Prospective students and families visited the UTC Aquatic and Recreation Center (ARC) for the Chattanooga Power C Tour. Photo by Angela Foster.
The blue-and-gold energy at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was palpable on Wednesday, Nov. 12, as the Power C Tour returned to Chattanooga.
The statewide recruiting tour made stops across Tennessee this fall, but the final event at UTC had a familiar, hometown feel.
Terrence Banks, associate director of recruitment, has been part of the Power C Tour since its start and said this year’s events ran smoothly.
“It’s just a beautiful event,” Banks said. “It’s a great time for campus to see what the undergraduate admissions office does because not everybody gets a chance to travel with us. Being able to be a part of the one that’s on campus makes it just that much more energetic.”
Display tables filled the UTC Aquatic and Recreation Center (ARC), representing academic departments, student organizations, campus offices and student support programs. Families visited each one, gathering information and meeting faculty, staff, and current students.
Throughout the night, high school seniors had the chance to apply to UTC in a “Moc Minute.” Students checked in with transcripts and test scores, and—if they met the published criteria—walked away with an official acceptance packet.
Chancellor Lori Bruce speaks to the crowd at the Power C Chattanooga event.
In Chancellor Lori Bruce’s first Power C Chattanooga event, she welcomed guests with an overview of the University and a message she emphasized throughout her remarks: “We’re big enough to matter, but we’re still small enough to care.”
Bruce highlighted UTC’s enrollment of over 12,000 students and the balance of a large university experience with personal support.
“As you’re going through your college days, there are going to be times when you’re going to get bumps in the road. You’re going to need help. You’re going to need some tutoring,” Bruce said. “You don’t want to get lost on campus … You want that college experience, that personal touch and that personal assistance.”
She encouraged the future college students to explore the campus and build community.
“You need to find your people when you get here as a student,” she said. “You need to find the group of students you fit with and you jive with so that you make those lifetime friendships.”
Bruce also spoke about hands-on learning opportunities at UTC and partnerships with Chattanooga industries. She closed by explaining UTC’s affordability.
“We are low cost, big value,” she said. “More than 50% of our students graduate with zero debt.”
For admissions counselor Caroline Hood, who recently began recruiting in Nashville, the Chattanooga stop stood out.
“This is actually the largest one,” said Hood, who graduated from UTC in May 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in communication. “Being local, there’s so much pressure with it being here, but the turnout is better and the energy’s really high. It makes the recruitment process a lot easier.”
Prospective students and their families visited academic and resource tables during the Chattanooga Power C Tour.
At the Honors College table, sophomore Caroline Bryant spent the evening answering questions from both prospective first-year and transfer students.
“It’s nice to be able to talk face to face with the incoming students,” said Bryant, a Brock Scholar and environmental science major from Nashville.
Bryant said many visitors are surprised to learn they can join the Honors College even after they started at UTC. The college’s Innovations in Honors program is designed for transfer students and current UTC students at the sophomore and junior levels.
“It’s really one big community and one big family,” she said. “It’s nice to be able to tell people about one program, and if it doesn’t work for them, you can tell them about the other and give them options.”
For Dr. Artanya Wesley, vice chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, the highlight of the event is seeing the community show up for future Mocs.
“It’s our campus community coming together with so much pride—Moc pride,” Wesley said. “You see students, faculty and staff engaged, ready to really show up for our communities locally here in Chattanooga, but also across the region.”
She said the gratitude from families stands out event after event.
“They’re receiving information they need to make a very important decision in their life,” she said. “For UTC to be on their list, for those students and families to select UTC, is a special thing.”
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Photo gallery by Angela Foster
