Photo Caption: (Seated left to right) Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president and Dr. Juli Oyer, Fairview High School principal. (Standing left to right) Dr. Margaret D. Smith, Columbia State executive vice president-provost; Mehran Mostaijir, Columbia State AiiT program director; Dr. Dearl Lampley, Columbia State dean of science, technology and mathematics division; Dr. David Allen, WCS career and technical education coordinator; Dr. Charles Farmer, WCS assistant superintendent of secondary schools; and Kevin Sizemore, Fairview High School mechatronics instructor.

(COLUMBIA, Tenn. - Apr. 25, 2016) - - - Columbia State Community College recently signed a program agreement with Williamson County Schools and Fairview High School at the Spring Hill-based Northfield Workforce Development & Conference Center, where Columbia State holds its Advanced Integrated Industrial Technology program. The partnership will provide mechatronics-based dual-credit courses for Fairview students beginning fall 2016.

"We could not be more excited to have our students embark on this journey with our partnership," said Dr. Juli Oyer, Fairview principal. "We believe we are making huge trajectory changing opportunities for our students."

The agreement, signed by Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president, and Oyer, kicks off the beginning of a three-phase implementation that will ultimately allow students to earn their high school diploma, a technical certificate and an Associate of Applied Science degree in AiiT simultaneously.

"It's about students and providing opportunities," Smith said. "This is the beginning of many good things to come, and we are very proud to be a part of it. It's a good day for Columbia State, a good day for Williamson County schools, but most importantly, a good day for future students.

To implement the AiiT program at Fairview, the school will be converting some of their existing lab space to hold the necessary equipment. Fairview has selected engineering technology teacher, Kevin Sizemore, to serve as instructor for the program.

"Our students are very interested in robotics," Sizemore said. "We have a middle school technology program that is very popular and have always thought that our students would enjoy pursuing that further, but some of our students cannot make the drive to Columbia State's Spring Hill location or have jobs after school that have kept that from happening. Instituting this program is a way of eliminating the barriers between these students and their interests."

The interest for the program is already high, as the first-year Mechatronics 1 course scheduled for fall is nearly full.

Photo Caption: Mehran Mostaijir, Columbia State AiiT program director, gives attendees a tour of the AiiT facility at Northfield.

Photo Caption: Mehran Mostaijir, (far left) Columbia State AiiT program director, gives attendees a tour of the AiiT facility at Northfield. Also pictured (left to right), Dr. Charles Farmer, Williamson County Schools assistant superintendent of secondary schools; Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president; Dr. David Allen, WCS career and technical education coordinator; Kevin Sizemore, Fairview High School mechatronics instructor; and Dr. Juli Oyer, Fairview High School principal.

Photo Caption: Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president, and Dr. Juli Oyer, Fairview High School principal, sign off on the AiiT program agreement to offer mechatronics-based dual-credit courses to students at Fairview beginning fall 2016.

Photo Caption: Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president, and Dr. Juli Oyer, Fairview High School principal, shake hands after signing the agreement.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, one of the largest higher education systems in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.

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. We offer associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit us online at tncommunitycolleges.org.