Dedicated to the advancement of the cause of higher education by the promotion of interests common to the colleges and universities of Tennessee.

Annual Meeting

March 3rd, 2026

For all those who attended, thank you for your continued support! We hope you enjoyed the networking opportunity as well as all of our exceptional speakers. We were excited to have a record number of attendees and sponsors join us for this great event!

For more information, and to view details on this meeting please click on the link below.

Click Here for 2026 Annual Meeting Info.

Please check back often for more information about our upcoming 2027 Annual Meeting. Thank you.

Institutional Membership Dues

Membership dues for Colleges are $100. Please make checks payable to Tennessee College Association.

Click Here to Pay Membership Dues Online

Executive Committee

• President: C. William McKee, Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs, Cumberland University
• Past President: L. Anthony Wise, Jr., President of Pellissippi State Community College
• Secretary / Treasurer: Rusty Richardson, Executive Director of Community Relations & External Affairs, Title IX Coordinator, Cumberland University
• Michele Atkins, Associate Provost, Title IX Coordinator, and Professor of Education, Union University
• Steven Gentile, Executive Director, Tennessee Higher Education Commission
• Kim Hall, Vice Chancellor, Institutional Advancement & Effectiveness, South College
• Cheryl Seay, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and Global Online, Tennessee State University
• Melody Edmonds, President - TCAT McMinnville

Constitution & Bylaws

The constitution and bylaws of the Tennessee College Association are available on line - they were amended and adopted March, 1950 and further amended March, 1964; April, 1965; April, 1990; and April, 2025.

History of the TCA

The Tennessee College Association grew out of an already existing organization, the Association of Colleges of East Tennessee. This older association had itself been formed some years earlier from the nucleus provided by the East Tennessee Teachers Association in their College Section.

So beneficial had been the Association of Colleges of East Tennessee in cultivating sympathetic and helpful relations among the colleges in the eastern portion of the state, that in the fall of 1919, invitations were sent to the colleges, junior colleges, and normal schools throughout the state to meet and discuss the advisability or organizing a college association for Tennessee.

Hearty responses to this invitation resulted in a gathering of college representatives in the Hotel Patten, at Chattanooga, on December 23, 1919. An organization was effected, with Dr. Charles O. Gray, President of Tusculum College, as president of the new association, and Dean Boyd A. Wise of Lincoln Memorial University as secretary-treasurer.

A committee on Constitution and Bylaws was appointed. This committee was instructed to include in the constitution the newly adopted name, the Tennessee College Association; the object of the Association, the advancement of the cause of higher education by promotion of interests common to the colleges of Tennessee; and the roll of charter members.

Dr. Hal Ramer Keynote Address

Dr. Hal Ramer was the founding president of Volunteer State Community College, serving from 1970 until 2003. He became active in the Tennessee College Association during the 1960s and served as its president from 1985-86. Dr. Ramer remained active in the Association until his passing in 2010 at the age of 86.

Dr. Ramer is remembered as an innovative leader in higher education, an energetic and involved member of the community, and a friend to many. In appreciation for his dedication to the association and in recognition of his commitment to higher in the State of Tennessee, The Tennessee College Association unanimously approved that the keynote address at its annual meeting henceforth be named the Hal Ramer Keynote Address.