It’s cause to celebrate local bachelor’s degrees
It marked a milestone in Warren County last week when the first-ever class of students earned bachelor’s degrees for college work completed entirely in McMinnville.
For concerned citizens and local leaders who have long clamored this community needs a four-year institution to begin recruiting better jobs, this is a promising inaugural step.
The local bachelor’s degree program began in the fall of 2001. Students who had earned an associate’s degree from Motlow State Community College were allowed to take upper-level classes through Tennessee Tech. But instead of the students driving to Cookeville, the classes were offered in McMinnville with the professors making the trip.
The idea was to make a four-year degree more accessible to local residents by making education more convenient. With so many adults working full-time jobs and juggling responsibilities at home, education is easily pushed aside if too many roadblocks are placed in the way.
By offering courses locally, and removing a 45-minute commute, it erased a major barrier. With the inconvenience of travel out of the equation, the belief is more students with associate’s degrees will be inclined to continue their education. That’s good news.
There’s no debating the correlation between an educated workforce and quality jobs. The higher a person’s level of education, the more money they earn.
For the most part, high school graduates can find a job easier than a person who doesn’t have a high school diploma. A college graduate has an easier time than someone without a bachelor’s degree.
It also stands to reason that Warren County residents have a greater chance of earning a bachelor’s degree if the necessary courses are offered right here at home. Amy Bush, a member of the first graduating class said exactly that: “If it had not been for this program, I don’t think I would have gotten my degree,” said Bush, who subsequently used that degree to land a job at the Nissan plant in Smyrna. Talk about favorable results.
With continued progress, this program won’t have to be limited to one graduating class every three years. These baby steps can be used as a springboard to bring more Tennessee Tech courses to McMinnville.
Hopefully, this will also revitalize momentum for bringing a full-time, four-year institution to Warren County. Such an effort reached a peak about five years ago, but that’s also when the state’s budget woes came crashing down on taxpayers and effectively shelved the project.
Now that four-year graduates are receiving degrees in McMinnville, it might be worth the effort to dust off those plans for a four-year school. If not, the fact a second group of students is preparing to take upper-level college courses here is still cause for celebration.
Our congratulations are extended to the students who earned their bachelor’s degrees last week. And our hopes are there will be many more graduates in the future.