Welcome to all our new Mocs – students, faculty and staff! A big round of applause to everyone helping to roll out the “red carpet” in greeting new students, faculty and staff.  You will feel the energy on campus with Operation Move In taking place today, followed quickly by First Flight and Welcome Week programming and the start of classes.  Everyone is invited to Friday’s Convocation at 10 AM in McKenzie Arena to meet Scrappy, the Marching Mocs, our cheerleaders and some of our campus leaders.  This welcoming event is one of our terrific campus traditions.  I hope to see you there!

Getting off to a good start:  Students, you are the heart of the UTC community.  Your participation in events, connection with others, and making new friends are a huge part of the UTC experience.  Welcome Week is a fantastic opportunity for new Mocs to get engaged on campus and in the community.  I encourage you to visit MocSync to discover campus clubs, groups, and upcoming events.  Take advantage of at least a few of the opportunities available and build personal connections.

Olympic glory:  Congratulations to Olivia Reeves for winning the gold medal in the 71kg event in women’s weightlifting!  The entire campus is proud of our Olympic champion.  Olivia, a senior sociology major, embodies what it means to be a Moc—full of spirit, driven to excel, and always aspiring to be the best.  Congratulations Olivia!

Celebrating success:  Congratulations to Dr. Nancy Fell, head of the Department of Physical Therapy, on being named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).  The Fellow designation is the highest honor among APTA’s membership categories.

Expanded HOPE Scholarship opportunities:  Did you know that getting your graduate degree at UTC is more affordable with the expansion of the state’s lottery-funded scholarship program? Qualified students can now use their remaining Tennessee HOPE Scholarship funds to pursue a master’s degree at UTC immediately after or while completing their undergraduate degrees.  Click here to learn more.

Success on and off the field:  A big “Go Mocs” shout-out to our athletics program.  During the 2023-2024 school year, UTC won conference titles in women’s basketball, beach volleyball and softball.  Men’s and women’s cross country, football, wrestling and men’s golf also represented the Mocs in the NCAA postseason.  Academically, UTC student-athletes posted a 3.318 overall GPA in the spring semester, the second-highest mark on record, as every team had a GPA over 3.0.  Congratulations to our student-athletes, their coaches and the Student-Athlete Academic Enhancement Center.

Go Mocs!  As our fall teams prepare to start their 2024 seasons, a big “Go Mocs!” to all our student-athletes.  Make sure to check out the gomocs.com website to stay up-to-date with our teams.

• The soccer team officially opens its campaign at 7 p.m. tonight (August 15) at Georgia State—and plays its first home match of the season vs. Alabama on August 25 at Finley Stadium.
• The volleyball team opens its season on August 22 with the annual Blue-Gold Scrimmage at Maclellan Gymnasium. The Mocs will then travel to Huntsville, Alabama, from August 30 to September 1 to take on Southern Illinois, Idaho, Alabama A&M, and Oral Roberts.
• The cross-country season commences on August 30 at the Tennessee Cross Country Invitational in Knoxville.
• The football team kicks off its season on August 31 at Tennessee.

Don’t forget:  As a reminder, we will have a day off before the next C-Note – we will be closed on Monday, September 2, for the Labor Day holiday.

We are all looking forward to a great 2024-2025 academic year.  Go Mocs!