December 10-16, 2024

Updates and news for the week of December 10-16, 2024

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-l-schultz@utc.edu or chuck-wasserstrom@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

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Highlights

Congratulations to our Graduates!

UTC will celebrate its 264th commencement this week with two ceremonies at McKenzie Arena. Together, the ceremonies will recognize approximately 730 undergraduates and 130 graduate students earning their degrees this fall.

• The Graduate School commencement will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13. Suzanne Forlidas, a two-time UTC alumna (’75, ’87) and member of the UC Foundation Board of Trustees, will deliver the graduation charge.
• The undergraduate commencement ceremony for all UTC colleges is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. Dr. Ken Grubbs, also a two-time graduate of UTC (’97, ’20) and a distinguished leader in health care, will serve as the featured speaker.

Graduates being celebrated include:

• Sociology major Braden Stillwell, who—during his time at UTC—started a sociology club, was vice president of the Student Government Association and was elected homecoming king this October.
• Jeremiah Taylor served as a tour guide, president of the Eta Beta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, president of National Society of Black Engineers, and participated in several other campus organizations and activities.
• Economics major Aria Beloate, whose “gateway” decision of signing up for SGA as a freshman opened the door to countless opportunities.
• Carter Graham, completing bachelor’s degrees in both communication and business administration: management, whose career path took a turn after learning about a sports writing course.
• Andrew Hester and Lauren Evans, members of UTC’s first Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Anesthesia cohort, will graduate after three years of rigorous work in the program and participating in a mission trip to Honduras.

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Gold Cords for Graduating Seniors

To all our fall 2024 graduating Mocs, congratulations from UTC Advancement. As your status advances from student to alumnus, you have the opportunity to create a lasting impact here at UTC. By donating just $5 or more, you can receive an exclusive Gold Cord to wear at commencement that signifies your commitment to future Mocs.

This small donation can go a long way in helping to fund scholarships and enhance programs all over campus. Plus, wearing the gold cord at commencement will set you apart as a proud UTC supporter. Donate today and leave a legacy for future students at your alma mater. Students can pick up their gold cord at the Alumni House (551 Oak St.) weekdays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

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Nominate Award-Winning Alums

Chancellor Steve Angle and Vice Chancellor Kim White present Lily Sanchez (‘16) with the 2024 GOLD Excellence Award.

The 2025 Distinguished Alumni, Outstanding Service and GOLD Excellence Award nomination forms are live. If you know an alumnus/a who is exemplary in their field, someone who champions UTC with their time and talents or a newer graduate making early strides in their career, nominate them today. More information and simplified nomination links can be found at alumni.utc.edu/awards. The deadline for nominations is Jan. 31.

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A message from the office of the bursar

The Bursar’s Office has begun the process for spring 2025 fee payment. The first E-Mocs statements were available on Nov. 20 for registered students. Fee payment for spring 2025 is due this Thursday, Dec. 12. Cancellation for non-payment for registered students will occur at noon on Monday, Dec. 16.

It is important to check your MyMocsNet account frequently for updates and notifications. Your statement questions may be directed to the Bursar Office team at 423-425-4781 or via email at bursars-office@utc.edu.

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Update your residential meal plan

The Manage My Housing portal will be open until Wednesday, Jan. 1, for students to change their spring 2025 residential meal plans. Meal plan eligibility is based on earned credit hours. If your fall 2024 credits will change your student classification, please wait until final grades are posted before you attempt to make a change.

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
• 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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2025 is just around the corner

The final Campus Weekly newsletter of 2024 hits email boxes next Tuesday (Dec. 17).

• There will be an abbreviated edition of the newsletter going to campus on Thursday, Jan. 2.
• Campus Weekly will resume its weekly Tuesday morning cycle starting Jan. 7.

Outstanding People of UTC

UC Foundation Associate Professor Trevor Elliott and Associate Professor Reetesh Ranjan have earned national recognition from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)—the world’s largest aerospace technical society.

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Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Executive Director of the UC Foundation Kim White, who previously decided to transition into a new role in 2025, has agreed to continue as vice chancellor to ensure the continuity of UTC fundraising efforts at this critical time. She will remain in her role until a new UTC chancellor is named.

Dr. Jerold L. Hale, UTC provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, announced the appointment of Dr. Michael Jones as interim dean for the Rollins College of Business.

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Dr. Tammy Garland’s “Introduction to Community Engagement” class brought first-year students to the Dodds Avenue YMCA.

“A Moc’s First Year” officially launched during the fall semester, and first-time, first-year UTC students explored what the city of Chattanooga has to offer. The University initiated the new program with the intention of building learning communities to ease the transition of first-time students into college while creating a community with fellow students.

The initial semester of “A Moc’s First Year” included:

• 986 first-year UTC students participating in the first-year experience
• 95 faculty and staff instructors
• 43 unique topics with 51 sections
• dozens of opportunities to engage with the Chattanooga community

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Check out these Mocs in the news:

• Assistant history professor Mark Johnson discussed holiday traditions in Appalachia for a Times Free Press piece co-written by UTC senior communication major Mason Edwards.
• Center for Regional Economic Research Director Howard Wall appeared on WGOW (FM 102.3)’s Jed and JR Mornings to talk about the possible effects of imposing broad tariffs on imported goods.

Mark Your Calendar

Photo courtesy of Ray Soldano/GoMocs.com

Upcoming Mocs home athletics calendar:

• Sunday, Dec. 15: Men’s basketball vs. Alabama A&M, McKenzie Arena, 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 18: Men’s basketball vs. Tennessee Wesleyan, McKenzie Arena, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 21: Women’s basketball vs. Salem (West Virginia) University, 2 p.m.

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The Math Kangaroo 2025 Competition is open to students in grades one through 12 and will be held at UTC at 5:30 p.m. on March 20. Information about the competition can be found on the Math Kangaroo website at https://mathkangaroo.org or https://mathkangaroo.org/mks/.

The deadline for registration is approaching quickly. Regular registration will end on Dec. 31. Late registration comes with an increased registration fee. Click here to register.

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Help the Office of Student and Family Engagement welcome our new and returning students to the start of the semester by submitting your events to the 2025 Winter Welcome calendar online. Winter Welcome 2025 will be Jan. 6-10. If you are hosting an event or program during the first week of classes, please consider submitting your event to the official calendar found on the Winter Welcome website.

• To submit an event, please complete this form
• The deadline to submit events for the 2025 Winter Welcome calendar is noon on Friday, Jan. 3.

Email laura-petrus@utc.edu with questions. Check out our current calendar online to see events already planned for this week.

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The campus community is invited to join bi-weekly sessions of a forum to discuss select topics in Quantum Information Science and Engineering in which important developments are underway at UTC or elsewhere. All sessions are from 4-5 p.m. in Lupton Hall Room 389. For more information, visit utc.edu/research/quantum-center.

The series resumes in 2025 on these dates: Jan. 9, Jan. 23, Feb. 6 and Feb. 20. Details on topics will be shared as soon as they are finalized.

Campus Updates

The Staff Senate will represent non-exempt and exempt staff on campus and is intended to be one of unity and cooperation. Our shared goals are to consider methods and means by which employment conditions may be improved at UTC, to receive and consider matters concerning working conditions of membership, to make such recommendations it deems appropriate to promote and support the strategic goals and vision of UTC, and to provide a means of communicating problems of mutual concern to the Chancellor’s Strategy Team, formerly the Executive Leadership Team.

Furthermore, the Staff Senate will not include faculty (currently represented separately by the Faculty Senate) or members of the Chancellor’s Strategy Team; however, the voice of the Employee Relations Committee will continue to be present through the Staff Senate’s subcommittee for ERC. The Chair of the ERC will also hold a seat on and be a voting member of the Staff Senate’s Executive Committee.

We are excited to have a Staff Senate as it will allow us to sit, listen, share and learn about the concerns our various areas and roles face and work collectively toward solutions. We encourage you to be involved in the process, to ask questions, to share problems and to brainstorm ways for us to do better. We are truly one team, and our Staff Senate will highlight our collective power.

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As we go into the holiday break and the New Year, things can be incredibly stressful, whether lonely and isolated or overwhelmed by difficult family members. Although challenging, setting boundaries with family members (physical, emotional, intellectual, political, time, etc) can be beneficial.

• Value your time and ask others to do the same. Whether you have a prior commitment during a family gathering or can only attend an event until a certain time, setting clear boundaries on your time helps build mutual understanding.
• Learn to say no. Saying yes when you really want to say no impacts your self-esteem and self-respect and can eventually lead to conflict and resentment.
• Identify and avoid triggers such as behavior-altering substances, inappropriate topics of conversation, and points of contention that lead to conflict.
• Take a direct and kind approach. If you clearly and calmly explain your stance regarding troubling family behavior and the behavior stays the same, you may need to consider more drastic measures for enforcing your boundaries.
• Set realistic expectations for relationships. People engaging in toxic behavior are often resistant to change. It may come to a point to distance yourself from these family members.

Instagram: utc_cw

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UTC Mocs Mail and Print Center can now only accept departmental account charges and Scrappy Cash payments. Due to a UT System policy change, we will no longer be able to accept cash or checks. We apologize for the late notice relative to this policy change.

If you are a UTC student or employee, please add Scrappy Cash (using a credit card) to your Mocs Card using the following instructions:  

1. Go to https://get.cbord.com/utc/
2. Log in to GET with your UTC ID and password
3. Select Add Funds
4. Enter your payment method

If you are a non-UTC community member, funds can be added to a guest card to be used at the Mocs Mail and Print Center as well as campuswide. Guest cards are available at the Print Center located in the Administration Building, Room 208 (400 Palmetto St.). For questions, please contact Print Services at 423-425-4092.

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Register and reserve your spot for the 2025 UT Innovative Technologies Symposium, taking place Jan. 28-29 at the Knoxville Convention Center.

Hosted by the Office of Innovative Technologies, this two-day symposium will focus on our everyday IT challenges, shared interests, honed skills, and newfound passions. Together, we aim to foster innovative IT solutions, expand knowledge, and form strategic collaborations that can significantly impact the University of Tennessee system. We encourage anyone from the entire UT System to participate, present, and attend.

• Event Registration
• Lodging information for attendees traveling to the symposium is available on the registration site and the symposium website: https://oit.utk.edu/general/ut-itsymposium/.

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The Survivor Advocacy Services, a program within the Center for Women and Gender Equity, is partnering with the Office of Title IX compliance on our “Don’t Cancel Your Class” initiative. Rather than canceling your class when you have a time conflict (conference, scheduled time off, etc.), consider using it as an opportunity for your students to learn about resources for survivors of gender-based violence. 

The educational sessions can be offered in person or virtually when professors are needing to cancel class or bring in a guest speaker. The objective of these programs is to educate students about resources for survivors, connect them with advocates and facilitate discussions about the chosen topic. We can discuss adapting presentations to a topic not listed if that better suits your class. Use this link to request a presentation.

The topics include:

• Overview of Gender-Based Violence
• Realities of Gender-Based Violence
• Rape Culture
• Media Impacts on Gender-Based Violence
• Gender-Based Violence in the LGBTQ+ Community
• Supporting Survivors
• Consent
• Healthy Relationships

UTC Newsroom

Approximately 15 minutes southwest of the UTC campus sits Raccoon Mountain Caverns, a complex cave system known for its extensive underground formations, diverse ecosystem and educational caving tours that showcase the geological wonders of the region. It is also UTC’s newest classroom and research laboratory.

• This recent gift acquisition marks a new chapter in research opportunities for both faculty and students, but it’s not a new story for UTC students and researchers who have already delved into the wonders of the cave. Over the years, numerous students have conducted research or taken up roles in managing and exploring the caverns.
• Michael Schoonover, who received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2016, performed grant-funded research at Raccoon Mountain Caverns during the 2015-2016 academic year with UTC microbiologist David Giles. Schoonover, who received a Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Wingate University in North Carolina, is now a physician assistant based in Knoxville, Tennessee.

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Although Pollianna Moshenskiy is technically in her first semester as a freshman at UTC, she is already ahead of many of her peers. Thanks to Tennessee Valley Early College at Cleveland State Community College—a program that allows students to earn an associate degree while completing high school—Moshenskiy graduated from Cleveland High School last spring with both a diploma and a degree in hand.

WUTC

The Wildwoods—a band that describes itself as “a journey through the heart of American roots music”—joined Richard Winham for an episode of “Live in the Library” on WUTC-FM 88.1.