Alumni Newsletter - December 2002

Happy holidays UTC Alumni!  We have had a great fall semester.  Our DPT proposal was approved by the UT Board of Trustees in October.  We are now awaiting the final decision from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and hope to graduate the first class in August.   The Class of 2003 has been patient with us as we have juggled schedules, offered additional courses and extended time in clinical education.  The biggest question we're getting from alumni is:  "When are you going to offer a transitional DPT for us?"  Well,  we must get the entry-level program up & running before we can submit the proposal for the transition program.  We'll be working on the proposal in the spring and will try to keep you posted. 

Several of you responded to our request for the UTC PT Alumni Scholarship Fund.  Thank you very much for your contributions.  If you haven't contributed and would like to participate, doing so before January 1 may offer you a tax incentive!    Be sure to specify that your contribution is for that particular scholarship fund or it will go into the general fund. 

We have teamed up with Chattanooga State for the past several years to offer a Professional Issues Forum in January.  The 2003 speaker will be Chris Larson, of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.  Chris is the former President of the Washington PT Association and the Washington State Licensing Board.  She is a frequent speaker at APTA's CSM & Annual Conference.  The topic will be "Clinical Integrity--Ethical Decision Making in the Clinical Setting."  Chris serves as the liaison to the national ethics & legislative committees for the licensing boards.  She will present some of the challenging questions PTs & PTAs are facing today.  Feel free to send me your burning questions & I'll add them to her list!

Because of major construction on our campus, the forum will be held at Chattanooga State on January 17, 2003.  Lunch will be offered at 11:15 in their Faculty Dining Room, with the presentation from 12:00-1:30 in the Humanities Auditorium.  Please RSVP to me if you would like to attend.  I'll need lunch reservations by January 10. 

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season.  Keep in touch!

Debbie, Nancy, June, Yvonne, Dave, Cathie, Larry, Randy & Mike