Welcome to the spring issue of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Magazine.
Long before coronavirus had become a household term, plans were made for this issue to celebrate our advances and accomplishments of the 2010 decade. On the following pages, you will find conversations with leaders, educators and alumni who have participated in the growth and transformation of UTC; such mileposts as the enhancement of educational excellence, the beautification of our campus, record-setting private giving and UTC’s immersion in the community.
You will see in this issue how UTC is people. What they do and how they do it defines the university. Our accomplishments are due to students, faculty, staff, alumni and community and the drive, determination and sincere desire they have to make a difference in the world. Often UTC is the catalyst or the enabler, providing a place or reason for people to come together to solve problems and address important issues facing our community and state.
As you read about some of the people who significantly represent UTC, I hope you feel a sense of pride that you are a MOC. We share a bond that ties us all together, a bond that has its origins in 1886 with the founding of the university, one that continues today. Our mission reflects our past, present and future as an educational institution. It reads: “The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a driving force for achieving excellence by actively engaging students, faculty and staff, embracing diversity and inclusion, inspiring change and enriching and sustaining our community.”
This issue highlights an incredible 2010 decade of progress and advancements at UTC. While only a few representative individuals are highlighted, their stories foretell so many other incredible examples of why this past decade was one of great achievements. UTC has 11,670 students, over 60,000 alumni and 1,425 faculty and staff–there are so many wonderful stories, and there are not enough pages to tell them all.
The new decade is off to an eventful and unanticipated start. As this issue was going to press, UTC was adapting to the reality of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Our faculty stepped up to the challenge of delivering the final five weeks of the spring semester curriculum online. Students are now eLearners and adapting to seeing faculty on a video monitor. Housing is nearly empty and the campus is eerily quiet. We know we will get through this crisis by relying on each other and being true to our sense of values as an institution.
Many end-of-school-year traditions have been disrupted, including commencement. We have surveyed our graduating students, and they have overwhelmingly supported UTC holding an August commencement ceremony. Once the date is selected, we hope the entire university community will turn out to congratulate the spring 2020 graduates at what promises to be a very special ceremony.
Thank you for your support of UTC, and Go Mocs!
Steven R. Angle Chancellor
