December 16, 2025-January 6, 2026
Updates and news for the week of December 16, 2025-January 6, 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.
Highlights
Happy New Year from your friends in the Division of Communications and Marketing!
Wishing you a happy holiday break and a wonderful start to 2026. This is the final Campus Weekly of 2025. Weekly Tuesday morning emails will return on Jan. 6.
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Congratulations to the Class of ’25!
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Click here for UTC photographer Angela Foster’s fall 2025 commencement Flickr photo gallery. Click here for UTC Commencement 2025 stories.
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Submit your events for Winter Welcome Week
Help welcome our new and returning students to the start of the semester by submitting your events to the 2026 Winter Welcome calendar online. Winter Welcome 2026 will be Jan. 12-16. 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 2026 Winter Welcome calendar is noon on Friday, Jan. 2.
Email Laura Petrus with questions.
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Residential Meal Plan Portal Now Open
The Manage My Housing portal is open until 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 4, for students to change their spring 2026 residential meal plan. Meal plan eligibility is based on earned credit hours. If your fall 2025 credits will change your student classification, please wait until final grades are submitted 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 click here for that information.
Outstanding People of UTC
xxx Mina Sartipi (pictured) …
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Check out these Mocs in the news:
- Counselor Education Program Clinical Coordinator Tyler Oberheim and Center for Wellbeing Director Megan McKnight joined Jed & JR Mornings to discuss gambling and sports betting.
- Center for Regional Economic Research Director Howard Wall talked about a report on car repossessions on an episode of Jed & JR Mornings.
- University Health Services Nurse Practitioner Jordan Jacobs spoke to Jed & JR Mornings about skin health.
- A Teknovation.biz article discussed Jermaine Freeman’s appointment to UTC as executive director of economic and workforce development.
Mark Your Calendar
 Cavarius Liddie (photo credit: Ray Soldano/gomocs.com) Upcoming Mocs home athletics calendar:
- Friday, Dec. 19: Women’s Basketball vs. Western Kentucky, McKenzie Arena, 6 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 29: Mocs Club Chat With the Mocs, Miller’s Ale House (Hixson), 96.1 FM, 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, Dec. 30: Women’s Basketball vs. Southern Wesleyan (S.C.), McKenzie Arena, 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Jan. 3: Wrestling—Southern Scuffle, McKenzie Arena, all day
- Sunday, Jan. 4: Wrestling—Southern Scuffle, McKenzie Arena, all day
- Monday, Jan. 5: Mocs Club Chat With the Mocs, Miller’s Ale House (Hixson), 96.1 FM, 7 p.m.
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The Lookout Wild Film Festival (LWFF) is coming to the UTC Fine Arts Center’s Roland Hayes Concert Hall Jan. 15-18.
LWFF presents stories of diverse people who seek, explore and protect wild places. Across four days and seven screening blocks, the festival will showcase thrilling outdoor adventures, environmental stories and character-driven films from around the world. Whether you’re into climbing, paddling, mountain biking, conservation or simply discovering something new with friends, there’s a block of films for you. Click here to watch the 2026 festival trailer.
Students can purchase tickets and passes at LWFF.org or through the Fine Arts Center box office, open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students should use the code LWFF2026 for discounted pricing. Come for one block or make a weekend of it to see why Chattanooga’s own outdoor film festival has become a winter tradition.
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Career Connections invites on-campus employers to participate in a part-time job fair during Winter Welcome Week. The event will take place from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, in the University Center Tennessee Room.
The fair is an opportunity to meet students seeking part-time, on-campus positions and to bring new talent into your department. On-campus employers interested in participating can contact Community and Employer Relations Specialist Jillian Duke for registration details.
Campus Updates
Beginning today (Dec. 9), there will be a temporary change to the accessible pedestrian route between Founder’s Hall, Fletcher Hall, Race Hall and the UTC Library. Hoar Construction will extend fencing around two electrical manholes to complete critical work over the holiday break.
An accessible path will be provided via the Bretske Hall ramp. Updated fencing, temporary sidewalks near Race Hall and the new accessible route are shown on the attached plan.
- Blue indicates the updated fence line.
- Red shows temporary sidewalks near Race Hall.
- Green marks the new accessible route to and from the Library via the Bretske Hall ramp.
All paths are expected to reopen before students return to campus.
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In August, the UTC campus experienced a criminal act intended to cause disruption, chaos and trauma. While similar incidents have impacted other institutions across the country, UTC was among the first targeted this academic year—serving as a reminder of the importance of preparedness and collective resilience.
At the direction of University administration, UTC will now require mandatory Active Violence Response Training for all regular full-time employees (faculty and staff) and affiliated staff (Aramark, Barnes & Noble and Canon). This marks the first year the training is mandatory for the campus community.
To assist in delivering the program, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) has partnered with Defend Systems, a life safety and security consulting firm specializing in active shooter response and emergency preparedness. The training will focus on emergency awareness, critical response actions and strategies that improve survivability. Click here to register for a session.
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The Office of Research Integrity has announced a new go-live date for DASH Research IRB: Feb. 16. Below are key deadlines to support the transition to the new submission system.
- Monday, Jan. 5: Investigators are encouraged to submit new IRB applications by this date, though there is no formal cut-off.
- Monday, Jan. 12: For studies expiring before Feb. 28, investigators who plan to continue the study should submit an Application for Changes by this date to avoid a lapse in approval.
- Monday, Jan. 19: The IRB recommends returning any pending revisions by this date to allow adequate review time.
- Tuesday, Jan. 27: Only IRB submissions that are fully approved by 5 p.m. will be moved into DASH Research IRB. Any submissions not approved by that time must be resubmitted in the new system after go-live.
- Monday, Feb. 16: All new IRB applications must be submitted through the DASH Research IRB module.
For questions or assistance, contact Baley Whary at irb@utc.edu or 423-425-5867.
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In January, the University will transition its room reservation software from EMS to 25Live. To accommodate this transition, there will be some reservation availability changes in EMS in the coming weeks.
- Users will no longer be able to reserve space in EMS for any meetings or events happening after Saturday, Feb. 28. Reservations for dates past Feb. 28 can be made in the new system once it goes live in January.
- Sunday, Dec. 14, will be the last date to submit reservations through the EMS web portal. For last-minute space needs between Dec. 15-19, users can reach out to the department that manages the space. General inquiries about space reservations can be sent to spaces@utc.edu.
The EMS reservation shutdown on Dec. 14 will allow existing 2026 reservations to be moved into 25Live. The ability to make new reservations for spring 2026 will resume when 25Live launches campus-wide on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Further information and training resources will be shared in the coming weeks to support users during the transition to the new system.
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UTC Veteran and Military Affairs has partnered with BJ’s Wholesale Club in Hixson to support the Holiday for Heroes campaign. The goal is to reach 200 memberships and raise funds for veteran and military-connected students as part of the Holiday for Heroes event series.
Participants can receive a discounted BJ’s membership while giving back to UTC Veteran and Military Affairs. To join, scan the QR code or click the flyer link, or call 800-313-8887 and use group code 827042 to ensure your sign-up counts toward UTC’s campaign.
Sign up here by Jan. 30 to secure pre-club opening discounts. Spread the word—every membership helps support our veterans.
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Support a survivor and help protect the planet at the same time. The UTC Police Department is collecting used cell phones, tablets, laptops and other small electronic devices—working or not—to be securely wiped and either recycled or refurbished for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.
Through a partnership with the 911 Cell Phone Bank, refurbished devices are provided with two months of prepaid service at no cost to the victim, with low-cost renewal options available afterward. So far this year, more than 90 victims, advocates and forensic nurses in Hamilton County have received phones, laptops and iPads through this program.
Donations can be dropped off anytime in the UTC Police Department lobby, open 24/7.
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If you’ve ever spotted a pale pink or brown lizard clinging to the wall of a building, or even hiding out in a sink, you’re not alone. These small reptiles with banded tails and padded toes are Mediterranean house geckos, a non-native species that has quietly made its home in Chattanooga for nearly two decades. This includes many buildings at UTC.
If you have spotted a Mediterranean house gecko, click here to report the sighting.
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Housing and Residence Life is looking for resident assistants for the spring 2026 academic semester and the 2026-2027 academic year. RAs are students who work and live in the residence halls to provide resources, programs and support to their fellow students. This position offers free housing, a meal plan and a stipend. Being an RA is a great way to get involved on campus and develop transferable skills for your future career. Visit utc.edu/ra to learn more.
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The R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) Program is a national self-defense course that focuses on awareness, prevention, risk reduction and realistic hands-on training. Classes are taught by certified UTC Police and Public Safety instructors.
- Free for students, faculty and staff
- No experience necessary
- Emphasis on safety and empowerment
- Offered multiple times throughout the year
Click here or email Marion Perkins to register or learn more.
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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. The 2026-2027 cohort will begin coursework in May 2026. Please contact Deborah McAllister or click this link for project details.
UTC Newsroom
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Here are some other recent UTC stories featured in the Newsroom:
WUTC
On this episode of WUTC’s “Scenic Roots,” listen to student storytellers of UTC’s Rising Rock class.
IN Memoriam
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xxx. A full obituary is available here.
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This section is reserved for memorial announcements of current and former UTC employees as the Office of Communications and Marketing becomes aware. To publish an announcement, a publicly available obituary must be provided. Please send any announcements to Vice Chancellor JAy Blackman at jay-blackman@utc.edu.
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