This is a particularly busy time as we are preparing for finals and wrapping up the semester. The Chattanooga weather can make keeping on task even harder, especially when we close the university.
The end-of-year calendar is full of events. Last week we hosted the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees spring meeting on our campus. One major development for UTC emerging from the meeting is the expansion of our regional tuition rate. Beginning in fall 2017, freshmen and sophomores from the seven eligible counties in Georgia and Alabama will be able to attend UTC for in-state cost plus 25 percent of the out-of-state tuition. This marks a tremendous savings for our neighbors just across the state line. Learn more about our regional tuition program.
If you haven’t already done so, I hope you will take a moment to support our annual Faculty and Staff Campaign. Each year, many of you give back to this campus for scholarships, research and programs that you support. Learn more about the Faculty and Staff campaign.
I encourage everyone to learn more about the scholarly and creative achievements of our students, faculty and staff next week during ReSEARCH Dialogues. This two-day event is packed full of activities. View the complete schedule.
Some of you have asked about a situation at WUTC. The decision to terminate a part-time WUTC employee was based on my concerns about credibility, transparency and upholding ethical standards in the process of news gathering. The failure of a WUTC reporter to readily identify herself as such, to state her affiliation with the radio station, and to acknowledge that she was working for WUTC to report on a high school group’s legislative day on Capitol Hill is the source of concerns on which the decision is based.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will not dictate WUTC’s coverage or content, but it will require anyone employed as a reporter to acknowledge that clearly with potential sources and in the news gathering process. As a public institution, UT Chattanooga is accountable to the public and must hold itself to the highest standards of ethics and integrity.
Please give a warm UTC welcome to our new Men’s Basketball Head Coach Lamont Paris. Coach Paris joins us from Wisconsin, where he had a very successful career as associate head coach.
Finally, Mocs football fans will have their first opportunity to see new Head Coach Tom Arth’s Football Mocs in action on Saturday, April 8, at Finley Stadium. A full day of events is scheduled, with kickoff for the Spring Game at noon. Go Mocs!