TBR staff advises for new name for college

Thursday, March 27, 2008

The proposed name change to Dyersburg State Community College is a foregone conclusion, according to the agenda published by the Tennessee Board of Regents on Wednesday.

The agenda, prepared for the body's quarterly meeting on Friday, notes the TBR staff recommends the name change to Tennessee Western Community College. A voice vote of the majority of the 18-member board is required to pass the measure.

The matter is scheduled as an item for new business for the meeting, which is to be held at Chattanooga State Community College.

Also on the agenda is a proposal to rename Forensic Center at East Tennessee State University in honor of former U.S. Congressman William "Bill" Jenkins. Jenkins's son, Lewis, is an attorney with the Dyersburg law firm of Wilkerson, Gaudlin, Hayes and Jenkins.

A new name for a hangar at the Middle Tennessee State University is also on the agenda to honor a member of that colleges' foundation board.

The Jenkins and MTSU naming measures are accompanied by letters from community leaders endorsing the respective plans.

The DSCC issue has no documents supporting the name change included in the agenda.

After the TBR board affirms the new name, the matter will be forwarded for consideration by the General Assembly for a vote.

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let well enough alone

-- Posted by jeramy on Thu, Mar 27, 2008, at 4:12 PM

Is it a foregone conclusion that the legislature is going to rubber stamp the decision of the Board of Regents......... If it is,,,,,,,,,then we don't need the legislature......... The Dyer County Mayor and all the Dyer County Commissioners are against the name change. The Dyersburg Mayor and all the Dyersburg Aldermen are against the name change. The vast majority of the Dyer County Citizens are against the

name change. It that doesn't carry some weight with our legislators,,,,,,,,we definitely have a problem right here in river city.....................

-- Posted by treasons on Thu, Mar 27, 2008, at 9:31 PM

Since there is little or no money for many of the needed projects today, just imagine how much money has been spent on the study of this name change and how much money it would take to change all the things that need to be changed once this is passed. It would make more sense and would cost a lot less money to just fire Dr Bowyer, since she is the one that has a problem with the name Dyersburg.

-- Posted by DburgKid on Thu, Mar 27, 2008, at 11:00 PM

If this little situation doesn't demonstrate the fact that government of, by, and for the people is a joke, nothing will. Perhaps if we ignore the government, its laws and taxes, people elected to represent the will of the people might get a wakeup call.

-- Posted by A Citizen on Fri, Mar 28, 2008, at 8:05 AM

Quoting above ..The Jenkins and MTSU naming measures are accompanied by letters from community leaders endorsing the respective plans.

The DSCC issue has no documents supporting the name change included in the agenda. end quote

I find this interesting. Maybe what is needed is a Document from our community leaders "In favor of NOT supporting" this name change. The fact that there is no document appears to mean our community leaders are not in objection to this change. If they truely are not pleased (and I think they are not as Muscadine states, and in the fact they refuse to vote on it) why no letter of objection.

It is pretty apparent the citizens opinion doesn't hold enough weight here to stop this.

Two days ago we were filling up the blog with disapproval and ways to contact our state reps and suddenly a story appears that it is a foregone conclusion.....kinda makes me wonder why we even did the study....

-- Posted by bond007 on Fri, Mar 28, 2008, at 8:42 AM

Get over it. some people have Druged this mule for months.Drell on better saftey or get a different JOB better than that Retire befor you have a stroke!!!!1111111

-- Posted by different/visons/12 on Fri, Mar 28, 2008, at 11:28 AM

We can still stop the name change if we stick together and write, call, and email the legislators. We have to make them aware that we do not want the name change, that it is being forced on us.

The people who seem to be responsible are Karen Bowyer and Katie Winchester. Neither of them is from Dyersburg, so what do they care about the name Dyersburg? If they came up with the name Tennessee Western, they must have been in a mental state of lunacy.

-- Posted by shopper19 on Fri, Mar 28, 2008, at 1:51 PM

Get as many of your friends as you can to vote against the name change on the STATE GAZETTE web poll on this site....... and then we can make sure that Norris, Fitzhugh, and Pinion see the results of the poll

-- Posted by treasons on Fri, Mar 28, 2008, at 2:00 PM

Your tax dollars at work, folks! All these people have spent all these working hours on state funded salaries to come up with a new name? Who cares? What's a new name gonna fix? Karen Bwyer's time and our money would be better spent on improving the quality of education in that place. Been there. Pitiful. Thank goodness for a few good teachers there that are passionate about their jobs. But overall, the process there is a joke and will not prepare our kids for university.

-- Posted by izzy on Fri, Mar 28, 2008, at 5:44 PM