When President Jeffrey Alexander and the TMCC Leadership Team look back on the past academic year, they don’t see a list of completed projects or milestones. They see hundreds of moments when employees across the College embraced a simple challenge: find new ways to level up for students, for the community, and for each other.

That challenge became the College-wide theme for the year, but it quickly became something more: a shared mindset that influenced decisions in nearly every department across TMCC.

Alexander is very upbeat when it comes to the all-in nature of the theme across the College. "The Level Up theme challenged us to think about how we could better serve students, strengthen our community partnerships, and continuously improve what we do,” he said.

Taken together, the results tell the story of the collective impact we have when we work together to build momentum towards creating more opportunities for every student.

Expanding Opportunity

As the year unfolded, TMCC’s leaders returned to the same question over and over: How can the College prepare students for the careers that Northern Nevada needs most, while also expanding opportunities looking ahead?

“Over the course of this past year, TMCC expanded programs and applied for grants to continue program growth into the future,” said Alexander. “We are focused on providing quality education with an emphasis on career development.”

That commitment took shape in innovative ways that opened new pathways for students. In one example, new and expanded programs enticed students into areas that lead to high-paying careers across the region. 

Dr. Melissa Deadmond, Vice President for Academic Affairs, said one of the year’s biggest successes came with the launch of the Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Business Management degree.

“More than 75 students have declared our new BAS degree. Business is one of TMCC’s largest-enrolled programs, so it wasn’t a surprise to see high demand with this new four-year degree,” she reflected.

At the same time, apprenticeship programs continued to grow through major employer partnerships and a $1 million grant to launch the Panasonic Skilled Maintenance Apprenticeship. The Tesla Manufacturing Development Program (MDP) also expanded its number in a huge way, growing to over 100 each month.
Deadmond continued, “Apprenticeships are key to preparing new or incumbent workers, many of whom are also our TMCC students while they train, with the technical skills they need to succeed on the job, and we are fortunate to partner with employers and workforce organizations in building an educated, skilled workforce.”
As new opportunities arose in academics, TMCC also worked to better tell the stories of the students whose lives are being changed by them.

Executive Director of Research, Marketing and Public Affairs Kylie Rowe said, "This year, we introduced a new slogan, Your Story Starts Here, that reflects the life-changing journeys our students experience every day. We also launched TMCC's first multimedia Impact Report, allowing us to better showcase the remarkable work happening across the College and the many ways we serve our community."

Strengthening Student Success

Expanding opportunity was only part of the story. Just as important was ensuring students had the support they needed to reach graduation by improving the student journey and paying attention to the biggest barriers they face.

One initiative that has significantly advanced student success is the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) program, which awards college credit for prior work experience, certifications, or training programs. In all, 90 students were awarded credit through either the workforce certification program or the credit by portfolio review, during this academic year.

Deadmond explained, “Throughout the year, we worked with Student Services, Marketing, and Web Services to revamp the CPL process, website and communications, in advance of a marketing campaign that has become a model for other institutions in the Nevada System of Higher Education.”

Creating Welcoming Spaces

Supporting students also meant creating physical spaces where they can learn, collaborate, and feel connected. Throughout the Spring Semester, ribbon-cutting ceremonies celebrated three projects that transformed learning environments at the Dandini Campus.

Dr. YeVonne Allen, Vice President of Student Services, introduced the Lizard’s Lair, a dedicated athletic team meeting room designed to meet the needs of TMCC’s growing Athletics teams and staff. “This space was dedicated to serve as a central hub for strategic preparation, academic support, and team development,” she said. “The Lizard’s Lair will give us a space for student-athletes to form a community and to focus on their studies.”

Other spaces prepare students for careers using the latest technology. The Cyber Range opened in April 2026, a state-of-the-art training environment that will provide students with hands-on experience in cybersecurity and digital defense. Our faculty are excited to use this space to test real-world models and prepare students for their future careers.

Meanwhile, the EPIC Teaching Kitchen at the Meadowood Center transformed an existing classroom into a modern culinary learning space, which will expand the food and beverage classes for lifelong learners in the non-credit space, offering hands-on culinary experiences.

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

Every new classroom, partnership, and program shared a common purpose: preparing students for the jobs that will shape Northern Nevada’s future. Throughout the year, TMCC strengthened partnerships with employers, expanded workforce training, and invested in new programs designed to meet regional labor demands.

Programs in TMCC’s Public Safety area experienced significant growth during the year, with Emergency Management enrollment increasing by more than 200 students. At the same time, TMCC received $1.8 million from the Nevada Tech Hub to expand its Advanced Manufacturing program, and an additional $58,000 to establish a new Engineering Technology pathway supporting workforce development for the Nevada Tech Hub's Lithium Loop initiative.

Deadmond attributes this momentum to the continued rapid growth of the region. "We continue to build stronger connections between the classroom and the workplace," she said. "Whether through apprenticeships, new engineering pathways, or expanding public safety programs, our students are gaining the skills employers need while helping address critical workforce shortages throughout Nevada."

Looking toward the future, another milestone promises to expand first responder training in our region and beyond.

"The development of the Fire Rescue Training Center at the William N. Pennington Health Science Center represents an investment in our communities for decades to come," Alexander said. "This facility will provide advanced training opportunities for firefighters and emergency medical professionals while helping meet the region's growing demand for highly skilled first responders."

With a high wildfire risk and strong demand for fire- and emergency-trained professionals, the new training center has received support from all three regional fire departments, including Reno Fire Department, Sparks Fire Department, and Truckee Meadows Fire Department. 

These initiatives, together with support from industry and the community, signal a dedication to student success.

Innovating for the Future

Looking at the year as a whole, Alexander sees a common thread running through every accomplishment.

"I am incredibly proud of the way our employees embraced the Level Up challenge and turned ideas into action," he said.

Alexander noted the countless individual efforts that helped students feel supported, welcomed, and connected while moving the College forward.

"These achievements are building momentum for the future," he said. "The work accomplished this year has strengthened TMCC's ability to support student success, meet workforce needs, and serve as an engine of opportunity for Northern Nevada."

As TMCC prepares for the next academic year, the accomplishments of the Level Up theme serve as a reminder that meaningful progress doesn’t happen through a single act of progress. It happens when an entire college community works together one project at a time.