A Faculty-Friendly Campus
UT Knoxville understands that faculty are at the heart of our mission. They bring recognition to UT by engaging in meaningful scholarship, instruction, and outreach.
Yet balancing work and life is challenging. We are committed to creating a faculty-friendly culture through a variety of resources. Consider UT Knoxville a campus where your professional success is valued as much as your personal well-being.
Policies and Programs
Medical Leave & Family Care for Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty
These programs provide for paid leave with modified duties in the event of childbirth, adoption, or foster care, unpaid leave in the event of personal or family medical needs, and the option to “stop the tenure clock” due to medical or family needs.
Medical Leave Policy For Non-Tenure Track Faculty
Non-tenure track faculty who are on annual or term appointments may apply for leave due to a variety of personal or family medical needs.
Dual-Career Support
We support dual-career couples through efforts that help identify on- and off-campus employment opportunities for the spouses/partners of our faculty members.
Professional Development
Leadership Development Programs
Faculty who are exploring opportunities to move into leadership positions may access programs like the SEC Academic Consortium Leadership Development Program, the HERS program for women in higher education, the UTK Women’s Leadership Program, and the UT Leadership Institute.
Tennessee Teaching And Learning Center (Tenn TLC)
The TENN TLC works with faculty to enhance professional teaching skills and supports the application of effective learning strategies through workshops, one-on-one coaching, and faculty inquiry groups.
Development Leave Policy
Faculty are given regular opportunities for continued professional growth, reinvigorated intellectual achievement, and development of new skills and perspectives through study, research, writing, and training. Learn more.
Support for External Awards
We encourage and support faculty members who receive external awards (e.g., Fulbright, NSF, NEA, etc.) by ensuring that there is adequate financial support and accommodation for their absences from campus.
Office Of Research
The Office of Research supports faculty research by providing technical expertise in proposal development, faculty development and training, and sponsored programs administration and compliance requirements.
UT Knoxville Libraries
The libraries provide exceptional support for research and teaching, including services such as materials and data acquisition, copyright and archiving support, digitization, bibliographic management, and instruction and technology resources.
Innovative Technology Consultants (ITC)
ITC provides instructional support for the effective and innovative uses of classroom technology with computer programmers, technology integration specialists, information scientists, and multimedia, graphical interface, and Web designers.
Resources And Benefits
Family Tuition Waivers
Faculty members are eligible to receive an undergraduate tuition discount of 50 percent for family members at any public university in Tennessee.
‘Plus-One’ Family Rates At Recsports
RecSports provides a variety of facilities and programs for exercise, sports, and wellness. UT Knoxville faculty members, as well as one other member of their household (“Plus-One”), are eligible for membership rates that are considerably less than area clubs.
946-CARE: Support for Distressed Employees
Faculty who need support in dealing with stressful situations or who are concerned about the well-being and safety of a faculty or staff co-worker can receive assistance through our 946-CARE hotline.
Childcare (Early Learning Center)
Although we cannot always guarantee childcare availability, many faculty have benefitted from enrolling their children (6-week-old infants through first grade) in the on-campus Early Learning Center, operated by the Department of Child and Family Studies.
Pet Care
The UT Veterinary Medical Center offers a 10-percent discount to all UT faculty and staff on routine family pet care and state-of-the-art care for companion animals and livestock.
University Libraries Borrowing Cards
Borrowing privileges are available to spouses/partners and other family members of UT faculty.
Manuals, Procedures, and Governing Documents
Faculty Handbook
The Faculty Handbook contains all faculty policies and guidelines, including rights and responsibilities, evaluations, promotion and tenure, leaves, appeals, shared governance, and outside activities.
Manual For Faculty Evaluation
The Manual For Faculty Evaluation is procedural guide for annual review and retention, promotion and tenure, and cumulative performance (post-tenure) review.
Teaching Guide
The University of Tennessee Teaching Guide provides a comprehensive, one-stop guide for teaching issues and policies on campus, including drop-add guidelines, assigning grades, classroom technology, class attendance, academic dishonesty, dealing with distressed students, and other relevant topics and campus resources.