Christmas is less than two weeks away, and I am sure all of our students, faculty and staff are looking forward to enjoying some well-deserved time off.
Tomorrow and Saturday we will host our Fall Commencement ceremonies. Shaking the hands of our new graduates as they walk across the stage is truly the highlight of my semester. Our Graduate School Ceremony is Friday and 129 students will receive their degrees. On Saturday 658 students will receive a Bachelor’s degree. Congratulations to all of our graduates!
This is a time of year to step back and appreciate all of the wonderful things we have accomplished as a campus. We have focused on having an impact on our students and providing the very best possible educational experience. Thank you to our students, faculty and staff who have all devoted themselves to making UTC an excellent university; you are making a difference. A few of the highlights of the past year and a sense of the spirit and energy of UTC are captured in this video.
I am happy to share that two members of the UTC family have earned special recognition from the Southern Conference (our athletics conference). Dr. Gretchen Potts (Chemistry) will be a recipient of the 2017 All-Conference Faculty Award, and Lisa Tarr (UTC Athletics) has been selected to receive the 2017 All-Conference Staff Award. I appreciate their ongoing commitment to support our students.
In 2002, the Student Alumni Council began partnering with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and the Hamilton County Foster Care and Adoption Unit to sponsor the Angel Tree project at UTC. Every year since, students, alumni, faculty and staff have purchased gifts for local children in foster care. When it began, the program provided gifts to approximately 80 children. This year, more than 150 children will receive a total of 600 presents. For the past two years, UTC’s Angel Tree Project has been the biggest donor in Chattanooga. This is a great example of how our generosity and giving spirit impacts families in our community. Here is a video capturing this year’s effort.
Despite losing a very close game in the second round of the FCS playoffs, it was another amazing season for the Mocs Football Team. Congratulations to all of our players and coaches. As you may know, Coach Huesman has accepted another position. He has turned our football program into a tremendous source of pride for our student athletes, the University and the City of Chattanooga. He has fostered a winning culture on the playing field, in the classroom and in our community. We worked hard to keep Coach Huesman in Chattanooga, but it just was not to be. We wish him tremendous success in the years ahead. The search for a new coach is already underway.
The next C-Note will be sent on January 5th, 2017. Happy New Year.