About the School of Interdisciplinary Studies and
Extended Programs & Regional Development

In 2001, TTU created the School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Extended Programs & Regional Development (ISEE) to provide interdisciplinary opportunities, innovative degrees/programs, rapid response to student need, and the technological infrastructure for faculty who create distance-learning course delivery systems. Known for its flexibility, which allows it to respond rapidly to marketplace demands, ISEE delivers courses and programs either through electronic distance learning, at off-campus sites throughout our service area, or in the evenings or on weekends. Providing greater access to a college degree through high-quality educational alternatives is ISEE’s mission.

PARTNERSHIPS are the foundation of the School of ISEE. Collaboration with campus academic and administrative units, as well as with numerous external partners, results in many student successes.

ISEE works to boost ACCESS by finding alternatives to the traditional college experience in Tennessee – through distance learning and partnerships with other schools at off-campus locations, making a college education more accessible to more Tennesseans. Through a constantly growing system of educational alternatives to the traditional classroom, ISEE has partnered with campus schools and colleges to increase TTU's DISTANCE EDUCATION annual seat count dramatically.

ISEE coordinates the University's involvement in the Regents Online Degree Program, which also allows students to earn a degree closer to home; the online program can be completed anywhere, anytime, making it easier for people already in the workforce to complete degrees.

To help increase the number of Tennesseans earning degrees at the baccalaureate level, ISEE partnered to develop a program called "2+2". The 2+2 program allows students who have earned their associate’s degrees to immediately move on to upper-level coursework – and to continue their studies at their home college. Programs designed to help FINISH YOUR DEGREE, such as the baccalaureates in Professional Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies, offer personalized options for students with transfer or accumulated credit.

A commitment to lifelong learning through PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT can make the difference between a satisfying career and one that simply pays the bills. ISEE offers non-degree programs that range from career starts, like our emergency medical services training, to mid-career jumpstarts and tune-ups, like the conferences we hold annually for area teachers and other school personnel.

ISEE offers innovative and challenging programs intended to spark a love for education among children and teenagers. A collection of academies, camps and classes called YOUTH UNIVERSITY were launched in 2004-05 including three intensive programs for children grades 2 to 11.

Continuing education doesn't always have to take the form of a formal degree program. Some people simply need to pick up a new skill, or want to learn more about a single topic. Non-credit PERSONAL ENRICHMENT courses that range from the history of England to gardening to photography are offered each semester.