Planning for the 21st Century
Strengths as Perceived by Faculty:

Item	% Major Strength
The UC Foundation	67.2%
Reasonable Tuition and Fees	61.8%
Emphasis on Teaching	49.5%
Individual Attention Given to Students	41.4%
Excellent Faculty and Staff	37.4%
University Honors Program	31%
UTC's Size	29.8%
UTC's Location	24.1%
UTC's Private Heritage	23.7%
Outreach to the Community	19.9%
Support from the Chattanooga Community	17.8%
General Academic Quality	16.3%
UTC's Focus on its Metropolitan Mission	15.2%
Research Efforts of Faculty	14.3%
UTC's Affiliation with the University of Tennessee	8.5%
Sense of Community Among Students, Faculty, and Staff	7.5%
Alignment of Values, Mission, Goals, and Programs	5.7%
UTC's Athletics Program	2.5%
Application of Technology	2.5%
Employee Salaries and Benefits	2.5%

Item	% Major Obstacle
Inadequate State Funding	81.8%
Low Salaries	70.4%
Unmet Technology Needs	54.8%
Limited Library Resources	53.2%
Budgeting Does Not Reflect Priorities	47.7%
Bureaucratic Processes and Procedures	45.8%
Low Morale Among Faculty and Staff	44.1%
Poorly Prepared Students	32.2%
Lack of Campus Autonomy	31.2%
Inadequate Physical Facilities	28.6%
"Second-Rate" Reputation in Community	27.9%
Unclear Expectations for Faculty Research and Service	26.5%
Dissension Among Divisions of the University	23.7%
Too Much Emphasis on Athletics	21.9%
Lack of Effective Leadership	21.6%
Dissension Among Faculty, Staff, and Administrators	21.1%
Unclear Mission and Goals	18.6%
Low Standards for Students	17.9%
Failure to Respond to Community Needs	8.2%

Priority	Is Now	Should Be
Retaining Excellent Faculty and Staff	2.37	3.87
Improved Salaries and Benefits for Faculty and Staff	1.90	3.80
Teaching Excellence	2.96	3.78
Library Resources	2.12	3.70
Treating Students with Respect	2.94	3.69
Improvement of Physical Facilities	2.34	3.67
Continuous Improvement of Programs and Services	2.66	3.67
Visionary Leadership	2.52	3.66
Technology	2.66	3.64
Development Efforts (Fund Raising)	3.17	3.62
Recruiting Academically Talented Students	2.62	3.61
Providing Electronic Access to Information	2.86	3.55
Academic Advisement	2.89	3.54
Professional Development for Faculty and Staff	2.47	3.47
Retention of Students	2.80	3.46
Faculty Involvement in Decision-Making	2.53	3.45
Maintaining a Clean and Attractive Campus	2.42	3.42
Strategic Planning	2.44	3.41
Undergraduate Programs in Arts and Sciences	2.67	3.36
General Education	3.26	3.26
Small Classes	2.10	3.20
Undergraduate Professional Programs	2.86	3.20
Service/Outreach to the Community	2.82	3.19
Gender Equity	2.63	3.15
Staff Involvement in Decision-Making	2.17	3.12
Providing Access for Non-Traditional (Older) Students	2.89	3.12
Graduate Programs	2.71	3.10
Faculty Research	2.62	3.07
Providing Access for First-Generation College Students	2.64	3.05
Ethnic Diversity	2.86	2.99
Student Housing Facilities	2.91	2.90
Support for the Arts	2.53	2.89
Enrollment Growth	3.29	2.88
Development of New Academic Programs	2.73	2.81
International Education	2.07	2.59
Intercollegiate Athletics	3.10	2.15

News Releases:
A Community Surveyed: Hamilton County Residents Give UTC High Marks
UTC Faculty and Staff Surveyed: State Funding, Salaries Listed as Chief Concerns
UTC Students Surveyed: Students Satisfied with Quality of Institution

Last updated: April 30, 1998.
Comments to: UTC Webdude