The Tennessee College of Applied Technology - McMinnville is one of 24 TCATs and 37 total institutions in the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system that are located across the state, serving the citizens of Tennessee. The TBR and the Board of Trustees of the University of Tennessee System are coordinated by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). THEC was created by the General Assembly in 1967 to achieve coordination and unity in the programs of public higher education in Tennessee. The TBR system was created by legislation enacted by the 1963 General Assembly of Tennessee, Chapter 229 of House Bill 633. Chapter 181, Senate Bill 746-House Bill 697, of the Public Act of 1983 transferred the governance of the state technical institutes and area vocational-technical schools from the State Board of Education to the Tennessee Board of Regents. The transfer became effective on July 1, 1983. By action of the Tennessee Legislature in 1994, the school name changed from McMinnville State Area Vocational Technical School to Tennessee Technology Center at McMinnville. In 2013, the Legislature unanimously approved changing the name of the state’s technology centers to the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology.

The Tennessee Board of Regents, the governing body for TCAT-McMinnville, underwent a major shift in 2017 because of the FOCUS Act of 2016 and the appointment of a new Chancellor, Dr. Flora Tydings. The FOCUS Act seeks to ensure the state’s Community Colleges and TCATs are organized, supported, and empowered in efforts to increase the percentage of Tennesseans with a postsecondary credential. Largely this involved the development of local governing boards for each of the six universities thus allowing TBR a greater focus on the 13 community Colleges and 24 TCATs. Additional TBR efforts under the leadership of Dr. Tydings included the retitling of the chief administrative officers of the TCATs Director to President; the movement towards all 37 campuses in the TBR system operating with shared services; and, the restructuring of the TBR organization uniting the community and TCATs through common offices and services.

TCAT - McMinnville Mission Statement

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) – McMinnville will continue to serve as the premier provider for workforce development for our service area (Warren and its surrounding counties). The College fulfills its mission by:  

• Providing high-quality competency-based training through various instruction delivery systems of the highest quality that will qualify individuals for employment and/or advancement in careers.  

• Providing high-quality training that is economical and accessible to all residents of our service area, thereby contributing to the economic and community development of the communities we serve.  

• Building relationships of trust with community, business, and industry leaders to supply highly skilled workers in areas of need.