Roane State Community College’s Middle College program appoints new director
Roane State Community College has named Aaron Jones, former principal at Wartburg Central High School, as the director of the Middle College program.
Aaron Jones has been named the new director of Roane State Community College’s Middle College program after five years as principal at Wartburg Central.
Before becoming principal at Wartburg Central High School, Aaron Jones worked there as a teacher for 12 years, and then was promoted to vice principal for two years.
Aaron Jones was himself a student of both Wartburg Central and Roane State Community College, though he did transfer to Tennessee Tech for his bachelor’s in secondary education, Bethel University for his master’s in curriculum and instruction, and finally to Lincoln Memorial University to finish his educational specialist degree in instructional leadership.
Jones said in a conversation with Roane State staff writer Bob Fowler that he became interested in the position after seeing Middle College’s impact on some of the students at Wartburg Central High, saying, “It opens a tremendous amount of opportunities for them.”
He will be primarily located at the flagship campus of Roane State Community College in Roane County, but will also be traveling around the school’s service area to meet with high school students who are interested in attending Middle College.
Dr. Diane Ward, vice president for student learning at Roane State, weighed in on Jones’ appointment: “We are excited to welcome Aaron to the Roane State family and his new position.”
Part of Jones’ new position will be to provide support for students, as the transition from high school to college can be quite jarring. Jones said, “The transition from being a high school student to taking college classes can be quite the adjustment. I’ll be helping them with any issues and providing advice.” Jones plans to visit area high schools that are part of the Middle College program so that he can “get to know the staff at the schools we serve.”
Roane State Community College’s Middle College is a dual enrollment program for Tennessee high school students who are achieving high grades and standardized test scores. Selected high school sophomores at Middle College have the opportunity to earn an associate of science with a concentration in general studies. Enrolled students have the opportunity to complete four semesters of college credit, equalling 60 credits. Students who think Middle College might be for them can fill out the interest form.
Middle College started at Roane State Community College in 2014 and has seen a steady increase in enrollment since then. Sixteen high schools in the region allow their students to participate in the program. Currently, almost 90 students are entering their second and final year of Middle College in the upcoming semester. Jones says that he expects an almost equal number will be starting the program as well.
Recently, the state of Tennessee passed a law that grants $2,000 per semester for students of Middle College in order to offset the price of tuition.
In addition to Middle College, Roane State Community College has degree, certificate, and transfer programs across 12 fields of study, and allows undecided students as well. For more information about the scope of academic programs, visit Roane State’s course lists.