Theresa Liedtka, dean of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Library, will transition out of her position to take on other responsibilities on campus, UTC announced today.
The announcement was made by Dr. Jerold L. Hale, UTC provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs.
Dean Theresa Liedtka
Liedtka, who has served as dean for 19 years, will remain in that role until a successor is named—with a national search scheduled to begin during the fall semester. She also will take on the duties of managing campus space allocations and requests, under the direction of Vice Provost Matt Matthews, as those responsibilities move from UTC Finance and Administration to Academic Affairs.
“Theresa has been the face of the library for nearly two decades, but she has communicated to us that many of the goals she had set for the library over that period have been seen to completion,” Hale said. “She now looks forward to embracing other challenges and blazing new trails at UTC.”
Liedtka first came to the University in 2004 and was a vital member of the 35-person committee that oversaw the $50-million UTC Library project. Along with watching the building grow from the ground floor up, she has seen—and has been an active participant in—the continual evolution of the library as a vital resource for UTC students.
“I still have the keepsake bookmark from the five-year anniversary of the new library’s opening. The bookmark reminded me that the UTC Library had garnered over 3 million visits from students, faculty, staff, alumni, researchers and community members in its first five years,” Hale said.
During her tenure as dean, Liedtka has witnessed many library successes, including the additions of collections such as the Dr. Roland Carter papers, the Dr. Tommie Brown papers, and the digitizing of photographs and documents detailing the labor and manufacturing history of Chattanooga. She has been instrumental in creating new initiatives, most notably the Affordable Course Materials Initiative, and successfully managed UTC’s recent SACSCOC reaffirmation efforts.
“It speaks volumes about her leadership that the satisfaction surveys from library patrons—whether they are faculty, students or community members—are consistently incredibly positive. You can tell from those satisfaction surveys that everyone at UTC appreciates the contributions she has made to the campus environment,” Hale said.
“Even though I am sad to see Theresa leave the dean’s position, I’m thrilled that she will fulfill her desire to move her career in a different direction. She has been and will continue to be a dedicated, influential, forward-thinking leader who is an invaluable resource to UTC.
“I want to thank Theresa for her tremendous leadership and advocacy for the University’s students, faculty and staff. Please join me in congratulating her as she transitions into her new role.”
