2009 OVC Champions Sophomore Marquis Weddle scored a season-high 30 points while senior Lester Hudson netted 27 points to lead The University of Tennessee at Martin men's basketball team to a 79-65 victory over visiting Morehead State and its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship. “This is very rewarding,” said Bret Campbell, the Skyhawks' head coach. “I am extremely proud of our players and coaching and the focus they maintained throughout the season. It's been a longtime coming. It's very rewarding that it is here and we can embrace the moment.” The Skyhawks will advance to the OVC tournament as the No. 1 seed and host No. 8 Tennessee Tech at 7 p.m., Tuesday in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center. The winner advances to the semifinals at the Sommet Center in Nashville. Click here for tournament information. Dear alumni and friends, This spring continues to be a busy, successful semester. I wanted to share with you a few thoughts regarding what we as a campus have achieved and a few observations about additional areas we will be working on during the coming weeks and months. UT Leadership Transition - As you are aware, on February 18, President Petersen announced his resignation, effective June 30, 2009. Dr. Petersen has been a vocal supporter of UT Martin. I appreciate the forthright manner in which he included UT Martin as a part of the University of Tennessee System. Last week, during the UT Board of Trustees meeting, the Board formally approved Dr. Jan Simek's appointment as Acting President for a period of no more than two years. Dr. Simek has a history of consensus-building and is familiar with not only the Knoxville campus but also System-wide concerns. Stimulus and Budget Update - In his State of the State address on February 9, 2009, Governor Phil Bredesen announced a delay in presentation of a budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year until the potential $3.8 billion impact of the federal stimulus package on the state of Tennessee for the next two to three years. An announcement is expected in late March concerning these stimulus funds and their effect on higher education operations, including student assistance and other possible one-time expenses. Reports indicate that public, higher education institutions in Tennessee could receive support from a pool of $450-550 million during the period of stimulus support. These funds have the potential to help address the $900 million shortfall in projected state revenues for the upcoming fiscal year. Members of the state legislature are expected to adopt the budget in late spring or early summer. At that time, we anticipate a final decision concerning budgets for higher education, including tuition recommendations, from the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees. It is possible that stimulus funds could be used instead of a tuition increase. These funds could provide us a limited interval of time during which UT Martin can develop plans that will better position us for the near future and also help support the intellectual infrastructure for post-secondary education in Tennessee. Also, significant to note is that of the 3.7 million new jobs the government estimates will be created with stimulus support, 37% will require two or more years of college. That represents approximately 1, 369,000 new jobs requiring a two- or four-year degree or higher. UT Martin has an important role to play in the economic recovery. Campus Success - I am grateful to faculty, staff, students, alumni, and others who continue to support this campus and provide input during the current budget situation. The strength of this campus community is evident in its achievements in the areas of enrollment growth, student recognitions, student and faculty awards, increased graduation rates, and competitive athletic accomplishments. This success is possible because of the outstanding efforts of our accomplished faculty and staff. UT Martin has had a record-breaking year for fund raising with nearly $11 million raised in gifts for this campus as part of the 2008 Campaign for Tennessee. These funds, most of which are deferred gifts, provide important private support for our academic and athletic programs, scholarships, faculty enrichment, and campus enhancements. We continue to emphasize building student, faculty, and staff capacity while seeking better ways to organize and manage our programs and services. I feel encouraged that we may have a window of opportunity during the next two years to continue our efforts to adjust operations, efficiencies, programs, and services to maximize our effectiveness and creativity in preparation for the fiscal situations we will likely face when stimulus funds end. I value your suggestions, involvement and support as we move forward to find innovative ways to educate our students and become an even stronger place for developing future leaders and fostering scholarship and critical thinking among those around us and globally. Tom Rakes, Chancellor   News_______________________________   Officials from Jackson State Community College and UT Martin recently met to sign an articulation agreement between the two schools. The agreement, effective immediately, will be utilized by students from Jackson State transferring to UT Martin to complete a bachelor's degree in social work. Learn more regarding the agreement... UT Martin Interfraternity Council claimed the top award, the Overall Fraternal Excellence trophy, for the fifth consecutive year at the recent Southeastern Interfraternity Conference in Atlanta. More... The Tennessee Small Business Development Center and the UT Martin Regional Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center have announced they will provide two training sessions in Weakley County for small businesses in the surrounding area titled “Business Survival in Tough Economic Times.” Learn more... The university Collegiate FFA chapter was named top collegiate chapter in the state for the fifth consecutive year at the recent Tennessee FFA Alumni State Convention at Montgomery Bell State Park. In a 20-year history, the university's WestStar Leadership Program has spurred many of its 500-plus graduates to take responsibility for the growth and development of their state, communities and counties. Read more about the WestStar Leadership Program...   Events______________________________  Tuesday, March 3 - Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Tournament First Round - Visit www.utmsports.com for more information. Saturday, March 21 - UT Martin Alumni Council Spring Meeting Thursday-Saturday, April 16-18 - UT Martin Spring College Rodeo Saturday, April 18 - UT Martin Baseball Reunion and "Turning the Lights On" ceremony. For more information, contact Coach Bubba Cates at 731-881-7660.