Spring is here & we are so glad to have pretty weather. The students are away for spring break and the department is undergoing some pretty heavy renovation. Our floors were rated the worst at UTC, so we're getting new tile floors in all the classrooms. In addition, Chancellor Stacy awarded us with $250,000 of the Lupton Renaissance Funds to purchase equipment for the classrooms. We're even ordering ergonomically correct chairs for all student desks! Don't you wish you were still here? Do you have any recommendations of equipment needs for the classroom? We're ordering a balance system, Biodex, etc...

That brings me to the point of this newsletter. UTC is serving as the host for the Tennessee PT Association Spring Meeting, April 4-6, 2003. Five great courses will be offered: Pediatric Rehabilitation by Barbara Connolly, PT, EdD, FAPTA; Musculoskeletal Dysfunction in Pregnant and Postpartum Women by Donna Edwards, PT, OCS & Pattie Greene, PT, OCS; Clinical Instructor Certification by Bob Barnhart, PT, MS, PCS, Kathie Westphal, MPT, PhD, & Julie Richards, PT, CSCS; Concepts in Knee Rehabilitation by David Levine, PT, PhD, OCS, Andy Meyer, PT, Marisa Miller, PhD, ATC, Connie Petty, PT, ATC, CHT, Michael Tew, MD, & Gary Wilkerson, EdD, ATC; and Ethics & Jurisprudence by Ann Giffin, PT, MS, Cathy Hinton, PT, PhD, and myself. This last course will meet the need of any of you that will need the ethics & jurisprudence for renewal of licensure in TN. Please review your latest copy of the rules that were just sent by the TN Board of OT/PT Examiners if this applies to you. Please check the TPTA web site for registration information: http://www.tptaonline.org/

The UTC PT Alumni Association will be sponsoring an informal night out during the TPTA meeting. After the course ends on Saturday afternoon at 5:30, everyone will be headed to the Tortilla Factory-across the street from the Aquarium. They have an open aired casual place to eat upstairs. Even if you can't attend the TPTA meeting, please try to stop by and visit with your classmates and friends.

Many of you are probably wondering about the DPT status. We were approved by the UT Board of Trustees in October. A consultant will be here on April 9 to survey the campus and submit a report to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). The plan is for the proposals from UTC and UT Memphis to go to the THEC Board on April 17. We'll keep you posted! You'll probably hear us scream anyway.

Our admissions cycle will begin again on July 1. Please send us great students just like you! Stay in touch & let us know how you're doing.