Expansion of UTC’s Gary W. Rollins College of Business breaks ground

The current home of the Gary W. Rollins College of Business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga broke ground on an 81,000-square-foot expansion to Fletcher Hall on Monday, March 3.

Located at the corner of McCallie Avenue and Douglas Street, the four-story addition will complement the existing building by connecting all four stories, expanding on the north side of the building facing away from McCallie Avenue.

“This is an exciting moment for the Gary W. Rollins College of Business and our campus,” UTC Interim Chancellor Robert Dooley said. “This project has been years in the making, and without the support of the UT System, Gov. Bill Lee, our state legislators and Gary and Kathleen Rollins, this expansion would still just be an aspiration.

“This isn’t just a building project. This extension of our facility will allow us to graduate more career-ready students to support our regional workforce, to serve as a hub for Chattanooga and regional engagement, and to equip our students to build fulfilling careers and lives.”

The groundbreaking was attended by faculty, staff, students, alums and numerous dignitaries—including UT System President Randy Boyd; Tennessee Sen. Bo Watson, senior member of the Hamilton County Legislative Delegation and chairman of the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Rules Committee; Rep. Greg Vital; Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly; Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp; and representatives from the offices of Gov. Bill Lee and U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn.

With substantial support from the State of Tennessee, which allocated $66.4 million in the 2024-2025 state budget for this project, this expansion will allow the Rollins College of Business to increase enrollment and programs to drive workforce development; create innovative classrooms and learning spaces; enhance student retention, graduation and placement opportunities; and facilitate community engagement and outreach.

“The University of Tennessee System exists to serve the people of Tennessee and our role has never been more vital,” Boyd said. “As the largest producer of the state’s workforce, the expansion of the Gary W. Rollins College of Business helps us meet the critical labor gaps our economy is facing and meet our ambitious goal of enrolling 71,000 students—14,800 of those here at UTC—across our campuses by 2030. A special thank you to Gov. Bill Lee, our state legislature, and Gary and Kathleen Rollins for recognizing UTC’s pivotal role in fostering economic growth and workforce advancement.”

From left: Vice Chancellor for Advancement Kim White, Sen. Bo Watson, Interim Chancellor Robert Dooley, Gary W. Rollins, Kathleen Rollins, UT System President Randy Boyd and Interim Dean of the Gary W. Rollins College of Business Michael Jones.

Watson, a 1983 UTC graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biology, spoke about his longstanding connection to the University.

“Years ago, (my family) tried to track back how far we’d go, and it’s really back to 1907. We’ve had a Watson or somebody like a Watson who has either attended or graduated from either (University of Chattanooga) or UTC; there’s about 25 of us,” he said. “So my connection is really deep—and for me this is really a special moment.”

Watson highlighted the project’s importance to both UTC and the broader community.

“UTC is positioned to be the workforce engine for Southeast Tennessee, creating economic and career opportunities for men and women across the region while simultaneously attracting business and industrial investment from old and new businesses as we witnessed today,” he said.

He also reflected on the role of state leadership in securing funding for the expansion, noting that “two years ago, the University of Tennessee System recognized the importance of this project when it ranked the UTC Rollins College of Business as the number one capital project for the entire UT system.”

“I, along with my colleague, Rep. Patsy Hazlewood, convinced the governor and other members of the House and Senate Finance committees that this capital project was important enough that it became the only education capital project that was funded in that state budget,” Watson said. “Now that’s pretty cool, but it tells each of you how important this project is to the future of UTC.”

In addition to state support, Rollins (’67) and his wife, Kathleen, donated $30 million to the expansion project. They previously made a $40 million gift in 2018 to name the College of Business and create the Rollins Scholars program.

Rollins, who talked about his deep ties to Chattanooga and his journey from college student to a successful business career, moved to Atlanta after his graduation—but kept tabs on the growth of the city and UTC.

“I’ve been very impressed with the progress this city has made and the progress this college has made. It’s been remarkable,” he said.

Rollins noted that his experiences at the University played a role in the decision he and his wife made to invest in his alma mater, saying, “I just saw from the start that this was something I wanted Kathleen and I involved in.

“Kathleen and I are delighted we’ve been able to serve the city of Chattanooga and UTC. This has been a blessing as far as we’re concerned, and we’ve been able to serve the school, the faculty, the alumni and the city of Chattanooga. We feel very fortunate to be part of UTC and their future. This has been a very rewarding experience for us. We’re proud of our involvement at UTC and we’re proud of the Gary W. Rollins School of Business.’”

With nearly 2,300 majors spanning 10 undergraduate programs, four graduate degree programs and seven minors, the Rollins College of Business graduates more than 550 business students annually, most of which stay in the region. As UTC projects that number to continue to grow, enrollment at the Rollins College of Business has grown by 21% over the past decade. Majors in accounting, finance, management and marketing are among the largest at UTC, and all are identified as high-demand growth areas. More than 85% of business students have an internship with a local business or nonprofit while they are at UTC to give them real-world experience as well as classroom instruction.

Construction on the expansion is anticipated to be complete by 2028.

To learn more about the project, visit give.utc.edu/RCOBExpansion.