The Tennessee College of Applied Technology Pulaski is one of 24 Tennessee College of Applied Technology and 37 total institutions in the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system that are located across the state, serving the citizens of Tennessee. The TBR and the Board of Trustees of the University of Tennessee System are coordinated by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). THEC was created by the General Assembly in 1967 to achieve coordination and unity in the programs of public higher education in Tennessee. The TBR system was created by legislation enacted by the 1963 General Assembly of Tennessee, Chapter 229 of House Bill 633. Chapter 181, Senate Bill 746-House Bill 697, of the Public Act of 1983 transferred the governance of the state technical institutes and area vocational-technical schools from the State Board of Education to the Tennessee Board of Regents. The transfer became effective on July 1, 1983. By action of the Tennessee Legislature in 1994, the school name changed from Tennessee State Area Vocational Technical School to Tennessee Technology Center at Pulaski. In 2013, the Legislature unanimously approved changing the name of the state’s technology centers to the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology.

The Tennessee Board of Regents, the governing body for Tennessee College of Applied Technology Pulaski, underwent a major shift in 2017 because of the FOCUS Act of 2016 and the appointment of a new Chancellor, Dr. Flora Tydings. The FOCUS Act seeks to ensure the state’s Community Colleges and Tennessee College of Applied Technology are organized, supported, and empowered in efforts to increase the percentage of Tennesseans with a postsecondary credential. Largely this involved the development of local governing boards for each of the six universities thus allowing TBR a greater focus on the 13 community Colleges and 24 Tennessee College of Applied Technology. Additional TBR efforts under the leadership of Dr. Tydings included the retitling of the chief administrative officers of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Pulaski Director to President; the movement towards all 37 campuses in the TBR system operating with shared services; and, the restructuring of the TBR organization uniting the community and Tennessee College of Applied Technology through common offices and services.

Campus History

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology Pulaski had its beginning and opened its first classes in September 1969.

The first technical training program organized was Radio and TV Repair which began operation on September 15, 1969.  Programs in Automotive Mechanics, Drafting, Industrial Electricity, Machine Tool Technology, Business Systems Technology, Welding, and Practical Nursing were implemented during that same fiscal year.  A Building Trades program was added on November 1, 1971.  Radio and TV Repair transitioned into Computer Electronics and some of the other programs were phased out such as Automotive Mechanics, Drafting, Building Trades.  These programs were replaced with ones in more demand such as HVACR, 1995; Computer Operations, 1999; Industrial Maintenance Technology, Lewisburg, 1999; Practical Nursing, Lawrenceburg, 1999; Business Systems Technology, Lewisburg, 2000; Practical Nursing, Lewisburg, 2000; Industrial Maintenance Technology, Lawrenceburg, 2000; Advanced Manufacturing Education, Pulaski, 2008; Residential/Commercial Wiring and Plumbing, Pulaski, 2009; Residential/Commercial Wiring and Plumbing, South Lawrence, 2009; Residential/Commercial Wiring and Plumbing, Lawrenceburg, 2009; and, Residential Construction Technology, North Lawrence, 2010.

The Tennessee Technology Center at Pulaski is a public, tax-supported institution.  The Center operated under the Tennessee State Department of Education until June 30, 1983, at which time the governing board became the Tennessee Board of Regents.  Columbia State Community College served as the Center’s lead institution, which was contracted by the Tennessee Technology Center at Pulaski as a financial business office.

The Center was constructed with state funds on a 15-acre site with land and utilities provided by local government.  The initial building, grounds, utilities, bridge, and equipment represented an investment of $427,120.

The most recent addition and expansion project began on February 12, 1996, and ended on February 12, 1997.  The addition and expansion project added nearly 19,000 square feet to the existing facility, and it also renovated some 12,000 square feet of existing space.  The cost of the addition and expansion project was $2,179,000 and another $436,000 was spent on equipment.

In the fall of 2016, TCAT Pulaski applied for and was awarded a $3.1 million Drive to 55 capacity grant to purchase the former Elliott Popham car dealership and 3 acres adjacent to the campus for campus/program expansion.  Ownership of the property transferred to the state in March 2018.  The design process and impact of COVID-19 have delayed the proposed campus expansion.