Columbia State Vice President of Student Affairs Cissy Holt is among 32 leaders from higher education, K-12 education, government, business and nonprofit organizations that have been invited by the State Collaborative on Reforming Education to participate in the 2021-22 cohort of the Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute.

“Collaborating with educators and individuals from business, industry and community partners to strengthen Tennessee’s workforce is very exciting, and I look forward to exploring the opportunities and challenges that impact learners of all ages and abilities,” Holt said. “I will certainly appreciate the experience.”

In partnership with The Hunt Institute, SCORE will provide learning opportunities for CTLI participants and translate that learning into action during the one-year program. The goal of CTLI is to eliminate barriers to postsecondary education and completion in Tennessee — work that is made more urgent due to education disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Community college enrollment rates in Tennessee dropped significantly in the fall of 2020, most notably for black and Hispanic students,” said SCORE President and CEO David Mansouri. “Given the compounding effect the pandemic is having on college enrollment, persistence and completion, it is more urgent than ever that we partner with the leaders in this cohort to ensure that every Tennessee student has the opportunity and supports needed to attend and complete postsecondary education.”

By 2025, the Lumina Foundation projects that 60 percent of adults in the United States will need education beyond high school in order to obtain gainful employment. According to the latest figures from the Lumina Foundation, Tennessee’s college attainment rate is just shy of 47 percent.

Since 2019, SCORE has partnered with The Hunt Institute to provide national perspective for CTLI participants and help lead them in translating what they learn into action in their communities.

“Over the past three years, we've been impressed with the way in which CTLI has brought together a diverse group of thought leaders from across Tennessee," said The Hunt Institute President and CEO Dr. Javaid Siddiqi. “Among past cohort members, we've seen an immense increase in leadership capacity and knowledge regarding higher education issues. I'm confident that we’ll see further improvements in higher education as we develop more leaders capable of championing education reform in their local communities and across the state. We are excited to continue our partnership with SCORE and look forward to supporting these efforts for years to come."

The participants chosen for this cohort bring varied expertise and perspectives to the program. To view the complete list of the leaders selected for CTLI, please visit tnscore.org.