An articulation agreement that provides agriculture students a seamless pathway to a four-year degree in the field was signed March 10 by leaders at the University of Tennessee at Martin and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Jackson.
UT Martin Chancellor Yancy Freeman Sr. and TCAT Jackson President Dr. JacQuene Rainey met at Gibson County High School’s equine building to sign the agreement that links dual enrollment opportunities at Gibson County High School and South Gibson High School with TCAT Jackson’s farming operations technology and digital agronomy programs and, ultimately, with bachelor’s degree options in UT Martin’s Department of Agriculture, Geosciences and Natural Resources.
This pathway allows students to begin earning meaningful college credit in high school, gain hands-on technical training at TCAT Jackson and receive up to 30 hours of transfer credit toward a UT Martin agriculture degree, helping reduce the time to completion and the overall cost of a four-year education.
The agreement supports students from Gibson County High School, South Gibson High School and surrounding regional schools by providing a clearly-defined roadmap from high school through technical college to a UT Martin degree.
“For me, it is about partnership, it is about access and student success,” Freeman said. “This is how it starts: You partner with secondary education and postsecondary opportunities to extend opportunities for students across this area.”
Rainey emphasized how the agreement would bolster education and marketable skills in students.
“This pathway will empower students to build valuable skills, earn credentials more quickly and pursue high-demand careers in farming operations technology and agricultural-related fields,” she said. “This agreement demonstrates what can happen when education partners come together with a shared vision for student success.”
Rainey noted that TCAT also signed articulation agreements with UT Martin in 2022 with TCAT Crump – which was the first statewide articulation agreement between a TCAT school and a university – and in 2024 with TCAT Northwest.
Eddie Pruett, director of schools for the Gibson County Special School District, said the agreement will allow students to organize their futures earlier and easier.
“What I’m excited about is, after all this work, we’re going to have a pathway where students can go from high school to TCAT to full four-year degree,” he said. “It’s an amazing thing because some of our students need that access here while they’re on our campus. They need to know that they can be successful in college.
“…We’re removing barriers for students and making sure that they are able to be the best that they can be.”
Erica Bell, executive director of UT Martin Regional Centers and Online Programs, said the agreements will bolster the education and skill sets of students in the Gibson County Special School District.
“These agreements create a powerful pipeline through the GCSSD/UTM Innovation Hub in high school, keep talent in our local communities and reflect UT Martin’s commitment to access and regional impact by giving students a direct line from high school classrooms to advanced technical training and, ultimately, to a four-year UT Martin agriculture degree close to home,” she said in a statement.
For more information about agricultural studies at UT Martin, visit www.utm.edu/agnr.
For more information about UT Martin, visit www.utm.edu or call 1-800-829-UTM1 (-8861).
PHOTO: Attending the signing of an articulation agreement between UT Martin and TCAT Jackson on March 10 in the Gibson County High School equine building are (l-r) Lyndsey Norman, agriculture instructor and dual enrollment instructor for the GCHS digital agronomy program; Robert Owen, TCAT Jackson digital agronomy/farming operations instructor; Susan Dean, TCAT Jackson dual enrollment coordinator; Britney Ward, TCAT Jackson vice president of student services; Karen Larsen, TCAT Jackson vice president for instruction and institutional effectiveness; Dr. JacQuene Rainey, TCAT Jackson president; UT Martin Chancellor Yancy Freeman Sr.; Eddie Pruett, director of schools for the Gibson County Special School District; Erica Bell, UT Martin executive director for regional centers and online programs; and Dr. Wes Totten, professor of plant and soil science, chair of the Department of Agriculture, Geosciences and Natural Resources and director of the UT Martin Center of Excellence for Experimental Learning in Agricultural Science.
