Investing in Our Campus
Walk down Phillip Fulmer Way and you can’t miss the new facade going up around Neyland Stadium.
Turn around and you’ll see the cranes erecting the new Croley Nursing Building. Head west and find the stunning new Energy and Environmental Science Research Building.
The physical transformation you’re seeing across campus reflects the progress happening throughout our university. We’ve had another banner year, setting records in research expenditures, enrollment, student success, athletic success, and other areas.
As we think about what it means to be not just a good university but a great one, we must consider the investments it will take in our physical campus and our people.
New classrooms and residence halls will meet the needs of our growing enrollment. New laboratory and collaboration spaces will help us expand the impact of our research. Upgrades to athletic facilities and performing arts spaces will improve the experience for students, Volunteer fans, and the Knoxville community.
Our innovative approach to student success and our rapidly growing research enterprise are two areas of distinction for the university, making them strategic priorities for investment.
A new student success building will go up in the footprint of Melrose Hall, next to Hodges Library in the heart of our campus. It will bring resources under one roof for our students—including university honors programs, academic coaching and advising, and Student Disability Services—and serve as a place for gathering and connection.
As we retain a higher percentage of our current students and attract more new Volunteers, new residence halls and classrooms will help accommodate growth. Academic buildings for chemistry, business, and the humanities are in the construction, design, or planning stages.
South of the Tennessee River, the UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm continues to expand, providing a foundation for the place-based innovation we are cultivating in the region.
The Innovation South building will open in October, housing the Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility and other materials research. A request for proposals was posted in January for a new hotel–conference center at the site, making it easier for out-of-town collaborators to work with our faculty and industry partners.
Of course, recruiting and hiring talent are critical to building our research capacity. A $50 million cluster hiring initiative is underway to build expertise and capacity in key research areas.
During my Flagship Address in September, we committed to “choosing great,” not settling for being good enough. We choose great not just for ourselves but also for all those who depend on us, because the people of our state deserve a great flagship land-grant university and all the opportunities that come with it.
Thank you for being part of this work, this community, and this mission of education, discovery, and service.
