Student Engagement

Commuter students are defined as those students who do not live in on-campus, University-managed residence halls or apartments. Commuter students may live at home with family members, on their own, or with other students in off-campus apartments or houses. Commuters may also have family and work responsibilities in addition to classes. Commuter students navigate unique challenges while attending college, including limited time on campus because of driving time, schedules, and work, and feeling isolated from campus events and activities.

The Angelo & Jenette Volpe Library offers a wide range of options for computer use and access. View the Volpe Library Computers & Technology page for more information.  The Leona Lusk Officer Black Cultural Center (Roaden University Center 2nd Floor) also features a computer lab, and is open to all students. 

Need access after hours? There are two computer labs on campus open 24 hours: Henderson Hall 111 and Clement Hall 313B.  Students enter via Eagle Card access.

The Campus Map page displays an interactive map, a campus parking map, and also has a link to print out a 3D Map of the entire campus.

If you aren’t able to pull that up, you can always stop by the Information Center on the first floor of the Roaden University Center (RUC) to ask for help. 

» View the current operating times of each dining location on campus.

» Learn more about dining locations, meal plans, and eating on campus.

Depending on your academic program, college, and year in school, you may be assigned either a professional advisor, a faculty advisor, or both.

To contact your academic advisor, please use our "How do I get advised" page for guidance on locating and reaching out to your advisor.

If you still are unable to reach your advisor or determine who that person is, please contact advisement@tntech.edu for help.

Once you have set up your advisement appointment with your academic advisor, make sure you review the "Before Advisement Checklist" to ensure you are able to maximize the time you have with them when you meet.

Once you have registered for courses, you will need to "Pay/Confirm" your schedule for the upcoming semester. Even if you do not owe a balance for tuition and fees for the upcoming semester, you must still complete the "Pay/Confirm" process via Eagle Online before the deadline date each semester. Doing so will ensure your registered courses, meal plan, and housing are not deleted (e.g. Purged) and confirm your enrollment for the term. Visit the Bursar's Office website for step-by-step instructions on completing this process.

No! Once you have confirmed your enrollment, you will want to visit the University Store's website (www.tntech.edu/bookstore) to review the different options for purchasing and renting textbooks for your courses. Waiting until after classes start could further delaying having your textbooks in time for the first assignment, quiz, or exam due to demand. Our University Store does a student-friendly textbook return policy so check with them regarding options to return pre-ordered textbooks. Note: There are some price matching options available, but please check with a bookseller before ordering.

The University Store (located on the Ground Floor of the Roaden University Center) is students' one-stop-shop for textbooks, classroom materials, Tech merchandise and apparel, and grab-and-go snacks.

Every student is different. You may find that you learn best when you spend at least twice the amount of time studying as they are in class.

For example: Awesome Eagle is registered for 14 credit hours. He manages his time so that he can spend 28 hours per week studying, doing homework and preparing for exams. 

At first you may think, "that's a lot of time studying"... and, it is! However, you will have to adjust your study habits based on the course, content, and information. Some courses may seem easier while others tend to require more of your time.

You also will notice that every semester is different. There may be times where more or less time per week is required. It’s necessary that you explore different study habits to find what works best for you.

We also recommend reviewing many of the LinkedIn Learning Study Skill courses you have access to as a Tech student. To access LinkedIn Learning with your campus account, login to TechExpress and click on LinkedIn. Once your account is setup, just search for "studying" and you will have a variety of short video workshops to help improve your study skills.

I need help with a class…

Tennessee Tech has centralized tutoring coordinated within the Volpe Library's Testing and Learning Center. This tutoring is free to students and tutors are trained and our tutoring program is CRLA (College Reading & Learning Association) certified to ensure students receive a professional level of tutoring.

To book or request a tutor for any of your classes, you can do this through TechConnect.

Once logged into TechConnect:

1. Click the "Make an appointment"
2. Select “Tutoring”, then “Tutoring for Class”, then “A tutoring appointment for class”.
3. Next, follow the onscreen prompts to book and confirm your tutoring appointment.

For more information about campus tutoring, visit the Volpe Library Learning Center.

Along with tutoring in the library, there are other opportunities for you to receive additional help in your classes.

Studying with groups - The library has whiteboards and tables available on the main floor as well as study rooms to reserve. To reserve a room, visit the Library's study rooms page! Learn more information about Angelo & Jennette Volpe Library.

Departmental tutoring - Check with the professors and even your academic advisor to ask if there is tutoring within the department of the class that you need extra help in.

Professor office hours - Your professors are the professionals when it comes to their classes. They are the best resource for you to get your questions answered. Office hours are a great place to start! If you are not able to visit during their office hours, you can send them an email requesting to meet with them at a different date and time. Check each course's syllabus for information on office hours.

There are several things you can do:

• Meet with the instructor during office hours or request to meet with them outside of their office hours. During the meeting: 

• Review the assignment/quiz

• Try to clear up content confusion

• Request advice on how to improve

• Attend free tutoring or Class+, if available

• Evaluate what you could have done differently as you prepared to complete the assignment

• Make an improvement plan

• Determine how you can sharpen your study skills to better equip you for the course and course content.

• Identify if there are other students in the class that may want to form a study group.

If you will be parking on campus, you will need a parking permit. Commuter students can purchase a Red or Purple permit. The Red permit provides access to spaces in Red and Purple zones, while the Purple permit only provides access to spaces in Purple zones. Check out the Campus Maps page to learn more about parking locations and be sure to review the Parking Regulations to avoid any surprise citations. 

Once you have read over the parking regulations and viewed the campus map, you may reserve your permit through the Parking Portal.

When you reserve your permit through the parking portal, the charge will be billed to your student account. This charge is billed in full. 

Students have the option of picking up their permit from the Parking & Transportation Office or having it mailed at no additional cost. If you choose to have your permit mailed, it will be sent out via USPS within one business day of your purchase.  Student permits will not be mailed to residence halls. 

We recommend having your permit mailed or picking it up prior to the first day of classes to avoid congestion in the lobby.

Learn more about Accessible Parking on the Parking and Services website. 

If you will not be attending in the spring term, then you can return your permit at the end of the fall term for a partial refund. Find out more information about parking permit refunds.  

Tennessee Tech Health Services (located on the East side of Bell Hall) offers acute, urgent care, preventative care, immunizations and allergy shots. Full-time students can receive many of these services for free or at very low prices! For more information, or to make an appointment, visit www.tntech.edu/healthservices.

If you need assistance after hours, you can visit Health Services' website which has recommended local health care facilities. 

The TN Tech University Center for Counseling and Mental Health Wellness offers brief, short term, solution focused therapeutic interventions for TN Tech University Students.  Eligible students are allotted 12 sessions per academic year starting with the Fall Semester. Learn more on theCenter for Counseling and Mental Health Wellness’s Services website.

A Mental Health Emergency is defined as an acute clinical situation in which there is imminent risk of psychological or physical harm to self or others. Visit the Center for Counseling and Mental Health Wellness’s Mental Health Emergencies web page to learn about the many resources and tools available to get you the help that you need. 

Does the person need immediate assistance? If the person’s behavior is clearly reckless, dangerous or threatening, disorderly or significantly disruptive and is suggestive of imminent harm to self or others in the community, call 911 or University Police (931-372-3234) immediately.

If the person does not require immediate assistance or consultation with the Center for Counseling and Mental Health Wellness, submit a concern referral. Submitting a concern referral allows trained professionals to evaluate the concern and follow up with the individual to provide resources and support. Learn more on the Students of Concern website. 

Please review the When in Doubt, Reach Out guide on the Center for Counseling and Mental Health Wellness web page if you or someone you know is in distress.

Parents are encouraged to view Information and Resources for Parents and Guardians related to students’ mental health and wellness. 

Yes! The Marc L. Burnett Recreation Center houses Intramural Sports, Fitness and Wellness, a 25 yard swimming pool, cardiovascular and weight training equipment, an indoor running track and more. Whether you’re hitting the weight room, joining a free Group Fitness class, or taking a trip with Eagles Outdoors, Campus Recreation programs can help you stay active, fit, and ready to thrive at Tech. 

Tennessee Tech’s food pantry was established to make sure all Golden Eagles can get the nutrition they need to be at their best. Check out the Food Pantry web page for hours, FAQs, and more. 

TN Tech will remain open except in the most severe weather conditions. 

If classes are not canceled despite inclement weather, students are responsible for any academic work they miss as a result of inclement weather. It is the individual student's responsibility to take the initiative in making up any missed work, and it is the faculty member's responsibility to provide students a reasonable opportunity to make up missed work. In the off-campus offerings, the students and faculty are all commuters. Furthermore, we have little or no control over the safety precautions taken at the off-campus sites. Thus, it is not unusual that such courses are canceled because of snow and/or ice during the winter. The decision to cancel classes will be made by the Provost. The information will then be disseminated as quickly as possible on the Tennessee Tech website If severe weather is likely (winter storm, high winds, thunder, lightning, hail, flash floods): and through text alerts.

The campus has recognition as a StormReady University by the National Weather Service for continuing to maintain a diligent and proactive approach to timely and effective campus communication and preparedness.

You should keep jumper cables, a bucket of sand (in case you get stuck), a shovel (for the snow), an ice scraper, de-icer, a box of tools, a flashlight, flares,  blankets, antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, some non-perishable food items, spare eating utensils, and a change of clothes (in case you have to stay on campus)

Studies show that students that are involved and connected on campus are more likely to be successful both in class and with their career!

A list of our 200+ student clubs and organizations can be found online through Eagle Engage.

If you do not see a group or club you are interested in then consider starting your own organization and meeting others with similar interests. Learn more information on this process.

Tech offers many sport and recreation Student Organizations for students interested in soccer, lacrosse, rugby, volleyball, swimming, and more. These organizations are designed to welcome new athletes, so don’t hesitate to try something new. To find these organizations, visit the Groups list in Eagle Engage, and sort by the group category Sports and Recreation. 

The Intramural Sports program is another great way to get involved, whether you are looking for a competitive experience or a fun way to stay active and meet other students. 

Each club/organization is different. Some meet weekly and others meet once a month. The University Calendar in TechExpress may have some clubs’ meeting times, but the best place to find those are in the weekly Tech Times emails or reaching out to the president or a representative from that organization for meeting information.

There are a few options regarding on-campus jobs and where to find them. 

If you have a University Academic Service (UAS) scholarship, this is separate from a typical "job" since the university scholarship(s) you may have received requires some work service commitment back to the campus.

Some students may qualify for Federal Work Study (FWS) as part of your financial aid packet and federal aid opportunities. If you received and accepted Federal Work Study as part of your financial aid package, the Office of Financial Aid will reach out to you about applying for FWS job options on campus.

Some offices and departments hire students to assist them outside of the UAS and FWS programs, these jobs are often posted in Handshake, Tennessee Tech's career development services and job portal. Local off-campus part-time jobs are also found within this system. For information on how to setup and access your Handshake account as a Tech student, visit Handshake.

Life and financial situations can change quickly. Tennessee Tech is committed to your success, and most importantly, your well-being. Visit the Financial Hardship website to learn about Food and Nutrition assistance (including the Food Pantry), emergency assistance grants, temporary shelter, and more. You are not in this alone! Don’t hesitate to contact us at commuter@tntech.edu if you need assistance.