We know that breaking into the Top 25 will be tough, but we also know that we will be a much better university because we have accepted the challenge to be among the best educators in the country. Striving to reach these goals will also be a benefit to all Tennesseans.
An excellent undergraduate experience will better prepare our students to be productive global citizens.
Expanding our research mission will help create jobs, grow business, and–most importantly–solve the problems facing our planet.
Two major indicators of our progress are our
retention and graduation rates, both of which have improved. Our retention rate is now 85 percent, and our graduation rate is 63 percent.
In May 2012, we will graduate our first class of Haslam Scholars. Keep your eye on these students–they will be the leaders of tomorrow. They are also a testament to what can happen when engaged donors dedicate their resources to making UT a better place.
Our Haslam Scholars are just a small number of our talented, excellent students who enjoy the opportunity to pursue a college education regardless of their background. On that note, we celebrate this year the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act, which changed the course of higher education. The Morrill Act was about accessibility to higher education for all social classes. Access is just as important today as it was in 1862. The best and brightest should be able to
attend UT, whether or not they have the ability to pay. Fourteen percent of our students have a family income below $20,000, and we make sure these students are able to graduate debt-free. For all students, our tuition remains among the lowest of any public research university in the U.S.
We talk a lot about having enough resources, but it's really about investments. As taxpayers and donors, you invest in and entrust us with your hard-earned dollars. Our students invest their time and money and expect to get a good education that translates into productivity. We invest in great faculty and staff to teach and prepare our students. The return on these investments is a better future for all Tennesseans.
It's a big idea and it's worth the investment. Thanks for all you do for the University of Tennessee.
Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek
Values We Promote
Vol Vision: Top 25 Priorities
Becoming a Top 25 public research university is a goal for this decade. To reach that goal, we have developed a strategic plan, Vol Vision,which gives us five strategic priorities to focus on during the next few years:
- Undergraduate education. Retain and graduate a diverse body of well-educated undergraduate students.
- Graduate education. Increase the number and diversity of graduate students.
- Research and creative activity. Strengthen capacity and productivity in research, scholarship, and creative activity.
- Faculty and staff. Attract and retain stellar faculty and staff.
- Infrastructure and resources. Continually improve the resource base.
Fulfilling these priorities will help us approach our Top 25 goal. The result will be better-education citizens and more research dollars spilling over into the economy.