Northeast State Community College recognized the first class of graduates from the group of Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) students completing their associate degrees this spring.
The students were honored at a graduation ceremony held May 11 at the Northeast Correctional Complex (NECX) in Johnson County. The students completed the required classes taught by Northeast State faculty to complete 65 credit hours and earn their associate degrees in business administration.
“The staff and faculty are honored to be with you at your graduation and to walk with you at this program,” said Dr. Jeff McCord, president of Northeast State. “We are so honored to have been able to fight forward with you for a little while as you go on to do good things.”
The program was generated from Governor Bill Lee’s Correctional Education Initiative for students in the criminal justice system across the state. By expanding opportunities for higher education, the initiative aims to provide students with skills for successful re-entry into society. The framework for the Correctional Education Initiative was provided with leadership from the Tennessee Board of Regents.
Malissa Trent, dean of Mathematics and Director of Learning Support, recalled how the program’s development came in early 2021 during the era of Covid-19.
“The unique format was developed in partnership with Northeast Correctional Complex. There wasn’t a model to follow,” said Trent. “We established new processes to support instruction and to promote student success.”
The cohort of students began with a bridge program in March of 2021. The bridge classes sought to acclimate students returning to an academic learning environment to prepare them for college coursework.
Delivery options for courses in the degree program were varied with some delivered in an asynchronous online format and others as hybrid online. Some faculty members traveled to the facility to teach classes in person.
Northeast State faculty members who worked with students found them disciplined and ready to achieve their academic goals.
“The expectations are not modified for them in any way,” said Trent. “The learning objectives are just the same in those courses as in any other Northeast State course.”
Students completed core classes of history, biology, humanities, and communications. The business administration degree focused on courses in accounting, economics, and statistics.
“The students were engaged and truly wanted to learn,” said Suzanne Lyle, assistant professor mathematics at Northeast State. “They ask interesting, intelligent questions; their desire is high, and they want to get it and get it right.”
The students completed five mathematics courses through the degree curriculum, including applied calculus – a daunting task for any student. Lyle said once students understood how to learn the subject matter, they realized a sense of accomplishment for themselves.
Trent said the program presented unique opportunities for faculty as well given the prison structure. All participating faculty members underwent volunteer training to understand how to work with students in the corrections environment. While some faculty members taught onsite at NECX, the distance to the Johnson County facility made the online learning environment optimal for students and faculty. The program added Zoom access to allow students to interact with an instructor in real time through a virtual format. Additional student support services included embedded tutors and an embedded librarian.
“Our focus at NECX and throughout TDOC is the rehabilitation of the offender population,” said Brian Eller, Warden at NECX. “We know that by providing offenders with the tools and resources they need to grow personally and professionally we’re ensuring they are better prepared for success upon their release.”
Dr. Steve Campbell, professor of accounting at Northeast State, taught two online accounting courses for the students during the fall and spring semesters. He noted the students consistently stayed involved with their work.
“I sensed a real eagerness to learn,” said Campbell. “They are very hard-working students, ask very good questions, and we have had very good discussions about the details of accounting.”
Campbell said the time management aspect required responding to students’ questions and discussions quickly to keep them moving forward in the subject.
Faculty members noted that as with any learning environment, potential obstacles in class meetings arose day in and day out. Professor of history, David Toye, and other professors printed materials students could read outside of class to keep pace in the course. He praised the students’ willingness to do the work and their talent.
“There are some very good writers among these students,” said Toye. “Everyone collaborated well in helping each other learn.”
Faculty members also pointed out that most students had jobs within the facility. They were on regimented schedules with activities and volunteer work when available. Those schedules require them to budget class and study time.
“They must learn to be college students just like any other student,” said Lyle. “As with any other student they learn to manage their time.”
Trent praised the NECX administration and education staff for keeping the class schedule moving as efficiently as possible. She added that several faculty members wanted to return as instructors for the next cohort which began May 10.
“The faculty have been remarkably creative and accommodating,” said Trent. “I cannot say enough about Principal Michael Icenhour and the education staff at NECX, they have been incredible partners to work with during this project.”
A total of 13 students graduated at the May 11 ceremony. Of that number, six students are being inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society for community college students achieving high academic success. Three students are also graduating with a 4.0 grade point average.
The graduation event’s keynote speaker Dr. Stanley Andrisse told inmates of his own past and triumphs. He urged them to use their degrees as keys to open doors they could have never imagined. An endocrinologist and assistant professor at the Howard University College of Medicine. A formerly incarcerated person himself, Dr. Andrisse serves as executive director and founder of From Prison Cells to PhD.
“As you move forward, I encourage you to continue to believe in yourselves and your abilities,” said Andrisse. “The education you have received is a powerful tool that can help you to build a brighter future for yourselves and your loved ones.”
Andrisse serves as a board member on the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network (FICGN), and a past president of the Johns Hopkins Postdoctoral Association among many other local and national positions. He is the author of the book It Is Never Too Late to Do Good.
“Statistics show that educational programs like the associate’s program brought to our facility by Northeast State reduce the risk of offenders who participate in them by approximately 40 percent,” said Eller. “Lower recidivism equates to less crime, and less crime means safer communities; that’s our mission, and it’s through partnerships and programs like this we will achieve it.”
The 2023 NECX graduation ceremony.
Keynote speaker Dr. Stanley Andrisse
Northeast State President Dr. Jeff McCord
Our graduates walk at the NECX graduation held May 11.
Northeast State Community College recognized the first class of graduates from the group of Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) students completing their associate degrees this spring.
The students were honored at a graduation ceremony held May 11 at the Northeast Correctional Complex (NECX) in Johnson County. The students completed the required classes taught by Northeast State faculty to complete 65 credit hours and earn their associate degrees in business administration.
“The staff and faculty are honored to be with you at your graduation and to walk with you at this program,” said Dr. Jeff McCord, president of Northeast State. “We are so honored to have been able to fight forward with you for a little while as you go on to do good things.”
The program was generated from Governor Bill Lee’s Correctional Education Initiative for students in the criminal justice system across the state. By expanding opportunities for higher education, the initiative aims to provide students with skills for successful re-entry into society. The framework for the Correctional Education Initiative was provided with leadership from the Tennessee Board of Regents.
Malissa Trent, dean of Mathematics and Director of Learning Support, recalled how the program’s development came in early 2021 during the era of Covid-19.
“The unique format was developed in partnership with Northeast Correctional Complex. There wasn’t a model to follow,” said Trent. “We established new processes to support instruction and to promote student success.”
The cohort of students began with a bridge program in March of 2021. The bridge classes sought to acclimate students returning to an academic learning environment to prepare them for college coursework.
Delivery options for courses in the degree program were varied with some delivered in an asynchronous online format and others as hybrid online. Some faculty members traveled to the facility to teach classes in person.
Northeast State faculty members who worked with students found them disciplined and ready to achieve their academic goals.
“The expectations are not modified for them in any way,” said Trent. “The learning objectives are just the same in those courses as in any other Northeast State course.”
Students completed core classes of history, biology, humanities, and communications. The business administration degree focused on courses in accounting, economics, and statistics.
“The students were engaged and truly wanted to learn,” said Suzanne Lyle, assistant professor mathematics at Northeast State. “They ask interesting, intelligent questions; their desire is high, and they want to get it and get it right.”
The students completed five mathematics courses through the degree curriculum, including applied calculus – a daunting task for any student. Lyle said once students understood how to learn the subject matter, they realized a sense of accomplishment for themselves.
Trent said the program presented unique opportunities for faculty as well given the prison structure. All participating faculty members underwent volunteer training to understand how to work with students in the corrections environment. While some faculty members taught onsite at NECX, the distance to the Johnson County facility made the online learning environment optimal for students and faculty. The program added Zoom access to allow students to interact with an instructor in real time through a virtual format. Additional student support services included embedded tutors and an embedded librarian.
“Our focus at NECX and throughout TDOC is the rehabilitation of the offender population,” said Brian Eller, Warden at NECX. “We know that by providing offenders with the tools and resources they need to grow personally and professionally we’re ensuring they are better prepared for success upon their release.”
Dr. Steve Campbell, professor of accounting at Northeast State, taught two online accounting courses for the students during the fall and spring semesters. He noted the students consistently stayed involved with their work.
“I sensed a real eagerness to learn,” said Campbell. “They are very hard-working students, ask very good questions, and we have had very good discussions about the details of accounting.”
Campbell said the time management aspect required responding to students’ questions and discussions quickly to keep them moving forward in the subject.
Faculty members noted that as with any learning environment, potential obstacles in class meetings arose day in and day out. Professor of history, David Toye, and other professors printed materials students could read outside of class to keep pace in the course. He praised the students’ willingness to do the work and their talent.
“There are some very good writers among these students,” said Toye. “Everyone collaborated well in helping each other learn.”
Faculty members also pointed out that most students had jobs within the facility. They were on regimented schedules with activities and volunteer work when available. Those schedules require them to budget class and study time.
“They must learn to be college students just like any other student,” said Lyle. “As with any other student they learn to manage their time.”
Trent praised the NECX administration and education staff for keeping the class schedule moving as efficiently as possible. She added that several faculty members wanted to return as instructors for the next cohort which began May 10.
“The faculty have been remarkably creative and accommodating,” said Trent. “I cannot say enough about Principal Michael Icenhour and the education staff at NECX, they have been incredible partners to work with during this project.”
A total of 13 students graduated at the May 11 ceremony. Of that number, six students are being inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society for community college students achieving high academic success. Three students are also graduating with a 4.0 grade point average.
The graduation event’s keynote speaker Dr. Stanley Andrisse told inmates of his own past and triumphs. He urged them to use their degrees as keys to open doors they could have never imagined. An endocrinologist and assistant professor at the Howard University College of Medicine. A formerly incarcerated person himself, Dr. Andrisse serves as executive director and founder of From Prison Cells to PhD.
“As you move forward, I encourage you to continue to believe in yourselves and your abilities,” said Andrisse. “The education you have received is a powerful tool that can help you to build a brighter future for yourselves and your loved ones.”
Andrisse serves as a board member on the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network (FICGN), and a past president of the Johns Hopkins Postdoctoral Association among many other local and national positions. He is the author of the book It Is Never Too Late to Do Good.
“Statistics show that educational programs like the associate’s program brought to our facility by Northeast State reduce the risk of offenders who participate in them by approximately 40 percent,” said Eller. “Lower recidivism equates to less crime, and less crime means safer communities; that’s our mission, and it’s through partnerships and programs like this we will achieve it.”
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