Building on experience: How MTSU-Nissan partnership supports working professionals

By Dustin Stout

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Tracey Bowden didn’t return to school because she had to.

A seasoned human resources leader at Nissan North America with multiple degrees, Bowden was already well established in her career. But like many working professionals, she saw continuing her education at Middle Tennessee State University as a way to sharpen her leadership skills and continue growing in a role centered on people.

“Leadership isn’t something you ever finish learning,” Bowden said. “If I’m not growing, I can’t show up fully for the people I serve.”

Bowden’s approach mirrors how many experienced professionals now think about continuing their education. Rather than resetting their careers, they’re looking for pathways that recognize what they already know and allow them to keep moving forward without losing momentum.

Tracey Bowden is pictured here in front of a display sign at the Nissan North America plant in Smyrna, Tenn., where she works in human resources. Bowden is currently working on a degree in Middle Tennessee State University’s Adult Degree Completion program where she is able to use skills she has learned on the job through Prior Learning Assessment. (Submitted photo)

The question for Bowden wasn’t whether to return — but how.

That answer, for Bowden and a growing number of Nissan employees, came through MTSU’s education partnership with Nissan. Offered through MTSU’s Adult Degree Completion Program, the partnership provides flexible degree options, course formats aligned with real-world schedules, and credit for college-level learning gained on the job through Prior Learning Assessment, or PLA.

For Bowden, the most meaningful part of the experience has been the applied leadership concentration within MTSU’s Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies. The program, which also allows students to earn stackable undergraduate certificates, blends online coursework with intensive, discussion-based sessions focused on leadership theory, communication, organizational behavior, ethics and managing change.

“For me, the classes weren’t theoretical,” Bowden said. “They were built around real conversations with people who were bringing their own experiences into the room.”

Inspired by her coursework, Bowden reimagined how benefits education is delivered across Nissan. Instead of broad presentations, she developed bite-sized HR sessions focused on one benefit at a time, helping employees understand not only what is available to them, but how those benefits meaningfully support their lives.

Tracey Bowden, right, chats with a co-worker at the Nissan North America plant located in Smyrna, Tenn., where she works in human resources for the automaker. Bowden is currently enrolled in Middle Tennessee State University’s Adult Degree Completion Program. (Submitted photo)

In less than one year, Bowden and her team facilitated more than 150 sessions, tailoring information to meet employees where they are.

“Iron sharpens iron,” she said. “If I can teach someone something, they can teach me something. We’re just a better community for it.”

While Bowden’s journey reflects intentional leadership development, the same partnership has opened doors for employees whose paths look very different.

Antonio Fitts began his career at Nissan in 2002 on the production line, rotating roles and supporting operations wherever needed. Over time, that hands-on experience led to leadership responsibilities, and today he works in the company’s workforce development department.

“I always thought about going back to school, but I didn’t think I was capable,” Fitts said. “Once I realized my experience actually counted for something, everything changed.”

By documenting leadership and training work he had already completed on the job, Fitts earned more than 40 college credits through the PLA process, dramatically accelerating his path toward graduation.

Antonio Fitts, pictured in front of the Nissan logo at the Nissan North America plant in Smyrna, Tenn., where he works in the workforce development department. Fitts is taking advantage of a partnership between the automaker and Middle Tennessee State University to earn a degree through the university’s Adult Degree Completion Program. (Submitted photo)

What once felt like a decade-long journey became a focused, achievable plan.

“Once I saw my experience on paper, it changed how I saw myself,” Fitts said. “It made me realize I wasn’t starting from scratch; I was building on something real.”

Today, Fitts balances full-time work with continued academic progress while applying what he’s learning in real time through MTSU coursework. Like Bowden, he has become an advocate, encouraging coworkers to explore opportunities they may not have previously considered possible.

***In this undated photo, Antonio Fitts gives a presentation to co-workers at the Nissan North America plant in Smyrna, Tenn., where he works in the workforce development department. (Submitted photo)***

Together, Bowden and Fitts represent two distinct paths made possible through one partnership rooted in continued leadership development and focused on real work, real experience and real momentum.

Their stories reflect how MTSU’s Adult Degree Completion Program and its corporate partnerships across Middle Tennessee are designed not around where professionals started, but where they’re headed.

For more information about the MTSU–Nissan partnership or opportunities available through the Adult Degree Completion Program, visit mtsu.edu/finishnow.

— Dustin Stout (dustin.stout@mtsu.edu)