UTC Alumni Director Jayne Holder with UTC graduate (and former Alumni Office
sutdent worker) Kenny Allen at the May Graduation.

On behalf of the UTC Office of Alumni Affairs, we would like to say CONGRATULATIONS and WELCOME to our 2008 graduates of UTC. Those of you who have graduated are now officially a part of the UTC Alumni Association, the GOLD Alumni Program (GOLD=Grads Of the Last Decade) and the University of Tennessee Alumni Association (UTAA is the UT system alumni association).

The UTC Alumni Office is putting together a photo slide show to post on our UTC GOLD Alumni facebook, MySpace account (www.myspace.com/utcmocs) and UTC alumni website (www.utcalumni.com). If you have any photos that you would like to include in this slide show, please e-mail them to alumni@utc.edu. 

Also, as you enter into the “real world” of life after college, make sure you do the following:
1. Tell us about any changes in your life: new job, new e-mail (your @utc.edu will go away soon), new address and phone number (relocation), and any marriage or birth announcements.
2. Register for the UTAA On-line Community
3. Attend UTC Homecoming and other great alumni events
4. Bookmark the UTC Alumni website on your “favorites” list on your computer, and visit it often for news and information. And also make sure to subscribe to the UTC Alumni Moc Blog to receive the latest news.
5. Serve and give back to your alma mater - volunteering time to serve on committees or boards, using your skills to advance the University and making financial contributions to help future UTC students.
6. Wear your UTC apparel and colors with pride.

Congratulations again!
And don’t forget to send us your graduation photos!!!

Forever Mocs!

The UTC Office of Alumni Affairs has initiated a new program for recent graduates titled UTC GOLD, or Graduates Of the Last Decade. UTC GOLD encompases all alumni of UTC who have graduated or passed at least 24 semester hours from the University in the last ten years.  The goal of the program is to help recent graduates stay connected through targeted social and career networking events and also to give them opportunities to learn important skills to help them get established in life after school.

The program will be led and organized by the UTC Alumi Office and a new UTC GOLD Council, comprised of recent alumni. The commitment to the council, will consist of attending two meetings a year in Chattanooga (spring/summer and fall), periodic conference calls, and periodic committee meetings as needed. In addition, this council will be asked to support various special events throughout the year in Chattanooga and in your specific regions throughout the United States. Those interested in applying do not have to live in the greater Chattanooga area. Applications for the new UTC GOLD Council are due by Friday, May 2, 2008.

Learn more about the UTC GOLD program here.

The 2008 Trisha Obear Memorial Tennis Tournament, sponsored by the UTC Alumni Board of Directors, will take place on May 30, 2008 at the UTC Tennis Courts and Manker Patten Tennis Center. The tournament is named after Trisha Obear, former wife and first lady of UTC Chancellor Emeritus Fred Obear, who always played in the UTC Alumni tennis tournament. Partial proceeds from the tournament will go to the Jimmy Jackson Memorial Scholarship Endowment, which is awarded each year to junior and senior students who demonstrate outstanding campus and community service.

Any person may register to play in the tournament, which includes a doubles, round robin mixed format in both a mens and womens division. The registration fee for the tournament is $25 and is due with the registration form no later than Monday, May 26.

For more information, please click here.

Each year the Alumni Board comes together to celebrate and recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the recipients of the two highest honors bestowed on a UTC alumnus at the annual Legends and Leaders dinner. The two honors are that of Outstanding Service Award and the Distinguished Alumnus Award. These awards are to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the community and society and whose accomplishments and career activities have reflected glory on UTC.  This year’s Legends and Leaders Banquet will take place on Friday, May 2, 2008 at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.

 HAROLD McALISTER (UTC ‘71) - DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS

Dr. Harold A. McAlister has been named the 2008 UTC Distinguished Alumnus. After completing his bechelorís degree at UTC, McAlister attended the University of Virginia and received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in astronomy. He joined the faculty of Georgia
State University in 1977, where he founded the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA). CHARA built the world’s most powerful optical interferometric telescope array.

McAlister has written numerous research publications and has served on review, advisory, and oversight panels for the NSF and NASA. He teaches and directs CHARA and serves as Director of the Mount Wilson Institute, a nonprofit organization which manages the Mt. Wilson Observatory.

FRED & RUTH OBEAR - OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD

Chancellor Emeritus Fred Obear and Ruth Obear will be presented with the Outstanding Service Award, an honor given to recognize enthusiastic and committed service to the university. Dr. Obear is currently Chancellor Emeritus of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, following 16 years as chancellor of our campus. As UTC’s chancellor, he led the University in its development as a metropolitan campus, emphasizing its important role as a true partner with the community while taking full advantage of its unique blend of both public and private traditions.

At UTC, First Lady Ruth Obear organized support for the Lady Mocs basketball team with pre-game suppers and was an event organizer in support of UTC’s mission. The Obears demonstrate their love for the campus through their total dedication to UTC. They are actively involved with all athletics teams, academic programs, fine arts presentations, and alumni events and are UTC’s greatest fans, proudly wearing their blue and gold.

The Alpha Delta Pi Chattanooga Alumni Association has recently submitted a new Charter form to the Alpha Delta Pi National Headquarters and is currently seeking local alumni to get involved. If you or someone you know is an Alpha Delta Pi Alum from any chapter, please let them know about this exciting time for Alpha Delta Pi alumni in the greater Chattanooga area!The Chattanooga Alpha Delta Pi Alumni Association is holding a meeting on February 16, 2008 at 2:00pm at Eastgate Town Center at Tennessee Community Counseling Services, Inc. on Brainerd Road. All alumni and active ADPi members are welcome to attend this meeting. The group will be focused on social and philanthropic endeavors, as well as providing support to Beta Beta Chapter at UTC.

Grab your UTC friends and head over to the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX for U2-3D!

DATE: Friday, February 29, 2008
Time: 9:00 p.m. show
Special Discount Admission: $8.95 + 10% off of concessions
Must show UTC ID or UTC alumni card at admission of the show

This Button to Order Tickets

You have the best seat in the house—and, even better, you are right there with Bono, The Edge, Larry, Adam and all of your UTC friends as you experience the music of U2.

U23D is a groundbreaking film that brings the world’s most popular band to theaters in a totally new and engaging way. The first ever live-action 3D concert film, it immerses the audience in an all-enveloping and thrilling cinematic experience. Advanced 3D imagery and cutting-edge surround sound technology are coupled for the first time, to bring a concert to life.

For more information, contact the UTC Alumni Office at 423/425-4785.

(Click image above to go to web album)

The UTC Alumni Office and the UTC Future Alumni Members (The FAM) will hosted an “ALUMNI DAY at the GAME” that included a pre-game reception, special priced tickets, door prizes and more for all UTC alumni.

For more information about the Chattanooga Mocs, please visit www.gomocs.com.

The UTC Office of Alumni Affairs has been around for many years and has helped in the efforts of maintaining communication between the University and it’s alumni, who live across the globe. It has  helped to facilitate activities and programs to bring alumni back together for positive social networking, relationship building and reminiscing about the “college glory days.” And it has helped the University develop advocates to promote the benefits of an incredible and affordable education.

But is there a missing purpose? Is this all that Chattanooga’s alumni office can do? And more imporantly is this all Chattanooga’s alumni office has the resources to accomplish?

The relevance of university alumni offices and associations are often called into question, yet there is a very significant role they can play in helping to strengthen the University AND the alumni base the University produces year after year. (read Building the Case for an Alumni Program, an article by Paul J. Clifford, vice chancellor for alumni relations at East Carolina University, that he wrote for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education -CASE).

In order for us to strengthen the methods we use to serve our alumni AND our University, we’d like to hear from you.  Please help us by answering some of the questions below. Feel free to post a comment on them, or send us your thoughts via e-mail to letusknow@utc.edu. You, in many ways, are our “customers” and “family members” and who better to ask on how to improve our services!  And please, be HONEST yet considerately fair with your responses.

QUESTIONS

1. What should be the main focus of UTC’s office of Alumni Affairs?
2. What needs to change to meet the desires and needs of today’s alumni?
3. How often should the alumni office contact the alumni base?
4. What are the best methods of communication that you would want to receive from the alumni office? (magazine, e-newsletters, e-mails, etc.)
5. In what types of alumni programs would you most likely participate?
6. What are some University and alumni activities for which you would most likely volunteer to help organize and produce?
7. In your opinion, what are the most imporant functions of the UTC Office of Alumni Affairs, in order of importance?
8. Do you feel that it is important to have a separate alumni office for UTC/UC alumni in addition to the University of Tennessee (system) Alumni Association (UTAA)? Again, in your view, what are the most important reasons to have a separate office?
9. How can the University help to provide the resources needed for the UTC Office of Alumni Affairs to strengthen its efforts to serve UTC/UC alumni?
10. General feedback/comments:

Thank you for your time and thought in our effort in strengthening your alumni office.

423/425-4785 - 800/728-4882

On Thursday, November 29, 2007, students, family members, and representatives from the UTC Office of Alumni Affairs, UTC Bookstore, UTC Student Alumni Council and Balfour Company came together for the inaugural Official UTC Class Ring Ceremony. The event took place at the UTC Patten Alumni House, where students were presented with their class ring.

The Official UTC Class Ring Ceremony is a new tradition on campus that honors the students who have purchased the Official UTC Class Ring. During the ceremony, students are presented their rings and told the history and meaning of the symbols on each ring design.

Designed by the Balfour Company, the Official UTC Ring may only be purchased by alumni or students who have completed 60 or more hours of study. The ring is a symbol that celebrates the tradition of our University and serves as an avenue for students and alumni of all generations to share their bond as Forever Mocs!

For more information about the Official UTC Class Ring program, please visit www.utcalumni.com/ring.php.

The Chattanooga Mocs basketball team took on our UT-system rival and #10 nationally ranked Tennessee Knoxville Volunteers on Tuesday, December 4th at The McKenzie Arena. The last time they played, on December 5, 2004, Chattanooga pulled out an upset in Knoxville beating the Volunteers 69-68. (view the archived article from The Chattanoogan).

This year the Vols, now under the direction of Coach Bruce Pearl, won 76-70 despite the aggressive play of the Mocs team and the energized record crowd on hand. Mocs coach John Shulman and his boys were up for the challenge and showed great poise and control, yet Tennessee’s defense caused 34 Mocs turnovers.

Thanks to all who came to support our Mocs and participated in the “Gold Rush.” As you see in the photos, you really took over McKenzie. The Mocs Athletics Department are encouraging all Chattanooga fans to continue supporting the Mocs by coming to all the other home games. For information regarding tickets, please contact the Chattanooga Mocs Athletics Department at 423/266-MOCS or 1-800-472-6050 or by visit www.gomocs.com.

The pre-game pep-rally will took place at the UTC DeSalles-Harrison Racquet Center  which was sponsored by the UTC Alumni Board of Directors and the Hamilton County Chapter of the University of Tennessee Alumni Association. LET’S GO MOCS!!