University of Tennessee President John Petersen visited the UTC campus and emphasized the university’s responsibility to serve the entire state in meetings with area civic and business leaders and university faculty and staff.
The UTC stop was part of a week-long series of visits to each campus in the UT System. Petersen met with elected officials, university trustees, educators and business leaders to discuss UT’s statewide mission and outreach. He told area civic and business leaders that for Tennessee’s flagship, land-grant institution with a presence in all 95 counties, the state is the university’s campus and UT touches the lives of all Tennesseans.
“In addition to educating Tennessee’s students, our mission is to drive the state’s economy through research, technology and workforce development, and to lead the way in healthcare delivery,” Petersen said. “In fulfilling our mission, we help create a better life for Tennesseans. We’re also sharing and applying today’s knowledge through outreach programs that benefit thousands of Tennessee citizens and businesses every day.”
Petersen also met with UTC faculty and staff across campus. He outlined the university’s recent accomplishments and noted the key role of every employee in them. Petersen acknowledged the importance of the recent pay raise funded by the state legislature as critical support from Tennessee leaders and citizens for higher education. He told faculty and staff the university will continue to seek fair pay and strong benefits.
One of the constituency groups Petersen met with Student Development. In a questions and answers session, Dr. Dee Dee Anderson, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students, asked Peterson about the role of the staff of Student Development at UTC. “You can save the taxpayers money by driving the retention rate,” Petersen said. “Help direct and generate programs, and work with students to enable their success.”
Campus beautification at UTC was recognized by Petersen, who complimented the University Landscaping Committee for creating a cohesive look from the entrance on East Fifth Street through the pedestrian mall and Heritage Plaza.
Petersen concluded his campus tours Friday, August 3.
