class facilitator to work Tuesday and Thursday evenings while classes are taking place.