For the sixth year in a row, UTC’s campus has been chosen as a Tree Campus USA by the national Arbor Day Foundation. We are the only school in the UT System to earn the honor. Our green campus is a never-ending point of pride for us, and keeping it nice is just one way we continue to be a working partner in the national recognition of Chattanooga as an environmental and outdoor-activity leader worldwide. With new landscaping and plantings, the ongoing renovations of Oak and Vine Streets are evidence that we continue our dedication to that goal.
UTC prides itself on our commitment to veteran students who have retired from active military service and want to integrate themselves back into civilian life. We have an outstanding Veteran Student Services team that works diligently to assist our student veterans. UTC has been designated as a 2019-2020 Military Friendly school by Military Friendly, a national program that helps veterans find jobs when they re-enter civilian life.
Each week in February there are seminars that discuss the details of our study abroad programs. The schedule is listed in the Master Calendar at https://events.utc.edu/MasterCalendar/MasterCalendar.aspx. Studying abroad can expand your educational experiences and can change your life. I encourage all students to explore this opportunity.
A project undertaken by a group of our communications students is a noteworthy example of experiential learning that impacts both our students and our community. In a partnership between the University, WUTC-FM and the City of Chattanooga, our students have produced a podcast series that highlights the history of East Ninth Street, now known as ML King Boulevard but once known as the “Big 9,” a neighborhood that was a major part of Chattanooga’s African-America community in decades past. The podcast series is called “Stories from the Big 9” and examines the history and importance of the street, reaching far beyond Chattanooga and achieving international fame. All the podcasts will air on WUTC in February and will also be available on www.wutc.org. The series is an amazing accomplishment by our students and instructor Will Davis, and I strongly recommend that you listen to the series.