Updates and news for the week of January 17 – 23, 2023

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 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.

Campus Updates  |  University Events Master Calendar  |  UTC News

Learn about “A Moc’s First Year”

More than one dozen Roadshow sessions have been scheduled over the next few weeks to educate everyone on campus about “A Moc’s First Year” and the upcoming SACSCOC On-Site Review Team visit. Sessions taking place this week in the UTC Library Southern Writers Room include:

  • Wednesday (Jan. 18), 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
  • Thursday (Jan. 19), 1:30 p.m.
  • Monday (Jan. 23), 3 p.m.

“A Moc’s First Year” is intended to increase retention and graduation of first-time, full-time freshmen and will connect a variety of current and new initiatives, culminating in a centralized learning community model. The approach is intended to increase student and faculty interaction, the sense of community on campus, new UTC students’ connection to Chattanooga, and overall UTC student success.

It’s Time for a House Call

Housing and Residence Life invites staff volunteers to help with its House Calls initiative to welcome student residents. The event is designed to help student residents engage with campus leaders, faculty and staff.  

House Calls will take place from noon-4 p.m. on Thursday (Jan. 19), beginning with lunch and training at noon. At 1 p.m., volunteers will disperse to the various communities to share campus resources with housing residents.  A small gift of appreciation will be given to the volunteers.

Use the sign-up link to RSVP and participate. Email Sabrina-schroeder@utc.edu with questions.  

February Update: Parent and Family Newsletter

UTC Parent and Family Association newsletter logo

The February issue of the UTC Parent and Family Association newsletter will be emailed to members on Feb. 1.

To share information with the families of UTC students—upcoming events, important deadlines, helpful suggestions and departmental news—email hannah-turcotte@utc.edu by Friday (Jan. 20). The monthly newsletter is distributed to more than 4,600 parents/family members; view a sample newsletter here.

  • Keep info to one paragraph of 200 (or fewer) words.
  • Images or logos to accompany the paragraph may be submitted.

Scrappy Wants You to Submit Events for Scrappy Newsletter

The weekly Scrappy Newsletter is emailed to students to students on Monday mornings during the fall and spring semesters to highlight campus events and announcements/deadlines. All student organizations, University departments and offices are invited to submit events and announcements for the newsletter. The deadline for submissions is 9 a.m. the Friday before an event occurs or the announcement should be made.

  • Events that exist in MocSync with visibility set as “The Public” or “Students and Staff at UTC” will be automatically included in the Scrappy Newsletter each week if they are added by the weekly submission deadline.
  • Events that exist outside of MocSync and announcements/deadlines must be submitted via the Scrappy Newsletter Submission Form by the weekly submission deadline.

Fly for Researchers Pitch Competition

UTC faculty, staff and graduate students from all colleges are invited to apply to pitch their ideas that have the potential to be commercialized or licensed. Register to attend a Zoom session from noon-1 p.m. on Wednesday (Jan. 18) to learn more about the opportunity and the process. The 2022 awardees will also share their experiences and advice.

The Fly for Researchers Pitch Competition will be held on Thursday, April 20, from 3:30-5 p.m. in the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Each selected finalist will give a 5-minute presentation, followed by up to 8 minutes of Q&A. Up to $35,000 in internal grants will be awarded: $20,000 for 1st place; $10,000 for 2nd place; and $5,000 for 3rd place.

Mocs Recovery Open House

Students, faculty and staff are invited to join the Mocs Recovery Program for an open house from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Friday (Jan. 20) in the Mocs Recovery Lounge (University Center Room 154). Attendees will receive a ticket for a free lunch provided by the Korean Bopcha food truck, which will be parked just outside the Recovery Lounge.

Come and learn what the UTC recovery program is all about and how you can get involved.

Center for Wellbeing Open House

Welcome back Mocs! The Center for Wellbeing will hold its spring open house from noon-2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Meet the staff, see the University Center space (Suite 350) and learn about resources and upcoming events. The event will include a taco buffet (with vegan options), a photo booth and affirmation jars to decorate.

Mark your Calendar: UTC Spring Research and Arts Conference

The UTC Spring Research and Arts Conference will take place on April 12.

ReSEARCH Dialogues has been renamed the UTC Spring Research and Arts Conference, with the event taking place April 12 in the University Center. This conference provides a place for students to showcase their academic and creative endeavors. The event will feature displays, presentations and posters from UTC undergrads, graduate students and faculty. Community college students and community partners are also invited to present.

  • The submission deadline for poster/arts, oral and performing arts presentations or to convene a panel is 11 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26.
  • To learn more about the program and to register for the event, visit the UTC Spring Research and Arts Conference page.

Environmental Studies Lecture and Q&A

The UTC Environmental Studies program invites everyone to a lecture on “Deep Time, Climate Change, and Mass Extinction” from visiting scholar Dr. Dan Spencer at 5 p.m. Monday (Jan. 23) in the University Center Raccoon Mountain Room. In his talk, Dr. Spencer explores how the geological discovery of “deep time” has revealed the Earth’s history of climate change and how it relates to periods of mass extinctions of Earth’s forms of life. This history can help us understand the dynamics of species extinction and climate change today and suggest ways to avoid catastrophic environmental change in the future.

For more information, visit www.utc.edu/environmental-studies or e-mail evst@utc.edu.

UTC MLK Day 2023

Prominent educator, author and public speaker Angela Davis will be the keynote speaker for the UTC MLK Day 2023 celebration taking place at 12:30 p.m. next Tuesday (Jan. 24) in the Fine Arts Center’s Roland Hayes Concert Hall. This will be the 10th year of UTC hosting an MLK Day keynote speaker series and the first time in person since 2020.

  • This year’s UTC MLK Day theme is “A Call for Civility.” The discussion and Q&A will be moderated by Dr. Felicia McGhee, associate professor and head of the UTC Department of Communication.
  • Since 2013, UTC has held a special MLK event separate from the federal holiday on a day when students, faculty and staff are on campus.

Saves the Dates: I Love UTC Week 2023

Mark your calendars now for I Love UTC Week 2023, taking place March 20-24. This is a time to celebrate all that makes UTC special. There will be a variety of activities and special events for all members of the Mocs family, whether faculty, staff, student, alumni or friend. The full calendar of events will be shared soon.

If your office is hosting a program during the week of March 20-24 that would be appropriate to include on the I Love UTC Week calendar, email laura-cagle@utc.edu.

The outstanding people of UTC

In collaboration with the University of New Mexico, Dr. Tony Skjellum (pictured) received $237,501 from the National Nuclear Security Administration for the project titled, “Center for Understandable, Performant Exascale Communication Systems.” His award was part of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs’ Q2 FY23 report.

Check out these Mocs making a difference:

ThinkAchieve’s Beyond the Classroom Challenge

Stickers available in UTC Library Room 431

The Beyond the Classroom Challenge is a way for students to jump into a broad variety of free campus and community events, learning more about UTC, Chattanooga and themselves—all based on their own schedules and interests.

Click here to read more and sign up. Participants must sign up each semester to be eligible for that semester’s awards.

Huddle up: Resident Assistant Applications now open

Housing and Residence Life is looking for Resident Assistants for the 2023-2024 academic year. RAs 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 stipend. Being an RA is a great way to get involved on campus and develop transferable skills for your future career.

Information sessions are taking place this week on the following days:

  • Wednesday (Jan. 18), 7:30-8:30 p.m., University Center Signal Mountain Room
  • Thursday (Jan. 19), 3:30-4:30 p.m., University Center Signal Mountain Room

Applications will be open until Friday (Jan. 20) and are available on the Resident Assistant position page. For questions, please contact housingjobs@utc.edu.

GEAR UP Jobs for UTC Students

GEAR UP, a UTC outreach program that helps urban high school students get on track for college, is now accepting applications for tutoring jobs for the spring semester and would love to have you in the mix. Pay for all GEAR UP positions is $15 an hour; click here to apply.

  • Successful applicants will have completed 30 credit hours before the start of the spring 2023 semester; maintain a 2.5 GPA; be enrolled in a University program or have already graduated from one; and have the rare pleasure of celebrating Mardi Gras as part of their workplace duties.
  • Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled, and graduate students are eligible for these positions and are urged to apply.
  • Click here for more information on GEAR UP jobs. Please direct questions to hunter-huckabay@utc.edu.

Calling Out for Nominations!

Do you know a student worker who goes above and beyond in their role on campus? Has a faculty or staff member who supervises student workers contributed to the lives of their students in a positive way? If so, we want to know about them.

The second week of April is National Student Employment Week. UTC will be joining in the festivities this year with the inaugural Student Employee of the Year and Supervisor of the Year Awards.

Nominations are due in MocSync by 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 31. Please direct all questions to Endia-Butler@utc.edu.

Walk 30 Miles in 30 Days

The UTC Employee Step Challenge is taking place Jan. 23-Feb. 21. Everyone who signs up for the challenge and walks 30 miles in 30 days will be entered into a drawing for prizes. To sign up, visit this link or use the QR code above. 

“Play4Kay” Campus Cancer Awareness Event

The UTC women’s basketball team will be sponsoring a “Play4Kay” game Feb. 16 against conference-foe Furman University. The “Play4Kay” initiative was started by former North Carolina State Head Women’s Basketball Coach Kay Yow to bring communities together and honor cancer fighters and survivors in the fight against all cancers affecting women. 

Athletics invites all campus cancer warriors to come to the game to be recognized and honored at halftime. For free tickets, please contact Laura Herron at laura-herron@utc.edu. Please click here for information about the Kay Yow Fund. 

Coming Today: A New-and-Improved UTC Apply Page

The UTC application portal—utc.edu/apply—is getting a refresh.

Familiarize yourself with the refreshed apply page so that you can better answer questions from prospective students about the admissions process.

Campus Updates

Meet-up for Researchers is an opportunity to share research interests and projects with other faculty, staff, and graduate students and learn more about research and innovation happening at UTC. 

The first event of 2023 will take place from 11 a.m.-noon on Friday, Jan. 27, in the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Mapp Building, 2nd floor) featuring Deborah McAllister, a UC Foundation professor in the School of Education who just celebrated her 30th year at UTC. She will talk about her recent projects with pre-service and in-service K-12 teachers, which utilize robotics and drones. Lunch will be provided. Please contact jennifer-skjellum@utc.edu with questions. Register here to attend.

Want to study abroad? Come to a Study Abroad 102 session to find out how to have a global adventure while earning UTC credit. Session dates, times, locations and RSVPs can be found here. This session will allow students to meet with a staff member in order to get their general questions answered and work on choosing the right program that matches their academic, personal and professional goals. Haven’t signed up for the Study Abroad 101 Canvas course yet? Register here before attending a session.

Take Five, UTC’s community-wide reading club, returns on Jan. 24 when Dr. Carl Springer, SunTrust Bank Chair of Excellence in the Humanities and Classical Languages and Literature, presents Luther’s Rome, Rome’s Luther. Always free and open to the public, Take Five sessions take place in the Chattanooga Room of the University Center. Parking is free and a light dinner is served. The books are available at the UTC Bookstore and at any online retailer. No RSVP is needed, so come as you are and bring a friend or two. Future sessions take place Feb. 7, Feb. 28, March 21 and April 4. For any questions, please contact Aaron-Shaheen@utc.edu.

The Honors College invites faculty members from all colleges to submit proposals for special-topics general education seminars to be taught in the 2023-2024 academic year. The Honors College asks faculty to submit classes distinct from those taught in their home departments—classes faculty think would engage and transform students, but might not fit easily into a specific degree program. The next deadline for proposals is Feb. 15. Though the application notes that this deadline is limited to Spring 2024 proposals, a few slots remain for Fall 2023 courses. Click here for the application and email William-Kuby@utc.edu with questions.

A Grant Writing Workshop set for Feb. 2-3 will provide individual, technical assistance consultation sessions. This workshop is highly encouraged for new faculty or faculty who are new to federal proposal development. Click here to register for the workshop and here to register for 1:1 consultations.

Human Resources provided a series of January staff development opportunities, with topics ranging from crucial conversations to wellness. Future events are also noted, including February’s theme of financial wellness.

UTC Parking announced that general lot 13 (top floor of the Lupton garage) is now open, providing more than 100 general spaces in the core of campus. This lot can be accessed via the ramp from lot 23. The covered middle and bottom levels are reserved lots (12 and 12 lower) and are not available for general parking.

Looking ahead

Events posted to this week’s University master calendar include:

Lincoln Heck recently earned his first Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week honor (photo courtesy of Craig Pessman/GoMocs.com).

Lincoln Heck recently earned his first Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week honor (photo courtesy of Craig Pessman/GoMocs.com).

This week’s Mocs Athletics calendar:

  • Wednesday (Jan. 18): Men’s Basketball vs. Furman (McKenzie Arena), 7 p.m.
  • Thursday (Jan. 19): Women’s Basketball at Wofford (Spartanburg, S.C.), 6 p.m.
  • Friday (Jan. 20): Indoor Track & Field at the Samford Invite (Birmingham, Ala.), All Day
  • Friday (Jan. 20): Women’s Tennis at Western Kentucky (Bowling Green, Ky.), 2 p.m.
  • Saturday (Jan. 21): Women’s Basketball at Furman (Greenville, S.C.), 2 p.m.
  • Saturday (Jan. 21): Men’s Basketball vs. ETSU (McKenzie Arena), 3 p.m.
  • Saturday (Jan. 21): Wrestling vs. Davidson (Maclellan Gym), 7 p.m.
  • Sunday (Jan. 22): Men’s Tennis at Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), 5 p.m.

Looking back

Associate Professor Jessica Etheredge, left, and Interior Architecture and Design students Jacob Ridenour and J.T. Taylor.

Associate Professor Jessica Etheredge, left, and Interior Architecture and Design students Jacob Ridenour and J.T. Taylor.

The start of the semester included a grand opening ceremony to introduce The Aviary at Stacy Town Center—a campus housing community space recently renovated according to the winning design of UTC interior architecture students who prevailed in a competition to re-imagine the space to serve social and academic needs of students residing in Decosimo, Guerry, Stophel, Walker and UC Foundation Apartments.

Here are some other recent UTC stories featured in the Newsroom:

A Big Step for One Small Step

Bob Corker, left, and Joda Thongnopnua

Bob Corker, left, and Joda Thongnopnua

For the past several months, UTC and the University’s PodLab, managed by Will Davis, have been taking “One Small Step,” an effort to remind the country of the humanity in all of us—even those with whom we disagree—such as this brief excerpt of a conversation between City of Chattanooga Chief of Staff Joda Thongnopnua—a UTC alum—and former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker.

The UTC PodLab, a student podcasting studio for training the next generation of professional podcasters, is one of just six sites in the country selected to host “One Small Step” by StoryCorps, the National Public Radio-affiliated nonprofit that records, preserves and shares stories from everyday Americans. Audio recordings of each interview are archived at the Library of Congress.

  • This semester, students in Davis’ Honors College seminar will be involved in every aspect of editing, packaging, promoting and sharing a multi-episode serial podcast based on the Chattanooga One Small Step conversations.

WUTC Spotlight: Scenic Roots

Tamara Steward (pictured), chief equity officer for the City of Chattanooga, recently visited WUTC’s studios to talk about her role with the city and this year’s MLK Day of Service and Donation Drive. Click here for her Scenic Roots interview.

The MLK Day of Service event was a collaboration between the City of Chattanooga’s Department of Equity and Community Engagement, UTC’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, River City Company, the NAACP, Scenic Cities Beautiful Commission, the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and the Unity Group of Chattanooga.

Be Well Tip of the Week: Budgeting

If you are starting off your year with resolutions, financial resolutions are not one to skip over. The Financial Wellness Center would like to share some budgeting tricks to help you get started with your financial journey or revamp what you currently have. 

  • Know your income: Calculate what money is coming in so you know how much you have to work with. This can be in the form of a side hustle, regular paycheck, or money from another source. 
  • Know what you can afford: This is especially true when using credit cards; unless it is necessary, do not make large purchases that you cannot afford to pay off.
  • Know your expenses: We often forget what we spend money on, especially with smaller purchases. Be sure to keep track of where your money is going.

It is important to remember not to dwell on the past; go back 60 days and start building your budget from there. You will also want to get a physical system in place to keep track of your money. The Financial Wellness Center is here to help if you need it.
 

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