Tennessee operates under dual governance coordinated by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), composed of 19 members from congressional districts, constitutional officers, student commissioners, and other designated officials.
System Components:
- Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR): Governs 37 institutions (13 community colleges + 24 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology), serving nearly 120,000 students annually
- University of Tennessee System: Operates 5 institutions under its own 14-member Board of Trustees
- Locally Governed Institutions: Following the 2017 FOCUS Act, six former TBR universities now operate under individual local governing boards while remaining THEC-coordinated
