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Updates and news for the week of January 23-29, 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 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-Alert System Test Today at 11 a.m.
UTC Public Safety officials will conduct a test of the UTC-ALERT system at 11 a.m. today (Jan. 23). This test of the system will include messages via text, social media, Canvas, email, alert beacons and computer screens.
The test message also will reach the UTC SafeMocs mobile phone app. In the event of an actual emergency, the free UTC SafeMocs app will receive UTC-ALERT messages and provide access to emergency plans and the UT Reconnect site to let family and friends know you’re safe.
- The SafeMocs app is a resource for quickly reaching campus police, reporting safety concerns and accessing the campus Crisis Support system for behavioral health issues. Users can connect from it to the Counseling Center, University Health Services and Student Outreach and Support including academic tutoring, advising, career services and interactive campus maps.
- Visit the Apple or Google Play app stores and search for “Safe Mocs.”
Report any problems with receiving emergency communication at utc.edu/finance-and-administration/emergency-services/utc-alert or email emergency-management@utc.edu.
Send in your Information for the UTC Parent and Family Association Newsletter
It is again time to recruit campus partners to send in information for the UTC Parent and Family Association newsletter, a monthly roundup distributed to more than 5,400 parents/family members. The February newsletter will be emailed to members Wednesday, Feb. 7. Click here to see the November newsletter.
To share information with the families of UTC students—upcoming events, important deadlines, helpful suggestions and departmental news—email hannah-turcotte@utc.edu by Monday (Jan. 29).
- Please keep info to one paragraph of 200 (or fewer) words.
- Images or logos to accompany the paragraph may be submitted.
Apply now to be an orientation leader
Students, orientation leaders are a vital part of the success of our orientation programs. Are you interested in engaging with incoming students and their families and helping them navigate UTC’s campus, our website and University processes? Being an orientation leader is a great networking and leadership opportunity and you’ll receive free UTC-branded gear.
The 2024 orientation leader application is open in MocSync through Sunday (Jan. 28). Use the QR code or link provided here to access the application; it can also be found on the MocSync New Student and Family Programs page.
Want to learn more before you apply? An interest meeting will be held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday (Jan. 24) in the Admissions Tour Center, located on the second floor of the University Center. Email katelynn-buchanan@utc.edu with any questions.
The outstanding people of UTC
 Dr. Karen McGuffie, left, and Dr. Christina Policastro Congratulations to UTC faculty and staff who received awards or submitted proposals for sponsored programs in December. The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs announced that faculty and staff attracted $345,102 in external grant and contract awards during the month and submitted proposals for the potential to generate over $5,248,168 in external funding, if awarded.
Among those receiving awards in December were Social, Cultural and Justice Studies faculty members Dr. Christina Policastro and Dr. Karen McGuffee, who received $36,760 from the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence for the project titled “2024 Senator Tommy Burks Victim Assistance Academy.”
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 From left: Gassim Abazid, Stephanie Orr, Shari Kappel, Brandalyn Shropshire, Lili Reynolds and Emma Sampson On Monday (Jan. 29), the Chancellor’s Blue Ribbon Award recipients for the second half of 2023 will be recognized during a University Center luncheon.
The honorees are Gassim Abazid (UTC Police Department), Stephanie Orr (Undergraduate Admissions), Shari Kappel (Administrative Specialist for Management, Gary W. Rollins College of Business), Brandalyn Shropshire (Undergraduate Admissions), Lili Reynolds (Registered Nurse, University Health Services) and Emma Sampson (MPH Program Manager, Health and Human Performance).
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UTC junior Olivia Reeves (pictured), a leading 2024 Olympic weightlifting qualifier, ranks second in the world in her weight class and broke seven world records in her last competition in Qatar in December. In her spare time, she wants to help put the UTC Weightlifting Club on the map.
Submit your Alumni Award Nominations
 Kim White, 2023 honoree David Wade and Chancellor Angle Do 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? The online nomination forms for the 2024 Distinguished Alumni, Outstanding Service and GOLD Excellence Awards are open through Wednesday, Feb.14. Nominate the outstanding alumni and supporters in your area at alumni.utc.edu/awards.
Applications Now Open for the 2024-2025 Student Member of the UTC Advisory Board
Students, UTC is seeking applications for the 2024-2025 student member of the UTC Advisory Board. Candidates for student member shall have completed a total of 30-semester hours with a cumulative 2.75-grade point average at the end of the semester of appointment.
- The successful candidate must be available to serve from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, and must be enrolled full-time at UTC throughout the term of appointment (summer terms excluded).
- Candidate applications must be submitted by Friday, Feb. 23.
- Candidates meeting the aforementioned requirements shall attend the Student Government Association meeting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5 during which time they shall be recognized in a punctuated and individual manner to defend their candidacy for a maximum of three (3) minutes, which precedes a period of questioning from voting members of the SGA.
- At least three members of the UTC Campus Advisory Board will attend the meeting of the SGA to hear the candidates defend their candidacy.
- The SGA will put forth to the Chancellor and SGA advisors those candidates it feels are acceptable or unacceptable (without ranking). This information will be provided to the Chancellor on all the candidates.
- The Chancellor will provide this information to the members of the UTC Campus Advisory Board, who will make the final selection.
Click here for more information. To apply, click here.
If you have questions, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at dos@utc.edu or 423-425-4761.
Mark your calendar
The Center for Wellbeing is excited to launch the “All Movement is Movement Series,” a monthly workshop series celebrating the belief that movement is for everyone and that all movement contributes to wellness. We’ll kick it off with pickleball at 12:05 p.m. today (Jan. 23) in the ARC (Court 2). Follow us at @utc_cw to learn more.
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Sponsored by the George C. Connor Professorship of American Literature and the UTC Department of English, Take Five 2024 commences this month with a five-book lineup that explores what it means to be educated in the modern world.
Take Five sessions occur Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. in the University Center Chattanooga Room. Each session will offer a light dinner, and no RSVP is necessary. This spring’s lineup:
- Today (Jan. 23): Dr. Aaron Shaheen presents Robert Penn Warren’s “All the King’s Men”
- Tuesday, Feb. 13: Dr. Verbie Prevost presents “Dai Sijie’s Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress”
- Tuesday, Feb. 27: Dr. David Pleins presents Emma Smith’s “Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers”
- Tuesday, March 19: Dr. Victoria Bryan presents R.F. Kuang’s “Babel, or the Necessity of Violence”
- Tuesday, April 9: Dr. Bryan Hampton presents Julie Schumacher’s “Dear Committee Members”
All books are available through online retailers and at the UTC Bookstore (423-425-4107). Contact Aaron-Shaheen@utc.edu with questions.
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Information sessions are taking place for the summer 2024 International Business Experience study abroad course to South Korea, which is open to all UTC students. The course has no prerequisites and includes a two-week international study trip to Seoul, led by Gary W. Rollins College of Business faculty members.
Information sessions are scheduled for the following dates:
- Wednesday (Jan. 24): Zoom, 4 p.m.
- Thursday (Jan. 25): Zoom, noon
- Tuesday, Jan. 30: Zoom, 4 p.m.
- Thursday, Feb. 1: Zoom, noon
Students earn three credit hours on the undergraduate level (MGT 4950) or graduate level (MGT 5950). For more information, contact COBInternational@utc.edu or visit COB International Programs.
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 Portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Chattanooga artist Jerry Allen. The portrait was commissioned by the Bessie Smith Cultural Center. On Thursday (Jan. 25), the UTC Department of Music, the Ruth Holmberg Professor of American Music, the Vice Chancellor for Access and Engagement and the Office of Multicultural Affairs will partner with the Bessie Smith Cultural Center to present “O King.”
The free concert, open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. in the Bessie Smith Cultural Center performance hall (200 E. M.L. King Blvd.). The venue is accessible.
Musical performances will include the Singing Mocs, a Pentatonix-style a cappella vocal group; a UTC Music faculty trio; vocalists from Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts, including Ella Hill and JerRod Taylor; and local professional musicians. Additionally, spoken word artist Erika Roberts will perform a newly created work.
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 Ebony Embers will soon be coming to the UTC Fine Arts Center On Friday, Feb. 16, UTC LIVE! will present Ebony Embers, a chamber music theater work for actor and trio (cello, piano and percussion). The presentation celebrates the lives of the great African American poets Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen and Claude McKay as seen through the eyes of muralist/painter Aaron Douglas. The following week, from Feb. 22-24, the College of Arts and Sciences will present “Baldwin vs. Buckley” as performed by the New York-based american vicarious theatre group. The troupe will restage the historic debate between James Baldwin and William F. Buckley Jr.
In preparation for these events, Professors Aaron Shaheen, Hannah Wakefield, Chris Stuart and Earl Braggs will each teach a weekly 50-minute session leading up to the UTC LIVE! events. The sessions will meet at noon on the following Wednesdays in Lupton Hall Room 393:
- Wednesday (Jan. 24): Earl Braggs (The Blues I’m Playing knows My Name: Harlem Renaissance Poets Speak)
- Wednesday, Jan. 31: Hannah Wakefield (The work of Zora Neale Hurston: Their Eyes Were Watching God)
- Wednesday, Feb. 7: Chris Stuart (James Baldwin)
These CAS-led sessions are a professional development opportunity for lifelong learning for faculty and staff. Please register at this link and plan on attending all four sessions. Class materials will be made available and attendees will receive a ticket to the Ebony Embers event.
For ticket information, visit the Fine Arts Center website.
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 The Clarence T. Jones Observatory is located at 10 N. Tuxedo Ave. in Chattanooga. The public is invited to the Clarence T. Jones Observatory, owned and operated by UTC, for a free Star Party on Sunday (Jan. 28).
The evening’s topic will be “The Moons of Jupiter” and the featured constellation is Taurus. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., with a lecture and Planetarium show beginning at 6 p.m. and telescope viewing until 8 p.m. Seating is limited.
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The UTC Symphony Orchestra will present a concerto concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 4, in the Fine Arts Center’s Roland Hayes Concert Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.
The featured UTC concerto students include a pair of piano performance and pedagogy majors, sophomore Bradley Bee and junior Ivy Smith. Bee will perform “Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor Op. 18, 1st movement” by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Smith will perform “Piano Concerto in A Minor Op. 16, 1st movement” by Edvard Grieg.
Senior soprano Rose Carroll, a music therapy major, will perform “Song to the Moon” from “Rusalka” by Antonín Dvořák. Junior baritone Owen Langford, a vocal performance major, will perform “Avant de quitter ces lieux” from “Faust” by Charles Gounod.
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The Gary W. Rollins College of Business will hold virtual information sessions about UTC’s Master of Business Administration, MS Data Analytics, Business Analytics Certificate, MS Management and Master of Accountancy graduate programs. The Rollins College of Business graduate degree programs provide flexible course options and career advancement resources to elevate your education and propel your career.
MBA (Master of Business Administration)
MSM (MS Management)
MAcc (Master of Accountancy)
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Announcing the Harris Chair Innovation Mini-Grant Program, a new opportunity for all faculty and staff at UTC to support innovative ideas and solutions. Applicants must have the intention to pursue commercialization of their work through licensing or entrepreneurship. Proposals for funding up to $5,000 will be considered. Click here to apply.
Who is eligible?: UTC faculty and staff from all colleges whose innovative ideas have the potential for commercialization or entrepreneurial endeavors. Early-stage innovations are eligible.
Application process: Interested researchers must apply by Wednesday, Jan. 31, for up to $5,000 in internal grant funding. Please note that direct compensation to the awardee is unallowable. Awardees can use these funds for supplies, travel or other reasonable and allowable expenses under UT policy to accelerate the success of their ideas, innovations and commercialization objectives. Awardees will be announced by Feb. 20.
Contact Thomas-Lyons@utc.edu or Jennifer-Skjellum@utc.edu with questions.
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The UTC Counseling Center will be hosting a series of weekly therapy and support groups throughout this semester. Group counseling sessions include:
- Depression Group Counseling (Feb. 1-March 28): Thursdays from 3-4 p.m. in the University Center Sequoyah Room (third floor)
- Student of Color Support Group (Jan. 26-April 26): Fridays from noon-1 p.m. in the Multicultural Center
- Self-Care in College (Feb. 7-April 3): Wednesdays from 3-4 p.m. in the University Center Sequoyah Room (third floor)
- Grief Support Group (Jan. 31-April 24): Wednesdays from 3-4 p.m. in the University Center Ocoee Room (third floor)
Please email counselingcenter@utc.edu for more information.
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In the fast-paced world of work, it’s crucial to gain skills that are not only relevant to today’s current needs but also prepare professionals to tackle emerging challenges. In the UTC Center for Professional Education’s Project Management Fundamentals Workshop, gain foundational project management skills that help you save time, increase productivity, improve collaboration, mitigate challenges and risks, and gain adaptability.
CPE will hold a virtual workshop from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Feb. 7-8 for administrative professionals, program managers and individuals involved in project delivery.
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Learning and Leadership is currently accepting applications to its summer 2024 Ph.D. and Ed.D. cohorts. If you, your friends or colleagues with a master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution are interested in pursuing their terminal degree in leadership at UTC, we encourage them to apply or to reach out for more information.
Due to the cohort nature of the programs, applications are typically accepted December through February for each incoming summer cohort. New cohorts are admitted in summer only. All application materials, including official transcripts, must be submitted by Thursday, Feb. 29.
We routinely schedule Zoom meetings with the Program Advisor to determine whether our doctoral programs are a good “fit” for prospective applicants’ specific academic and professional goals. Prospective applicants may contact the LEAD Program Office at utclead@utc.edu to schedule a meeting. Click here for more information and the Campus Updates link.
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On Thursday, April 11, the College of Arts and Sciences will be co-hosting Pulitzer-Prize-winning author and sociologist Matthew Desmond in collaboration with the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. Desmond’s latest book, “Poverty, By America,” reached #1 on the New York Times best sellers list shortly after its release; his book “Evicted” won a Pulitzer Prize.
Dr. Zack Simoni in Social, Cultural and Justice Studies will lead a CAS faculty/staff book club on “Poverty, By America” leading up to Desmond’s visit. The six-week discussion group will meet at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays from Feb. 21 through April 3 in the University Center Chickamauga Room. A copy of the book will be provided.
This CAS-led session is a professional development opportunity for lifelong learning for faculty and staff. To reserve your spot in the class, please register at this link.
Notice of Final Defense: Upcoming Research Presentations
The UTC Graduate School announced that the following student will be presenting final works of research as an advanced degree candidate. Everyone is invited to attend.
Campus Updates
Starting in February, UTC will hold FAFSA Fridays—a series of in-person and online workshops to assist current and prospective students and their families with filling out the form. Exact times and locations will be announced soon. Click here to learn more.
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The UT Alliance of Women Philanthropists is now accepting applications from UT faculty, staff, departments, students and student organizations for the 2024-2025 Circle of Giving Grants Cycle. Proposals can be for a new project or program that benefits the campus or an expansion of an existing program.
Competitive proposals will provide opportunities that inspire leadership and collaboration within the UT Community and leverage support from outside the UT Community.
- The grant request may range from $2,500 to $25,000, but cannot include faculty salaries or overhead.
- Please notify Lindsey-Nabors@utc.edu by Monday, Feb. 12, if you intend to apply for this grant cycle. We can help you prepare the required budget and ensure all application materials are in compliance with the guidelines.
- Applications must be submitted in Cayuse SP by Feb. 19.
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Ensure you’ve always got your Mocs Card handy … Get the new Mocs Card mobile ID today. You can use the Mocs Card on iPhone, Apple Watch and Android devices to get into residence halls, campus facilities, meal plan usage and print documents at the library.
You can also use the Mocs Card mobile student ID to access your Scrappy Cash account to make purchases at the bookstore, campus dining, vending machines and other convenient locations on and around campus.
To use your Mocs Card and Scrappy Cash, simply tap your iPhone, Apple Watch or Android device against the reader and you’re done. For more information, click here.
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If you are talking with students and/or parents and they have questions about orientation and enrollment, please direct them to call 423-425-5220 or email Orientation@utc.edu. For more information, click here.
Click here for the fall 2024 orientation “Save the Date” PDF. Orientation dates are as follows:
- Freshman sessions: May 22-Wednesday … June 6-Thursday … June 7-Friday … June 17-Monday … June 18-Tuesday … July 15-Monday … July 16-Tuesday … July 25-Thursday … July 26-Friday
- Transfer sessions: April 23-Tuesday (Reading Day) … June 4-Tuesday … June 21-Friday … June 27-Thursday (Online) … July 18-Thursday … July 23-Tuesday (Online) … Aug. 1-Thursday
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Injured in intramurals? Tweaked something in the gym? Back and neck soreness from hours of studying? Just need guidance getting back to your favorite activities? Check out UTC’s free physical therapy clinic.
The Pro Bono Physical Therapy clinic, located in the Mapp Building, is staffed by UTC Doctor of Physical Therapy students and professors and is 100% free. Clinic hours are 8 a.m.-noon on Tuesdays and 1-5 p.m. on Thursdays. Call University Health Services at 423-425-2266 or email ptclinic@utc.edu for more information.
Looking ahead
 Lincoln Heck (photo courtesy of Ray Soldano/GoMocs.com) This week’s Mocs home athletics calendar:
- Friday (Jan. 26): Women’s tennis vs. North Alabama, Strang-Voges Tennis Center (McCallie), 5 p.m.
- Saturday (Jan. 27): Men’s basketball vs. The Citadel, McKenzie Arena, 2 p.m.
- Sunday (Jan. 28): Wrestling vs. Davidson, Maclellan Gym, 2 p.m.
- Sunday (Jan. 28): Women’s tennis vs. Lee University, Strang-Voges Tennis Center (McCallie), 5 p.m.
Looking back
 Vice Chancellor for Access and Engagement Stacy Lightfoot, left, Dr. Bernice King, Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz and Student Government Association President Chamyra Teasley The 11th UTC MLK Day celebration brought a pair of co-headliners to Chattanooga—Dr. Bernice A. King and Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz. The event theme, “A Legacy of Leadership and Service,” was moderated by Vice Chancellor for Access and Engagement Stacy Lightfoot and Student Government Association President Chamyra Teasley.
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While UTC was closed for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, it didn’t stop photographer Angela Foster, the video team of Mike Andrews and Sam Blevins, and a slew of UTC students from visiting snow-covered Chamberlain Field.
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Here are some other recent UTC stories featured in the Newsroom:
WUTC Spotlight: “O King”
 Portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Chattanooga artist Jerry Allen. “O King,” a tribute to the legacy and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his associates through music and spoken word artists. The event will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday (Jan. 25) at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center.
A recent episode of Scenic Roots on WUTC-FM featured interviews with members of the “O King” collaboration, including Dr. Jonathan McNair, the Ruth S. Holmberg Professor of American Music at UTC; Elijah Cameron, director of community relations at the BSCC; Chattanooga poet Erika Roberts; and Chelsea Risley, executive director of the literary nonprofit SoLit.
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