The University of Tennessee - Martin

During our graduation ceremony this May, we celebrated the largest graduating class in the history of the institution. We are, of course, proud of this indicator of success; but it is important to note that UT Martin can also boast of having one of the highest graduation rates among public institutions in Tennessee. High-quality undergraduate education is clearly reflected in what our faculty and staff place as a top priority. I believe the successful completion of degree and program offerings has to remain a top indicator of the capacity-building mission of UT Martin.

You may recall that during the past five years we have completed just under $90 million in capital and renovation improvements involving new apartment-style housing, academic buildings, classroom space, laboratory facilities, and other improvements to our learning and living space.

Our new Student Recreation Center opened in January and is filled with students working to improve their health. An online tour of this facility is available at http://www.youtube.com/utmartin. I think you will like what you see.

Renovation of the Duncan Ballroom in the Boling University Center is under way, along with construction of a new baseball/softball complex. This fall we plan to break ground on the Phase I expansion of the Fine Arts Building. We have also begun Phase II of Humanities HVAC improvements. In addition, the communication tower replacement is under way, plus improvements are being made to our chilled-water distribution system. We are using $1.4 million in ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) funds to replace the library roof starting this summer. Through the generosity of a key donor, we are in the planning stages for an expansion of the Business Administration Building to begin sometime in 2011 or 2012.

We have reached the expanded goal for our portion of the Campaign for Tennessee and have established a new goal of $50 million by the end 2012. UT Martin was the first campus to exceed its goal and stretch even further. Our alumni, employees, friends and corporate partners have made this possible during an economic recession. Through major donor support, we recently kicked off an initiative to make UT Martin an all-Steinway campus. This effort signals that we are serious about high-quality academic programs and, in this instance, our music programs. Academic excellence is being nurtured through the leadership of enthusiastic donors.

The economic impact we have on the region was recently documented in a study released by UT Knoxville’s Center for Business and Economic Research. UT Martin brings in at least $138.5 million annually in income to Tennessee and supports more than 3,800 jobs. 

While research initiatives are increasing throughout campus, recognitions continue honoring the university’s commitment to community service. Dr. Angie MacKewn, associate professor of psychology, became the 26th person from UT Martin to receive a Love Community Service Award from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Also, UT Martin was named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

We continue to monitor, plan and revise budgets as the economic landscape remains uncertain. While we have had success on a number of fronts, we  anticipate at least two more years before economic conditions shift enough to allow several important initiatives to emerge. During a three-year interval, we will have absorbed more than a 30 percent budget reduction in state appropriations. Plans are in place to ensure the continuation of strong academic programs and student services, although tuition increases to some extent will also be needed to sustain the current level of support our students deserve. Since the beginning of the FY 09 budget year, we have trimmed state-mandated reductions of  $9,830,300 from our recurring operating budget. Most troubling during this time is the fact that we have had no employee raises for more than three years. Our faculty and staff continue to take on more and more work to ensure our success. Therefore, our ability to adequately compensate faculty and staff remains one of our greatest challenges. The state legislature approved a one-time bonus of $50 per year of credited service, up to a maximum bonus level of $1,250. This one-time bonus helps, but our long-term salary compensation issues remain.

Athletic programs continue to gain increasing levels of success, including OVC regular-season conference championships in softball and soccer, as well as improvement in a number of other sports. Softball head coach, Donley Canary, and Kevin McMillan, head coach of women’s basketball, were recognized as coaches of the year in the Ohio Valley Conference. We were also fortunate to have record numbers of student-athletes recognized for outstanding academic and athletic performance.

I could not be prouder of our continued improvement in the quality of the learning experience for our students. The dedication of our faculty and staff is clearly indicated by increasing levels of achievement among our students. We function as a Tier One Southern master’s institution and hold a very competitive position among our peer institutions. We do have room to improve, but we have every right to be positive and proactive as we pursue our multiple goals focused upon academic rigor, student-faculty community/professional engagement, and applied research.