KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The presidents of MTSU and Roane State Community College signed agreements Sept. 26 that will ease the transition for students seeking to transfer from the community college to the university in Murfreesboro.

MTSU’s Dr. Sidney A. McPhee and Roane State’s Dr. Gary Goff authorized three agreements that create dual admissions, concurrent enrollment and reverse transfer options between the college and the university. The signing took place at the Knoxville Museum of Art during MTSU’s “True Blue Tour,” a six-city admissions caravan of deans, administrators and counselors.

“We welcome this opportunity to strengthen our already strong ties with Roane State,” McPhee said. “MTSU is the No. 1 destination of transfer students in Tennessee, and this agreement makes it even easier for Roane State students to attend our university.”

“Roane State is excited to sign these three agreements with MTSU.  The agreements will provide greater opportunities for our students,” Goff said. “We are proud to partner with Middle Tennessee State University.”

(You can watch a brief video from the event below.)

The dual admission program allows eligible Roane State students to get MTSU advising, registration priority and admission while still attending the community college.

The concurrent enrollment aspect of the new agreement allows students to enroll in classes at both institutions simultaneously and get financial aid for the total number of credits if needed. Officials said that change will help students whose majors require lower-division courses not available at the community-college level, such as nutrition, interior design and Concrete Industry Management.

The reverse transfer portion of the plan gives former Roane State students who transferred to MTSU before receiving an associate’s degree to transfer their MTSU course work back to the community college, eventually allowing them to get a Roane State diploma.

Students must meet certain criteria to be eligible for the new partnership with Roane State, including meeting admissions standards for MTSU.

MTSU, the state’s largest undergraduate university and the largest and oldest institution in the Tennessee Board of Regents system, also has established dual-admission programs with Nashville State, Chattanooga State, Dyersburg State and Motlow State community colleges.

Roane State is a two-year TBR college that provides transfer curricula, career-preparation programs and continuing education. Founded in 1971, the college has campuses in Crossville, Harriman, Huntsville, Jamestown, Knoxville, LaFollette, Lenoir City, Oak Ridge and Wartburg.