Our campus comes alive during Homecoming! Last week was filled with wonderful events that brought students, faculty, staff and alumni together. From the beautiful banners student groups designed and displayed at the University Center to the traditional Homecoming Kickoff Pep Rally, our Mocs spirit was on full display.
We saw student teams racing tricycles around our new Chamberlain Field during the day and high energy performances at our nighttime events. The bonfire was a highlight for many, as was Saturday’s great football game against SoCon rival Mercer, which put another notch in the UTC win column. Our Mocs football team is off to its best start since 1968. At halftime, we named our 2016 Top Moc and Homecoming Queen. Congratulations to Solomon Puryear and Brittany Watlington.
I want to thank everyone who helped organize these events. Activities that bring people together for fun and friendly competition are an essential part of the UTC experience. You can see videos of this year’s Homecoming activities here.
Another critical part of the UTC experience is learning to embrace diversity and inclusion as a path to excellence, Goal 4 in our strategic plan.
Last week, I hosted a diversity town hall meeting in the UTC Multicultural Center. Students, faculty and staff shared stories, opinions and ideas. There were many excellent suggestions to help us make progress in this area. We talked about building a diverse faculty, strategies for recruiting more students from underrepresented groups, ways in which diversity and inclusion might be woven into our academic programs and how best to support minority student organizations.
Students graduating from UTC will be entering a very diverse world, and we must prepare them to be responsible, caring citizens of this diverse world. Opportunities that encourage our students to move beyond their comfort zone, expand their view of the world, and to attempt to see the world through someone else’s eyes prepares them for life in our society. The town hall meeting was the first of many conversations that organizations and individuals will continue to have on our campus. I encourage everyone to participate.
If you walked by Founders Hall this week you probably noticed construction taking place. The building was constructed in 1916 without an elevator. The second floor of Founders Hall currently has no elevator access, making the building inaccessible to those with limited mobility. This project adds a second floor hallway that will connect Founders Hall to Hooper and Race Halls to provide enhanced access to all three buildings for those with disabilities.
Remember, if you would like one of our Power C lapel pins, which are not sold in stores, stop by my office in Founders Hall 101 and pick one up from my assistant, Teresa McKinney.