Sept. 19, 2006
Contact: Rita Mitchell, University Relations
UT unveils FUTURE Campaign, gathers employees for statewide celebration
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee marked a momentous day in its history today by gathering nearly 3,475 employees for a first-time ever, six-way simulcast and university-wide celebration.
UT President John Petersen gave an overview of the university's strategic plan and unveiled a new image campaign that highlights the university's future, emphasizing the distinct attributes of each operation across the state.
Petersen addressed UT employees gathered on the Martin, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis and Tullahoma campuses as well as a group of agriculture, social work and public service employees in Nashville.
The history-making event culminates two long-term research efforts; one that gauged Tennesseans' perceptions and knowledge of the university; another that measured the strength of UT's internal communication with the goal of enhancing employee engagement.
"Whether you work in the classroom, an outreach program, or keep our daily operations running -- your service makes a difference in the lives of others in some way," Petersen said. "And whether you've been with the university for one year or 30 years, you will always be our most credible spokespersons. That's because you see firsthand the incredibly positive impact that we have on lives, every day."
UT employs more than 16,000 people who work in all 95 of Tennessee's counties.
The effort is closely linked to the university's largest fund-raising campaign in history, now in its initial phase.
"We've experienced several years of a growing momentum that have resulted in great strides in enrollment, public and private support, research dollars and strengthening of our overall image," Petersen said. "As we proceed with our first comprehensive fund-raising campaign in more than a decade, it's critical that we tell our story, encourage all of our stakeholders to tell it, and reinforce those messages as often as possible."
Chancellors and administrators led celebrations across the state, and employees at each site viewed the crowds gathered at each location through the simulcast. Celebrations featured pep bands, prize giveaways, mascots and multi-media shows.
“I’m really proud of our faculty and staff and their professional efforts that make UT Martin such a great contributor to the overall UT mission,” said Dr. Nick Dunagan, UT Martin chancellor. “UT Martin is ‘UT’ for a large part of West Tennessee. The strategic plan fits well with our campus goals, and we are excited about the goals outlined by President Petersen.
During the celebration, Dunagan added, “As you look at the future of this campus and you look at what John Petersen has laid out – student access, student success, outreach, research, globalization – those things are all important to economic development. Those are all important to our campus. They are important to the region that we serve and they’re important to the state. We have a valuable role to play, and we’re going to play it well because of the people in this room.”
Petersen told employees that the long-term branding campaign would not involve large-scale changes in what most people see, but will provide more prominence to the brand icon created in 1986, which represents the state of Tennessee. The effort will give more consistency and prominence to the brand icon, so that it gains even broader recognition and stronger appeal, Petersen said.
"Higher education is a competitive industry. We compete for students, faculty and staff and must maintain widespread support from our stakeholders – alumni and donors, the General Assembly and the residents of Tennessee," he explained. "Creating, promoting and reinforcing a compelling identity is critical to our competitive advantage and ensures that we influence what people think when they hear or see our name."
Closing the UT Martin event, Joe Johnson, UT president emeritus, told faculty, staff and students that the campus “is a unique place. You’ve got fantastic leadership – Nick, Cathy, all the people here, who do a wonderful job.”
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