Last month on a stage in Philadelphia, I had the honor of accepting an award recognizing the impact of our work on innovation and economic development. It wasn’t the only category where UT was being recognized. The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities also named the university as a finalist in top awards for student success and community-engaged scholarship.
Over the past six years our retention, persistence, and graduation rates have reached record levels. Students from across the country want to learn here because they know they will be part of a community that cares deeply about their success and provides the tools they need to thrive.
Six years ago, when I returned to UT as chancellor one of our top priorities was to improve our student retention and I knew just the person to get us there: Dr. Amber Williams.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of this success this year, both on campus and in our community. Congratulations to our fall graduates. I look forward to the new year and all the opportunities ahead.
UT Knoxville has been on the rise. As we continue to meet the goals that we have set for ourselves, it is time to think about what comes next. What will it take to bring UT to the next level?
This fall, we celebrated our highest retention and graduation rates ever at nearly 92 percent and 74 percent, respectively. The gains we’ve seen since launching the Division of Student Success five years ago—with retention up 5 percentage points and graduation up 3 percentage points—have bolstered our national reputation as a leader in supporting students and improving outcomes.
Chancellor Donde Plowman and Vice Provost for Student Success Amber Williams discussed the university’s innovative work around student well-being and belonging with Inside Higher Ed this month, ahead of the university co-hosting the Student Success US conference.
Chancellor Donde Plowman said she plans to spend the next five years building on UT’s national reputation for student success, meeting the state’s workforce needs, and nurturing trust with Tennesseans across the state. The comments were part of an interview with the Knoxville News Sentinel ahead of her sixth annual Flagship Address. The news […]
This year we have shared big wins and meaningful moments. We have set bold ambitions and achieved hard-fought milestones. Together we have seen our students thrive, our faculty and staff recognized, and our research celebrated.
The Division of Student Life focuses on cultivating a sense of belonging for every Vol.
