Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville — Local services in Nashville-Davidson

Mr. Alvey…. needs to be fired who on earth hired him to be an example for young adults.

I am writing this review to bring attention to ongoing and deeply troubling issues within the HVAC program at TCAT, specifically related to instructor Mr. Alvey. While technical education is meant to be a supportive and professional environment that fosters student learning and growth, my experience has been the opposite due to the conduct of this instructor.

From the beginning, there were repeated warnings from past and current students about Mr. Alvey’s behavior and how it negatively impacts the learning environment. Unfortunately, those warnings proved to be accurate.

Mr. Alvey frequently displays inappropriate and unprofessional conduct, including making offensive jokes of a sexual and violent nature—some even involving references to rape. Such behavior is not only deeply disturbing but also completely unacceptable in any educational setting.

In addition to this, Mr. Alvey has shown a concerning pattern of favoritism and inconsistency in how he enforces rules. For example, there is supposed to be a grace period for tardiness; however, he selectively enforces this depending on which student is involved. When I raised concerns about the unequal treatment, his response was to punish the entire class rather than addressing the issue fairly.

On multiple occasions, Mr. Alvey has also demonstrated a lack of compassion and understanding for students with disabilities or temporary injuries. One student, who had a severe hand injury and could not write, was still handed a written test without any accommodation, despite clear legal and ethical obligations to provide support. He was told to simply "figure it out," with no alternative assessment or assistance. This disregard for student needs goes against disability accommodation laws and basic decency.

Moreover, Mr. Alvey creates an environment of fear and intimidation. He has thrown tests at students in anger, given surprise tests on days they were not planned, and often passes judgment based on appearance or attitude alone. This creates a hostile classroom atmosphere that hinders learning and encourages silence instead of communication.

This program has been incredibly disappointing due to the lack of oversight and accountability. It is my strong recommendation that the administration launch a formal investigation into these claims and interview both current and former students. If the majority of students share similar concerns—as many already have—this should be taken as a serious indicator of a toxic and unsafe learning environment.

Students deserve better. Education should be built on respect, support, and professionalism—not fear, intimidation, or...

This school is an absolute tragedy. I started in June of 2020. I was supposed to go for a year and then be fully prepared to pass my Esthetics test but that is not what happened. Let's start with covid. We were not allowed to come to class at all for atleast 2 months so we had to rely on a negligent teacher who canceled online school at the last minute 3 out of the 4 days almost every single week or our favorite, she wouldn't cancel and we would be waiting online for 30mins before we realized she wasn't coming. We then started going to class once a week but if that wasn't canceled our teacher would disappear or have the senior students teach us. I reported this to everyone i could because the school wouldn't do anything. I went to the Board of Regents and they opened up an investigating. They proved the teacher was not doing her job and they were under the impression she had been let go. She was not! 7 months in and we still don't know how to do a facial. I then had to contact State Board and that is when she was finally let go. Then the day class teacher graciously stepped in but she only had 3 months to teach us literally everything. Fast fwd to today when i still haven't passed my Practical because i haven't been taught. We were not allowed to come to watch the demonstration with 2 graduating classes and we weren't sent a video to watch as promised. Sadly nobody in my class has been able to take their practical because we are waiting for the school. We all graduated 6 months ago. That is ridiculously unprofessional and truly shows what they think about us.

Lastly, i am a Cosmetologist and a Cosmetology Instructor so i know the laws well. They broke every single law with us. They reported hours we didn't even receive. I have proof of all of this. If you receive TN reconnect i highly suggest you submit a request to go somewhere else. They are very aware of the situation and you can mention this to them. I pray that in the future the school stops treating students like they are...

I want to give honest feedback and draw attention to the TCAT Nashville, specifically the HVAC program. I’m a current student and wanted to wait an extended period of time in the program to give my thoughts and feelings about the school, the program, the instructors. I hope this finds parents of incoming students, students themselves or potential persons of a trade looking to get into teaching at a higher education level. I joined the program back in Sept 2024 and have been thoroughly impressed with my time under various instructors. From the first time on campus to now, 10 months into a 17 month program it has been a very smooth ride. Making a career change out of a decade of Active Duty Military service to a technical school trade learning environment has been better than I could’ve expected. From day 1, the instruction and knowledge from the primary instructors to even students having a small background in the trade has immensely helped my transition to higher learning and a hopeful longstanding and successful career in HVAC. The instructors, Derrick Brown, Dennis Alvey, Ken Beckman, Ken Sawyer take 80+ combined years in the trade and apply them to students like me from the first minute you sit down. As a veteran in the school system, the Vice President and President of the school have shown nothing but respect and appreciation for many veteran students like me. Between the instruction we receive and the countless hours preparing students such as myself for upcoming test, hands-on learning, and practical scenarios on the job, it’s been an awesome experience. To the parents, incoming students, potential instructors, this is a top tier school, top tier program and a class A professional learning...