TEC University is a division of the I.G. Brown Training and Education Center located at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base near Knoxville, Tenn. The division assists in building the Air National Guard's future leaders using forward-learning education solutions for Airmen. Whether online or in a traditional classroom environment, TEC-U meets the needs of 21st Century Airmen with innovative solutions and the most up-to-date technology. The division is also home to the Air National Guard’s premiere Video Production Studio, enabling increased capabilities for education and comprehensive audio-visual solutions to the entire force.
MISSION AND VISION
Our Mission: Produce and deliver educational and informational content to enhance readiness and develop exceptional leaders.
Our Vision: Provide a diverse training and education solution to the Total Force.
PERSONNEL AND RESOURCES
TEC University comprises 17 full-time personnel, including 10 Airmen assigned from the Air National Guard, one Airman assigned from the regular Air Force and six civil-service federal civilians. TEC-U manages the Air National Guard’s only Category 2 Video Production Studio, a mobile broadcasting studio, and a video on-demand and livestreaming service available to the entire force. It maintains state-of-art production equipment and systems. As part of the larger TEC, the division accesses a 260-seat auditorium and a modern, mixed-use classroom and dormitory facility for courses, workshops, and conferences. This facility includes six 31-person classrooms and two 148-person combined classrooms, dividable into three smaller sections. These classrooms provide wireless microphones, flat-screen televisions, whiteboards, sound systems, and campus WiFi, among other technology.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCURE
TEC University is organized into two branches, with offices, production, and a studio located in Spruance Hall on the TEC campus.
The Learning Development Branch is a Community College of the Air Force accredited schoolhouse, specializing in instructor development and personal and professional development. Courseware includes instructor training and a multitude of personal and leadership development classes. The branch also offers academic advisement, providing guidance and assistance to customers who are currently instructing courses/classes by assisting instructors in converting teaching materials into educationally sound lesson plans to maximize educational potential. The Learning Development Branch works with many different agencies to develop engaging and innovative solutions for advanced distributive learning.
The Production Branch operates the Air National Guard’s premier production studio, managed by award-winning video production experts and maintainers who work with our Leadership Development team and customers throughout the Air National Guard to convert their ideas, requirements, data, and graphics into professional multimedia products. The Production Branch also supports live broadcasts for virtual conferences, workshops, and functional meetings to reduce travel expenses while providing relevant, timely content. These production and broadcast capabilities are crucial support to the larger TEC mission, enabling maximum exposure at minimum cost.
HISTORY
Initially called the Professional Military Education Center, the I.G. Brown Training and Education Center offered recruiting and retention courses as professional continuing education through the 70s and 80s. It expanded into other subjects. The established Professional Continuing Education Division offered 72 annual classes by 1989 in 26 different disciplines, to include a computer training center. TEC University’s main building, Spruance Hall, opened in 1992 as a library and multimedia building. The Director of the Air Guard cut the ribbon for the Warrior Network transmitter there on March 23, 1995, which began distance learning delivered via satellite. The broadcast studios now occupy the library space. Transmission personnel produced their first live, remote broadcast from Orlando in November 1997. The center's first computer-based training course developed on campus in 1996. Early CBTs supported ancillary training for the Air National Guard. The Professional Continuing Division renamed itself TEC University in November 2019 to identify a new learning approach that broadens offerings and innovates education methods for skills and knowledge.
(Last update Aug 7, 2024)