News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Roane State’s Cumberland County Campus welcoming former student, teacher, and coach Dewayne McGhee as its new campus director.
McGhee said received a text from a colleague last year. McGhee said it was then he got word he had been recommended for Roane State’s open Cumberland County Director position if he was interested. McGhee said that evening he joined a lengthy Zoom call with his would-be employer for the position he would be assuming the next semester.
“It just seemed like an exciting new challenge and I had a little bit of trepidation about leaving what I had known for so long teaching history and doing something new,” McGhee said. “But everything seemed to line up.”
McGhee said during his time as Campus Director, he hopes to reinvigorate attendance at Roane State. McGhee said that he wants to make Roane State a popular location for both traditional and non-traditional students alike.
“My number one focus will be moving forward, to fill this place back up again,” McGhee said. “I can remember being a Roane State student, we were busting at the seams. This new campus, well it was new at the time, my final semester at Roane State was the first semester of this campus where I’m currently sitting, being open, and we were just full.”
McGhee said his understanding is the drop in attendance was due to factors outside the school’s control, though still he wants to improve enrollment.
“Since 2020, since COVID, and its impact on everything, that Roane State has been pretty well hit just like everything else,” McGhee said. “And we got a lot of space here, and we’ve got a lot to offer and so my number one plan moving forward is to make sure this community understands that we’re here.”
McGhee said he is doing this by attending community events with his college to introduce himself to the community. McGhee said that he has also been making sure to establish good working relationships with his staff, including members who taught him as a student.
