Campus Updates: August 25-31, 2026

The UTC Campus Weekly newsletter is distributed every Tuesday morning. If you have news, events or announcements you would like shared with campus, please submit your information to Peyton Schultz (peyton-l-schultz@utc.edu) in the Division of Communications and Marketing by 3 p.m. on Friday for placement in the following Tuesday’s newsletter.

UTC News | UTC Events Calendar | Campus Updates | In the Media

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Highlights

WELCOME TO WEEKS OF WELCOME

Running through Sept. 5, this year’s Weeks of Welcome expands UTC’s annual Welcome Week tradition with two weeks of department-hosted events across campus. Click here to read about Weeks of Welcome and for the full calendar of events.

ADD YOUR MOCS ID TO YOUR PHONE

Purchased a new phone over the summer? Contact Mocs Card Services before setting up your ID. Your account must be reset to ensure a successful setup on your new device. Contact MocsCard@utc.edu or call 423-425-2218 for assistance.

ACCESS YOUR OUTLOOK EMAIL

UTC is continuing the transition from Gmail to Outlook as part of the Google to Microsoft 365 project. Mailbox migrations began in March 2026 and have continued throughout the summer in weekly batches. Most current and new student accounts have now been transitioned to Outlook for email, with a small number of migrations still in progress.

Get your textbooks with MocsBooks

UTC has launched the MocsBooks Total Access Program for undergraduate students beginning in fall 2026. The new course material delivery program provides required materials for participating courses by the first day of class, with costs included on the university billing statement at $22 per credit hour. The program is expected to save students 35-50% compared to purchasing materials individually. Click here to learn more.

Student Access Pass Now Available

UTC Athletics has introduced the new Student Access Pass for the 2026-27 academic year. The digital pass gives full-time UTC students admission to all ticketed home football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, wrestling and softball games without claiming a ticket for each event.

The pass can be downloaded through your account at GoMocs.com/Tickets and added to your Apple or Google Wallet for easy entry throughout the season. Click here for more information and FAQs.

Measles: What you need to know

Measles is highly contagious—even more so than COVID-19. To ensure campus is healthy, it is vital that you know your immune status by verifying your vaccination records or laboratory proof of immunity.

UTC reports that 98% of students on campus have immunity, which serves as a strong shield for the community. Having immunity significantly reduces the chances of getting measles and keeps you from needing to be quarantined for up to 21 days if you are exposed.

SEND IN YOUR INFORMATION FOR THE UTC PARENT AND FAMILY ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

It is time to recruit campus partners to send information for the UTC Parent and Family Association newsletter, a monthly roundup distributed to more than 5,400 parents and family members.

To share information with the families of UTC students—including upcoming events, important deadlines, helpful suggestions and departmental news—email Hannah Turcotte by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26. The September newsletter will be emailed to members on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Outstanding People of UTC

Nearly 40 UTC faculty members recently participated in the third annual Chattanooga as Classroom faculty bus tour, exploring local landmarks and learning new ways to incorporate Chattanooga into their teaching. Organized by Bengt Carlson and Dr. Chris Johnson from the Walker Center for Teaching and Learning, the tour included stops at the Incline Railway, Point Park, the Walnut Street Bridge, the Ed Johnson Memorial and the Passage water steps near the Tennessee Aquarium.

UTC faculty members Dr. Amy Brock-Hon and Dr. Lori Waite joined the group to discuss how they have incorporated local places and community into their courses. Participants also met with Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly and community advocate Krue Brock during lunch to learn more about the city’s transformation and future before concluding the day with discussions about bringing place-based learning into the classroom.

“Miss” Wanda Goins, a longtime campus security guard at McKenzie Arena and the Mapp Building, moved to Chattanooga in 1974—four years after graduating from Dalton (Georgia) High School. At the time, she did not know just how much she would become ingrained in the community. Last week, Goins was inducted into the Bessie Smith Cultural Center Hall of Fame in recognition of her contributions to the Chattanooga community.

Mark Your Calendar

Singing Mocs is UTC’s contemporary commercial a cappella choir, specializing in pop and jazz vocal styles. They rehearse from 4:20-5:45 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is a highly select choir, but there are a few open spots for the fall semester, namely in the soprano and bass sections (though altos and tenors are encouraged to audition as well). Auditions will be held today (Aug. 25). For more information about the audition and to sign up for a time, please use this link.

Make plans to attend the Office for Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor (URaCE) fall welcome events.

Scrappy’s Market returns Wednesday, Aug. 26, offering free fresh produce to students from 2-4 p.m. on Vine Street near Derthick or in the University Center second-floor lobby, depending on weather. Check MocSync for location updates. Fall market dates include:

UTC departments seeking student employees are invited to participate in the Part-Time Job Fair during Weeks of Welcome. The event will take place from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27, in the University Center Tennessee Room and provides an opportunity to connect with students looking for part-time employment opportunities on campus.

Departments interested in participating can contact Marli Wolff, assistant director of community and employer relations, for registration information.

Explore geology through hands-on activities, interactive demonstrations and displays at the Geology Open House from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27, on the second floor of Grote Hall. The free event is open to all ages and will feature rocks and minerals, fossils, GIS applications, stream table and landslide demonstrations, ground-penetrating radar, rock thin sections viewed through a petrographic microscope, an interactive topography table and opportunities to make your own fossils.

The Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science will host its fall 2026 seminar series beginning Monday, Aug. 31. Seminars are held every Monday from 12:40-1:35 p.m. in Holt Hall, Room 229, and are open to all.

House Calls, an Enrollment Management and Student Affairs initiative created to help ease the transition for students experiencing challenges or having questions about life on campus, returns Tuesday, Sept. 1, from 5-8 p.m. Orientation will be held at 5 p.m. in the University Center Tennessee Room, then moves to University halls from 6-8 p.m.

Interested in studying abroad, have already studied abroad or just want free food and swag? Join the Center for Global Education for its biggest event of the year from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2, in the University Center Tennessee Room.

Meet study abroad alumni, program providers, campus departments and the Center for Global Education team to learn about the many opportunities available to study abroad.

Kickoff times and promotions have been announced for the Chattanooga Mocs’ 2026 home football schedule at Finley Stadium:

The Gary W. Rollins College of Business will hold virtual information sessions for the Master of Business Administration, MS Management, MS Data Analytics, Business Analytics Certificate, and Master of Accountancy graduate programs. The Rollins College of Business graduate programs provide flexible course options and exclusive career support resources to elevate your education and advance your career. 

UTC students from all majors are invited to participate in the Chancellor’s Tartan Challenge, a collaborative design competition to create a tartan inspired by UTC’s history, people and future. Participants will work in teams through a series of hands-on workshops to research, design and pitch original tartan concepts. No textile or design experience is required.

The challenge begins with a launch and mixer on Friday, Sept. 11, followed by a studio work day on Friday, Sept. 25, and a final pitch day on Friday, Oct. 2. Meetings will take place from 12:30-2:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center Lobby. Lunch will be provided at the kickoff event, and each member of the winning team will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

Faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to the 2026 Dr. Richard Gruetzemacher Constitution Day Lecture featuring political thinker and author Yuval Levin.

Drawing from his book “American Covenant,” Levin will discuss how the U.S. Constitution was designed to help a diverse nation navigate disagreement and how its principles of debate, compromise and self-government can help address today’s political and civic divisions. Levin is director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, editor of National Affairs and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times.

The lecture begins at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15, in the University Center Auditorium. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Click here to register. For more information, contact Dr. Josh Ammons.

The UTC LIVE! season opens Thursday, Sept. 17, with jazz pianist Benny Green performing a benefit concert for WUTC-FM 88.1 in the UTC Fine Arts Center’s Roland Hayes Concert Hall. Born in New York City and raised in Berkeley, California, Green began performing professionally as a child and later worked with Betty Carter, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Freddie Hubbard and the Ray Brown Trio. He also recorded with Oscar Peterson and Diana Krall and has continued leading his own trio and recording as a bandleader.

Known for bringing noted artists to campus who are outside the mainstream, UTC LIVE! will present jazz, Danish folk music, a historically informed Beethoven program and a marimba recital, with most of the season taking place in Cadek Hall’s 217-seat recital hall—a space especially well suited for piano, jazz and other acoustic performances. The smaller setting also brings audiences closer to the stage, allowing eye contact between performers and audience members.

The Department of Communication will launch “Common Ground,” a new civic communication series exploring the intersection of trust and community, with events scheduled this fall in the Roland Hayes Concert Hall.

The series will feature nationally recognized scholars whose work has shaped conversations around civic engagement and social infrastructure:

Both events are free and open to the public. Faculty, students and community members are encouraged to attend. Faculty interested in hosting guest visits or small group discussions with the speakers can contact Brandon Bouchillon for more information.

Undergraduate Admissions announced its fall 2026 recruitment event schedule. Faculty and staff are encouraged to save the dates and help spread the word to prospective students and families

Mocs Give Day returns on Tuesday, Oct. 6, bringing the UTC community together for a 24-hour online giving challenge in support of current and future Mocs. Alumni, students, faculty, staff, families and friends can make an impact through gifts that strengthen scholarships, programs and opportunities across campus. Every gift tells a story, and every gift helps shape the future of UTC. Learn more at mocsgiveday.utc.edu.

Campus Updates

Scrappy and more than 50 student-athletes and coaches volunteered at the Hamilton County Back to School Bash earlier this month, helping the UTC community surpass 1,600 volunteer hours for the year.

Keep submitting your volunteer hours and photos through the 1886 Challenge page. You can also view all submitted photos in the photo gallery at the bottom of the 1886 Challenge page.

The 1886 Challenge calls on faculty, staff and students to collectively contribute 18,860 hours of community service during the 2026-27 academic year. The initiative highlights service already taking place across the University through volunteer work, mentoring, service-learning and outreach.

This fall, students returning to campus will find a streamlined Mocs Express route designed to get them around UTC more quickly and provide convenient access to available parking.

The shuttle system, run in partnership with the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA), has been serving UTC for more than a decade and is free to all students, faculty and staff with a Mocs ID. All Mocs Express buses are ADA accessible. Click here for more information.

Student Outreach and Support (SOS) and Scrappy’s Cupboard have moved to the University Center, Room 302, on the third floor. SOS is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Scrappy’s Cupboard is open from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. to support students throughout the semester.

The Office for Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor (URaCE) has several opportunities for students and faculty this fall.

The UTC Campus Orchestra is seeking violin, viola and cello players for the fall semester. Whether you’ve been playing for years or simply want to continue making music, the orchestra offers an opportunity to perform, connect with fellow musicians and keep your skills sharp. No audition is required; a skill evaluation will take place during the first class.

The orchestra meets from 2:30-4:05 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Cadek Hall, Room 200. The first rehearsal is Thursday, Aug. 27.

Our Microsoft 365 environment will soon include a new feature to help keep your inbox free of clutter by automatically redirecting graymail to a separate “Promotions” folder. Graymail is email from legitimate senders that you may have signed up to receive but do not regularly read. Examples include emails from vendors, store promotions, newsletters and advertisements.

The new Promotions folder will automatically appear in Outlook once the feature is enabled in late August. For easy access, add the folder to your Favorites list or move it closer to the top of your folder list. For more information on this new feature and tips for managing your email, click here.

Gold Fridays continue to gain momentum across campus, with the Bursar’s Office showing its Mocs spirit last week. Pictured are Michael Warren, Marietta Song, Kim Williams, Kelly Griffin, Joel Nitsch, Janice Cosey, Natalee Boone, Annette Morrison and Vanasia Parks.

Gold Fridays are a new tradition inviting all UTC faculty, staff and students to wear gold and show their Mocs pride every Friday throughout the year. Be sure to submit your group photos by clicking here so they can be featured and celebrated in future Gold Friday highlights.

A new DASH TDX Training Hub is now available, providing a centralized resource designed to support the campus community.

The Training Hub brings together knowledge and expertise from multiple departments to create a single location for training and support resources. Whether you’re new to DASH or looking for guidance on specific processes, the hub provides easy access to:

The Training Hub will continue to evolve as new information, enhancements and training materials become available. Faculty and staff are encouraged to bookmark the site, refer to it whenever assistance is needed and share it with colleagues across campus. Feedback is also welcome as the Training Hub continues to grow and improve.

The Department of Physical Therapy, Nutrition and Dietetics Program and the Center for Wellbeing have teamed up for the third interdisciplinary wellness program, the Mocs Wellness Initiative, for full-time UTC faculty and staff. The Mocs Wellness Initiative is part of a research project approved by the UTC Institutional Review Board.

The program runs September 2026-April 2027, with weekly training on Thursdays from 3:30-5:15 p.m. It may be especially beneficial for employees managing a new health diagnosis, such as high blood pressure or pre-diabetes/diabetes, or those looking for support in building sustainable healthy habits.

The cost is $100 for employees earning less than $50,000 annually. Employees earning $50,000 or more pay the $200 ARC membership fee. Prior participants are not eligible, and space is limited.

UTC will kick off a yearlong celebration of its 140th anniversary on Founder’s Day, Sept. 15, honoring the University’s history while highlighting its continued impact on Chattanooga and beyond.

As part of the celebration, the campus community is invited to participate in two anniversary initiatives:

Additional information about Founder’s Week events, the anniversary initiatives and ways to participate will be shared in the coming weeks.

Have a rock, mineral or fossil you’d like identified? The UTC Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science is hosting free identification nights every Monday from 5-7 p.m. on the first floor of Grote Hall (701 Vine St.).

Visitors should enter through the double doors on the exterior of the building. Free parking is available in Lot 10 after 5 p.m.

Registration is now open for Chattanooga Connect 2026, the UTC Research Institute’s (UTCRI) third annual conference that brings together leaders from government, industry, academia and entrepreneurship to explore the future of transportation, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and connected mobility.

Hosted Sept. 14-16 in Chattanooga, Chattanooga Connect will convene national experts, researchers, policymakers and industry leaders to share how emerging technologies are moving beyond research and pilot projects into real-world deployment. The three-day event will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, networking opportunities, technology demonstrations and collaborative discussions focused on advancing practical, scalable solutions to some of today’s most pressing infrastructure and mobility challenges.

All aboard the UTC train! Did you know UTC has a custom train? This unique piece of campus history is available for campus and community events.

From parades, pep rallies, tailgates and more, the UTC train could bring the ultimate blue and gold energy to your next activity. To request the train for an event or to volunteer to become an official conductor, email Laura Snyder.

The Working Families Tax Cuts Act of 2025 includes significant changes to federal student aid programs for enrollment periods beginning on or after July 1, 2026. Updates include new federal loan borrowing limits for students and parents, a new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), changes to Pell Grant eligibility and revisions to FAFSA need analysis.

UTC has launched a dedicated resource page with information about the legislation and its potential impact on students. The page will be updated as additional guidance becomes available. Faculty and staff are encouraged to review the website regularly for the latest information.

Want to learn more about the Mosaic Program? The Mosaic team is visiting departments across campus to share program updates, introduce new staff members and answer questions about supporting UTC’s neurodiverse community—all while bringing cookies.

Departments interested in hosting a Cookies and Conversation session can scan the QR code on the flyer to schedule a visit.

As artificial intelligence becomes a bigger part of day-to-day work across industries, the UTC Center for Professional Education will offer two online programs in September to help working professionals build practical AI skills for different needs and experience levels.

The two offerings are AI Essentials with Prompting, a live online workshop scheduled for Sept. 15 and Sept. 17, and CompTIA Security AI+ Certification Prep, an eight-week live online course that begins Sept. 19. Together, the programs give learners two entry points into AI-related professional development: one focused on broad workplace fluency, productivity and responsible use, and one designed for cybersecurity professionals working in a threat environment increasingly shaped by AI. Click here for more information or to register.

Love to read? The UTC Book Club invites faculty, staff and students to connect through monthly book discussions and shared reading. Building on the success of the campus group, a new community initiative—Chatty Book Club—will launch in August with the goal of bringing readers across Chattanooga together through a shared monthly book selection, discussion questions and local meetups. Follow the UTC Book Club and Chatty Book Club on Instagram for updates.

The National Science Foundation Noyce Track 2 fellowship project is accepting applications from STEM-degreed professionals to prepare to teach secondary mathematics and science through the Master of Education degree program. Please contact Deborah McAllister or click this link for project details.

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The fall 2026 meal plan change request deadline is Sunday, Sept. 6. Students may now request a meal plan change by emailing MOCSCARD@UTC.EDU. Remember to include your UTC ID number and the eligible meal plan you would like for the Fall 2026 semester.

Any requests received after Sunday, Sept. 6, will not be accepted. Meal plan eligibility is based on EARNED credit hours. The University classifies undergraduate students as freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors according to the number of credit hours the student has completed: freshman (0-29 semester hours), sophomore (30-59 semester hours), junior (60-89 semester hours) and senior (90 or more semester hours).

The Meal Plans are listed by student classification. Please refer to this link for that information.

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UTC Choruses has openings for tenor and bass singers for the upcoming academic year, with scholarship opportunities available for select positions.

Openings are available in the UTC Chamber Singers and Orpheus Chorale. The Chamber Singers is an advanced, auditioned ensemble with a history of regional, national and international touring. Auditions take approximately 10 minutes and include a brief vocal selection, range check and sight-reading. Students interested in auditioning can contact Kevin Ford to schedule a time.

Students can also join Chattanooga Singers (MUS 0020) or Orpheus Chorale (MUS 0027), both of which are open to all experience levels and do not require an audition. All ensembles are offered for one credit or zero credit, allowing flexibility for students with varying course loads.

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An Academic Meeting Professionals Conference will take place Aug. 27-28 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, offering professional development and networking opportunities for meeting and event planners across the University of Tennessee System.

Designed specifically for UT employees, the conference features sessions focused on event planning, logistics, budgeting, communication, vendor management and guest experience. Attendees will hear from industry professionals, including Dollywood experts, and have the opportunity to connect with UT colleagues and a range of vendors. Click here to register.

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The Counseling Center has partnered with Parkridge Mental Health Therapy Center to offer extended services on the UTC campus. Parkridge at UTC is open from 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and offers individual therapy, group therapy and intensive outpatient services for students, faculty and staff.

The Parkridge Mental Health Therapy Center is located off the UC Foundation Apartments courtyard (Suite 5217). To schedule an initial appointment, call 423-468-5213. Students who are already receiving services through the UTC Counseling Center are encouraged to speak with their provider about whether Parkridge at UTC is a good fit for their needs.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Athletics Department announced in April a multi-year extension of its successful apparel partnership with Adidas through BSN SPORTS. An exciting benefit of this renewed partnership is that all University departments and campus organizations can now purchase adidas apparel directly through BSN SPORTS at discounted pricing.

Whether you are outfitting your department, student organization or campus event, BSN SPORTS can help with customized adidas apparel and promotional products. This partnership with Adidas is an option for campus organizations to use, but it is not required. Items purchased through BSN help the athletics program reach benchmarks that unlock additional benefits as part of the agreement.

For assistance with orders or to learn more about available products and pricing, please contact our BSN SPORTS representative, Garrett Ferrel, at 765-652-4052. The athletics department looks forward to expanding the benefits of this partnership across campus while continuing to strengthen the Mocs brand through adidas and BSN SPORTS.

UTC Newsroom

Hundreds of first-time UTC students were loudly welcomed and celebrated at McKenzie Arena. The annual Convocation brought together new freshmen, transfer students and graduate students for an energetic introduction to UTC featuring performances by the Marching Mocs, Ladies of Gold and Spirit Squad.

As students arrived in cars packed from top to bottom, volunteer students, staff, faculty and administrators in bright gold shirts stood ready to help move vacuum cleaners, shoe racks and everything else a residence hall room might need.

Operation Move In is an annual UTC event that helps students move to campus. The campus wide effort brings together students, faculty, staff and administrators to ease the transition and introduce new students to classmates and the people of UTC.

Going to college marks many firsts for college students—including seeing a healthcare provider or scheduling an appointment on their own for the first time.

From quiet study spaces to collaborative areas with board games and computers, as well as equipment and resources for exploring all types of multimodal media, the UTC Library offers something for every kind of student.

WUTC

Northwest Georgia band Bettin’ on the Mule joins Clark Gibson for the latest episode of WUTC’s “Live in the Library.” The Rockmart-based band, known for its blend of Southern rock, classic rock and country, performs songs from its Riverfront Nights appearance in a session recorded at the Chattanooga Public Library.

August 25-31, 2026

UTC News | UTC Events Calendar | Campus Updates | In the Media

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Highlights

WELCOME TO WEEKS OF WELCOME

ADD YOUR MOCS ID TO YOUR PHONE

ACCESS YOUR OUTLOOK EMAIL

Get your textbooks with MocsBooks

Student Access Pass Now Available

Measles: What you need to know

SEND IN YOUR INFORMATION FOR THE UTC PARENT AND FAMILY ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

Outstanding People of UTC

Mark Your Calendar

Campus Updates

UTC Newsroom

WUTC