History
The precursor to Pellissippi State, State Technical Institute at Knoxville, was established on September 4, 1974. The original school was added on as a wing to the Knoxville State Regional Vocational-Technical School and intended to simply provide post-educational vocational training to area residents. However, at the backing of the newly seated director Colonel John C. Mauer, the Tennessee State Board of Vocational Education soon took over governance of the school, providing three associate's degree programs in engineering technology to 45 students on the first day of classes, September 23, 1974.
STIK received its initial accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in 1977, under the leadership of the first school president, Dr. Wayne Jones, and six years later, on July 1, 1983, STIK became a member of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee, thereby transferring governance of the school to the Tennessee Board of Regents.
In 1986 the campus was moved to its current location, on a 445-acre (1.80 km2) plot in west Knox County. Initially, STIK shared the campus with Roane State Community College. In 1988, however, the school's mission was broadened to include that of a technical community college, adding numerous university-parallel associate's degree programs, changing its name to Pellissippi State Technical Community College, and absorbing the space occupied by Roane State. Pellissippi (also spelled Pelsipi on early maps) means "winding waters" in Cherokee, and was the Cherokee name for the Clinch River.
A hot air balloon festival was held at the campus from 2004 to 2011.
Read more about this topic: Pellissippi State Community College
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