{"id":73533,"date":"2026-01-06T08:55:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T13:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=73533"},"modified":"2026-04-21T13:42:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T17:42:22","slug":"utc-officially-launches-college-of-nursing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2026\/01\/utc-officially-launches-college-of-nursing\/","title":{"rendered":"UTC officially launches College of Nursing"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Certified

UTC Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist students Jackie Medina, front, and Melina Maple, under the watchful eye of Dr. Garrett Salmon, work on airway techniques. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has officially launched the College of Nursing, elevating one of the University\u2019s longest-standing and most impactful academic programs to college status. The designation took effect Jan. 1.<\/p>\n

The launch follows approvals by the UT Board of Trustees and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and formalizes the role nursing plays at UTC and across the region\u2019s health care workforce. With nearly 1,000 students enrolled across undergraduate and doctoral programs, the College of Nursing becomes UTC\u2019s fifth academic college.<\/p>\n

\u201cElevating the nursing program to a college reflects the impact this program has had\u2014and will continue to have\u2014on our region and our state,\u201d UTC Chancellor Lori Bruce said. \u201cUTC nurses show up every day in hospitals, clinics and communities across Tennessee, and this designation recognizes the importance of that work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith nearly 1,000 students preparing for nursing careers, becoming a college strengthens our ability to educate, attract and retain the next generation of health care professionals. It sends a clear signal about our commitment to meeting Tennessee\u2019s most pressing workforce needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Chris Smith, who has led the nursing program since 2014, serves as the inaugural dean.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important thing for us is that people in the general public will understand that UTC has an excellent nursing program\u2014and the elevation to a college will give us more visibility,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWe will continue to have the excellent programming that we have always had and we will continue to support the excellent faculty that we have always had.\u201d<\/p>\n

UTC\u2019s nursing portfolio spans the workforce continuum: the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and accelerated BSN programs; RN-to-BSN (Gateway); the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with nurse practitioner concentrations in adult gerontology acute care, psychiatric mental health and family practice; and the nationally recognized nurse anesthesia program, which transitioned to UTC in 1994 after operating as a certificate program through Erlanger starting in 1972\u2014and reports a 100% employment rate for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist graduates. Nursing also offers a DNP in Nursing Administration Systems for those seeking leadership roles and a post-master\u2019s DNP for advanced practice registered nurses who wish to earn the doctoral degree.<\/p>\n

The program reports a five-year average National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) pass rate of 97%, fulfilling the requirement for licensure as a registered nurse, and reports a 100% employment rate for its nursing graduates. Over 70% of BSN graduates remain in the greater Chattanooga area after licensure, and 83% of Family Nurse Practitioner graduates stay in Tennessee.<\/p>\n

Launched in 1973 and shaped by more than five decades of regional need, UTC\u2019s nursing program has grown into a cornerstone of Chattanooga\u2019s health care corridor. Smith said the college designation strengthens employer awareness of UTC nursing graduates across clinical settings where students train alongside peers from institutions nationwide.<\/p>\n

Administratively, the transition reflects a structure that has long functioned at a college scale. Dr. Brooke Epperson has been named associate dean and undergraduate program director, and Dr. Christi Denton has been named assistant dean for graduate education while continuing as program director for the adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner program.<\/p>\n

Existing program coordinators have been retitled as program directors to align with national norms for colleges of nursing.<\/p>\n

Smith said additional positions, including future development support aligned with other UTC colleges, will be phased in over time as the College of Nursing continues to grow.<\/p>\n

The launch also comes as UTC continues construction of the Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building at the corner of Palmetto and East 3rd streets. The 90,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open for classroom instruction in fall 2027, will allow for a 152% enrollment increase and expanded simulation, clinical training and interprofessional learning space.<\/p>\n

The new facility will accommodate more than 400 students daily and feature eight classrooms, five task-training spaces, eight standardized patient-actor exam rooms, a specialized space for labor and delivery experiences, and a simulated intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency room. A dedicated hall of patient care rooms\u2014similar to those in acute care facilities\u2014will feature a simulated nurse\u2019s station and a medication room.<\/p>\n

Smith said the expanded space will allow the College of Nursing to admit more qualified applicants while strengthening hands-on clinical preparation. Beyond infrastructure, the elevation to a college creates capacity for strategic growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will rely more on Doctors Epperson and Denton for the day-to-day operation,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThat will allow me to spend time helping support some of those programs like the MobileMOC.\u201d<\/p>\n

MobileMOC is a mobile health outreach clinic that delivers preventative care and interprofessional training in rural counties across Southeast Tennessee.<\/p>\n

Smith said that the College of Nursing is developing an Interprofessional Center of Excellence for Health that would bring together nursing, social work, nutrition, physical therapy, occupational therapy and other partners to support collaborative education, research and community engagement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe purpose of the center is to catalyze collaboration across UTC\u2019s academic programs,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIt is intended to serve as a hub for community-focused collaboration, particularly in areas related to aging populations and integrated health care delivery, while also supporting interprofessional education required by nursing accrediting bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith described the college designation as external validation of work that has been underway for decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe recognition by the Board of Trustees at UT and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission\u2014recognizing the excellence of the program and that it is worthy of being its own college\u2014is icing on the cake,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to continue to do what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Click here<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for more details about visiting the\u00a0UTC College of Nursing.<\/em><\/p>\n

Learn more<\/h4>\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

UTC College of Nursing<\/a><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DNP

DNP acute care student Alexis Murray works with Dr. Chris Doneski during an AI simulation.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has officially launched the College of Nursing, elevating one of the University\u2019s longest-standing and most impactful academic programs to college status. With nearly 1,000 students enrolled across undergraduate and doctoral programs, the College of Nursing becomes UTC\u2019s fifth academic college.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1493,"featured_media":73587,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,70,123864,15,56,4936,3,7712,52,83654,127043,661],"tags":[123407,48202,123827,123826,123475,122175,122861,123828,125808,125603,125274,124776,122863,123829],"class_list":{"0":"post-73533","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academics","8":"category-advancement-and-alumni","9":"category-campus","10":"category-college-of-health-education-and-professional-studies","11":"category-college-of-nursing","12":"category-community","13":"category-faculty-and-staff","14":"category-graduate-school","15":"category-health-and-wellness","16":"category-mobilemoc","17":"category-news","18":"category-students","19":"tag-brooke-epperson","20":"tag-chris-smith","21":"tag-creating-the-mocs-experience","22":"tag-cultivating-a-culture-of-innovation","23":"tag-dorothy-and-jim-kennedy-health-sciences-building","24":"tag-dr-chris-smith","25":"tag-dr-christi-denton","26":"tag-leveraging-our-special-place-as-chattanoogas-university","27":"tag-lori-bruce","28":"tag-lori-mann-bruce","29":"tag-mobilemoc","30":"tag-mocs-learn-mocs-do-mocs-lead","31":"tag-on-call-magazine","32":"tag-operating-with-excellence","33":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nUTC officially launches College of Nursing | UTC News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has officially launched the College of Nursing, elevating one of the University\u2019s longest-standing and most impactful academic programs to college status. 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