TBR Awards Faculty Emeritus Status to Two Motlow Employees; One Posthumously

May 23, 2021

Two Motlow State long-time, well-respected faculty, and academic deans were granted faculty emeritus status by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), the College System of Tennessee, the College’s governing board March meeting.

Tullahoma resident Patricia (Pat) Hendrix, dean of nursing and allied health, and the late Fred Rascoe, dean of career and technical programs, were granted faculty emeritus status upon the recommendation of Dr. Michael Torrence, President of Motlow State. Faculty emeritus is granted to faculty who have served an institution governed by the TBR for a sufficient length of time and are eligible for state retirement benefits upon retirement from the institution.

In making the announcement, Torrence said, “Faculty emeritus is the highest honor bestowed upon faculty who have exhibited outstanding scholarship and leadership to an institution. Both Pat and Fred are well deserving of this honor, and I am privileged to make this announcement as their President. While we celebrate Dean Hendrix’s retirement, we continue to mourn the untimely and unexpected loss of Dean Rascoe, who passed away in January. Dean Rascoe’s recognition is being conferred posthumously.”

TBR Chancellor Flora Tydings said, “I express my deepest gratitude to Patricia for all she has done to strengthen the College System of Tennessee and help our students succeed. Also, please accept my sincere condolences for the passing of Fred. Although it is such a substantial loss to the Motlow campus and community, his service and leadership will have a lasting effect on student success for generations.”

Hendrix, who retired on January 31, is a registered nurse who impacted nursing and allied health education through design, implementation, and teaching. In her role as faculty, program director, and dean, during her 25-year tenure at Motlow, she supported the expansion of the nursing and allied health programs to meet the demands of the health care industry in local communities and increased partnerships with businesses and universities. She helped facilitate the expansion of the registered nursing program beyond the Moore County campus to include the Smyrna and McMinnville campuses, resulting in a greater capacity to train more students. She collaborated with peers to design and implement a curriculum that allows Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) students to transition into the Registered Nursing (R.N.) program and complete the program in one year. Hendrix internationalized the program’s curriculum by developing an international module on “Family,” which supported the Southern Association on Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accreditation requirements for Motlow. With the support of faculty, she successfully led two Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing visits. Hendrix participated in developing and implementing a statewide nursing curriculum, accreditation process for the paramedic program, and state audits for the emergency medical services program.

Hendrix was instrumental in co-chairing Motlow’s first Think Septic First conference that targeted health practitioners throughout the state. She serves as a co-chair of the Motlow Pandemic Emergency Management Team that is tasked to lead the health, wellness, and safety guidelines and protocols for the College through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rascoe, formerly of McMinnville, Tenn., was a 12-year Motlow veteran who excelled as a faculty and academic dean. He was known as the ‘father of mechatronics.’ Beyond establishing the mechatronics curriculum at Motlow, he was a principal consultant for mechatronics curriculum and program development at TBR community colleges and Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University, Tennessee State University, and high schools. The Motlow program has become a national model and is visited by practitioners from throughout the United States. The mechatronics program is recognized as a signature, high-demand, high-wage blended skills program essential to the future of manufacturing. As early as 1979, Rascoe served the State of Tennessee in furthering the field of advanced manufacturing, working with prominent industries, including Calsonic, Nissan, Bridgestone, and others across Tennessee and the Southeast United States.

Under Rascoe’s leadership as dean of career and technical education, Motlow expanded its academic programs to include cyber defense, robotics, supply chain management, and additional certificate programs. He was one of two co-leaders who managed the $1 million Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) grant awarded to Motlow State. The grant-funded technology learning pathways between secondary and post-secondary education.

Additional Motlow faculty who hold the rank of emeritus are Dr. Michael Bradley, the late Dr. Donald Cheatham, Dr. Janice Harder, Dr. Linda Harris-Young, Dr. Doyle Hasty, Dr. Linda Hasty, Billy Hix, Alice Huskey, Dr. Mary McLemore, Martha Scarbrough, and Debbie Zimmerman. Former president Dr. Frank Glass holds the President emeritus title.

Tennessee’s Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient, and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. The system offers associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs, and transfer pathways to four-year degrees.