I’ve spent much of my first three months on Rocky Top asking questions and listening. Drawing from that, I’ve determined an initial set of priorities.

As we trumpet the virtues of our new class of freshmen each fall, we hear from some Tennesseans who question whether our growing academic profile has made UT unattainable for many of our state’s students. We are working hard to provide access—and here’s how.

Based on the report from an outside consulting firm, Parthenon, and feedback from the Academic Leadership Retreat, we are looking for the best way to proceed in strategically harnessing the benefits of e-learning.

The Graduate School has launched a new dashboard that provides faculty and staff data about our graduate student population. Also, reduced fees for online courses and higher graduate stipends should help increase enrollment.

The Faculty Mentoring and Support program was created last year to foster a sense of community and support for tenure-line and full-time nontenure-track faculty, especially those from historically underrepresented groups—those who identify as people of color, women, or LGBTQ. Here, three participants talk about how the program helped them.

Our Quality Enhancement Plan, Experience Learning, is now beyond the mid-way point. But it has introduced a new way of teaching and learning and—after being reorganized to become part of Teaching and Learning Innovation last year—it is well-positioned to have lasting impact long after the QEP timeline ends in Spring 2020.

Here are quick updates on several important issues: post-tenure review, e-learning, changes to our general education curriculum, cluster hires, our new NSF ASCEND grant to help us recruit and retain more women faculty in STEM, and Experience Learning.

Don’t miss these events to network and learn.

Here’s a list of spring semester opportunities to celebrate, network, and learn.

Teaching and Learning Innovation, Open Educational Resources, and Quiet Space for Writing