Title 49, Education

The community colleges of the board of regents system are authorized and encouraged to enter into reverse articulation or reverse transfer agreements with the universities of the board of regents and the University of Tennessee systems and with private institutions of higher educ…

This part shall be known and may be cited as the “State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement Act.”

The purpose of this part is to authorize the state's participation in a state authorization reciprocity agreement relative to postsecondary distance education.

(1) As used in this part:(1) “Commission” means the Tennessee higher education commission;(2) “Complaint” means a complaint or grievance against a Tennessee SARA institution filed by a non-Tennessee student residing in a member state other than Tennessee and whose complaint is re…

(1) The commission is authorized to:(1) Enter into the interstate reciprocity agreement known as SARA, or any successor organization, which serves the purpose of approving institutions in Tennessee to participate in SARA;(2) Serve as the portal agency for SARA;(3) Act in accordan…

(a) The commission is authorized to annually collect fees from each Tennessee SARA institution based on full-time enrollment and commensurate with the costs of administering SARA. The commission may set fees by:(1) Defaulting to the fees set for the initial application, annual re…

(a) As applicable to Tennessee SARA institutions, the commission's complaint investigation and resolution under this part shall be limited to complaints:(1) Filed by a student residing in a member state other than Tennessee;(2) Where the complaint involves a distance education co…

(a) Institutions in Tennessee that offer distance education may apply to the commission for approval to participate in SARA as a Tennessee SARA institution. (b) The commission may commence an action to revoke a Tennessee SARA institution's approval as a participating SARA institu…

(a) The board of trustees of the University of Tennessee, the advisory boards for the University of Tennessee institutions, the board of regents of the state university and community college system, and the state university boards are not subject to the requirement of § 8-44-108(…

(a) As used in this section, “military veteran” means a person who has entered and served honorably in the United States armed forces on active duty, active national guard or active reserves. (b) A military veteran who is a current resident of this state or whose home of record f…

An interest inventory such as the Kuder assessment, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality inventory, the ASVAB or other interest or career exploration inventory shall be available to all public postsecondary students beginning in their freshman year as a follow up to the intere…

(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, an application for a position of chief executive officer of a public institution of higher education, materials submitted with an application, letters of recommendation or references concerning an applicant, and any other records or in…

(a) (1) When the consortium approves a dual credit class that is accepted for credit by a four-year institution of higher education in either the board of regents system or the University of Tennessee system, then, upon approval by the state board of education of the class's curr…

(a) No state higher education institution that grants recognition to any student organization shall discriminate against or deny recognition to a student organization, or deny to a student organization access to programs, funding, or facilities otherwise available to another stud…

The governing board or government entity, as defined in § 4-1-407(a), of a public institution of higher education operating under chapter 8 or 9 of this title shall not adopt policies, rules or directives that substantially burden students' free exercise of religion, but shall co…

(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Brian Byrge Act.” (b) As used in this section, “space availability” means the maximum possible enrollment for the class has not been reached. (c) Temporary part-time employees and regular part-time employees of the communit…

There is no cause of action against a public institution of higher education for any loss, damage, injury, or death arising from COVID-19, as defined in § 14-1-101, unless the claimant proves by clear and convincing evidence that the loss, damage, injury, or death was proximately…

(a) All campuses of public higher education institutions operated by the board of regents or University of Tennessee board of trustees shall hold observances for Veterans Day on or near the day recognized as the national day of observance. (b) It is the intent of the general asse…

This part shall be known and may be cited as the “Tuition Transparency and Tennessee Responsible Borrowing Initiative Act”.

(1) As used in this part:(1) “Board” means the trustees of the University of Tennessee or a state university board, as applicable;(2) “Cost of attendance” means the combined cost of tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, books, and other educational expenses as determined by th…

(a) At least fifteen (15) days prior to holding a meeting to adopt an increase in tuition and mandatory fees, a board shall give public notice of the proposed tuition and mandatory fee increase as an action item on the board's meeting agenda. Individuals shall be permitted to pro…

By February 1 of each year, each governing board shall provide a report to the office of legislative budget analysis, for distribution to the general assembly, with information regarding expenditures of revenues derived from any tuition and fees increase in the previous full acad…

Beginning August 1, 2019, each state university and each campus in the University of Tennessee system shall provide, with a student's letter of acceptance, a predictive cost estimate for students applying for undergraduate degree programs for the 2020-2021 academic year and for a…

(a) Beginning in the 2021-2022 academic year, each institution operated by the board of regents, each state university, and each campus in the University of Tennessee system shall provide each student with a detailed and completed current-year federal college financing plan. The …

(a) (1) The board or governing entity of each private institution of higher education, whether for-profit or nonprofit, or the chief administrative officer if the institution does not have a board or governing entity, may establish a policy for the carrying of handguns on the cam…

(a) No person who is registered, or required to register, as a violent sexual offender or offender against children pursuant to the Tennessee Sexual Offender and Violent Sexual Offender Registration, Verification and Tracking Act of 2004, compiled in title 40, chapter 39, part 2,…

No public postsecondary institution shall take any adverse or disciplinary action against an employee or student of the postsecondary institution solely for such person's transportation and storage of a firearm or firearm ammunition in compliance with § 39-17-1313 while on or usi…

(a) As used in this section:(1) “Dependent child” means a natural child, stepchild, or adopted child who is either living with or receiving regular support contributions from a military parent at the time of the military parent's death. “Dependent child” also means a posthumous c…

(a) The general assembly finds a public necessity in protecting specified records relating to the investment program of the state university and community college system and the University of Tennessee system. (b) (1) Records of the state university and community college system a…

(a) As used in this section, “college system of Tennessee” means the community colleges and colleges of applied technology governed by the board of regents. (b) As used in this section, “state universities” means:(1) The University of Tennessee and all its several branches;(2) Th…

(a) Public institutions of higher education are authorized to appoint the following persons as administrative judges and hearing officers to conduct contested cases under the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act:(1) A person who is licensed to practice law and who is not employe…

(a) As used in this section:(1) “Continuous enrollment” means a student is enrolled in the fall and spring semesters of a single academic year. Enrollment in summer semester or inter-session terms is not required;(2) “Dependent child” means a natural child, stepchild, or adopted …

(a) The department of correction shall, in partnership with the Tennessee higher education commission and the board of regents, develop and submit to the general assembly an annual report that details the higher education opportunities available to eligible incarcerated individua…

(a) Notwithstanding § 10-7-504 or another law to the contrary, records of or relating to an intercollegiate athletics program of a public institution of higher education must be treated as confidential and must not be open for public inspection if:(1) The records contain informat…

This part shall apply to all public higher education institutions located in this state.

(1) As used in this part, unless the context requires otherwise:(1) “Institution” means any public institution of higher education located within this state;(2) “Notice” means written information sent to a student by the institution transmitted by:(A) United States mail, courier …

(a) An institution shall provide a student accused of sexual misconduct with notice of the extent to which the institution may allow a licensed attorney or other advisor to represent or advise the student in an investigation or student disciplinary proceeding. (b) At least sevent…

(a) An institution must adopt a policy requiring that the process of disciplining a student for sexual misconduct be carried out in a manner that is free from conflicts of interest consistent with due process of law. (b) With respect to student disciplinary hearings other than co…

(a) A degree-granting postsecondary educational institution, as defined in § 49-7-2003, that has a campus in this state shall:(1) Designate a staff member who is employed in the financial aid office, or another appropriate office or department as determined by the institution, to…

(a) Each state institution of higher education shall develop and implement a suicide prevention plan for students, faculty, and staff. The plan must:(1) Be developed in consultation with campus mental health professionals and suicide prevention experts;(2) Identify procedures rel…

(a) An act of the general assembly enacted after January 1, 2021, that mandates a discount or waiver of the tuition or fees charged at public institutions of higher education in this state is unenforceable against an institution affected by the act in any fiscal year for which th…

(a) As used in this section, “state-mandated discount or waiver program” means a discount or waiver of the tuition or fees charged at public institutions of higher education in this state, as required by an act of the general assembly. (b) Each public institution of higher educat…

(1) Any communication provided to students or parents by a public institution of higher education regarding immunization requirements must include information on the grounds for any exemption from the immunization requirements. The exemption information and immunization requireme…

(a) The governing body of the University of Tennessee system, the state university and community college system, or a state university may lease public lands under the governing body's jurisdiction to fraternities and sororities for a nominal consideration for a term not to excee…

(a) As used in this section:(1) “Community college” means a two-year public institution operated by the board of regents of the state university and community college system;(2) “Personally-identifiable information” means information that would allow a reasonable person, who does…

(a) The department of children's services, working jointly with the Tennessee higher education commission, the board of regents, and participating institutions of higher education, shall establish a foster care youth outreach liaison pilot program at participating institutions of…