APSU Provost named in National Complete College America report

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN – An Austin Peay State University administrator who has helped to position the campus and Tennessee as a national forerunner in college completion has been named in a report released April 19th by Complete College America.

Dr. Tristan Denley, provost and vice president of academic affairs at APSU, is mentioned in “Remediation: Higher Education’s Bridge to Nowhere.”

Under Denley’s leadership, APSU in 2011 created Degree Compass, a course recommendation tool provides each student with personalized recommendations based on their academic transcript. Since its debut this past spring at APSU, the tool has gained national attention in higher education circles because of its abilities to help students stay on track to graduation.

Degree Compass also was a centerpiece for a $1 million grant Tennessee received in late July 2011 from the Complete College America fund with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. APSU received half of the $1 million grant, which Denley is using to refine the innovation.

He also is working with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to develop the system so that it can be deployed statewide to help boost the state’s higher education graduation rates among community colleges and four-year institutions.

In addition, Denley’s leadership extended to APSU’s first College Completion Academy held April 13th and 14th. It was modeled on two successful Tennessee Completion Academies that are based on Complete College America’s national academies.