Planning for the 21st Century
Strengths as Perceived by Non-Exempt Staff:

Item	% Major Strength
The UC Foundation	47.5%
UTC's Location	42.6%
Reasonable Tuition and Fees	37.0%
Emphasis on Teaching	35.5%
UTC's Size	33.3%
Excellent Faculty and Staff	29.2%
University Honors Program	27.0%
UTC's Private Heritage	26.8%
General Academic Quality	25.0%
Individual Attention Given to Students	23.4%
Support from the Chattanooga Community	18.9%
UTC's Affiliation with the University of Tennessee	16.9%
Alignment of Values, Mission, Goals, and Programs	15.7%
Outreach to the Community	14.6%
Research Efforts of Faculty	14.1%
UTC's Athletics Program	14.1%
Sense of Community Among Students, Faculty, and Staff	12.9%
Application of Technology	12.9%
UTC's Focus on its Metropolitan Mission	12.3%
Employee Salaries and Benefits	5.9%

Item	% Major Obstacle
Low Salaries	79.7%
Inadequate State Funding	70.8%
Low Morale Among Faculty and Staff	62.6%
Budgeting Does Not Reflect Priorities	61.3%
Bureaucratic Processes and Procedures	57.2%
Unmet Technology Needs	57.1%
Limited Library Resources	41.4%
Dissension Among Faculty, Staff, and Administrators	38.8%
Dissension Among Divisions of the University	37.2%
Lack of Campus Autonomy	31.7%
Poorly Prepared Students	29.6%
Lack of Effective Leadership	29.6%
Too Much Emphasis on Athletics	29.0%
Inadequate Physical Facilities	28.4%
"Second-Rate" Reputation in Community	22.6%
Unclear Mission and Goals	20.9%
Low Standards for Students	19.0%
Unclear Expectations for Faculty Research and Service	18.2%
Failure to Respond to Community Needs	10.8%

Priority	Is Now	Should Be
Retaining Excellent Faculty and Staff	2.69	3.81
Improved Salaries and Benefits for Faculty and Staff	2.11	3.80
Treating Students with Respect	2.92	3.74
Teaching Excellence	2.97	3.73
Technology	3.00	3.68
Continuous Improvement of Programs and Services	2.99	3.64
Retention of Students	2.87	3.62
Providing Electronic Access to Information	2.96	3.61
Library Resources	2.52	3.60
Visionary Leadership	2.71	3.56
Academic Advisement	2.89	3.53
Development Efforts (Fund Raising)	3.24	3.50
Maintaining a Clean and Attractive Campus	2.80	3.50
Recruiting Academically Talented Students	2.93	3.49
General Education	3.20	3.48
Professional Development for Faculty and Staff	2.53	3.48
Improvement of Physical Facilities	2.55	3.47
Undergraduate Professional Programs	2.85	3.43
Graduate Programs	2.88	3.40
Strategic Planning	2.73	3.38
Staff Involvement in Decision-Making	2.17	3.33
Undergraduate Programs in Arts and Sciences	2.85	3.32
Development of New Academic Programs	2.85	3.31
Providing Access for Non-Traditional (Older) Students	2.79	3.26
Enrollment Growth	3.28	3.24
Providing Access for First-Generation College Students	2.79	3.23
Small Classes	2.52	3.22
Service/Outreach to the Community	2.79	3.18
Faculty Involvement in Decision-Making	2.74	3.18
Student Housing Facilities	3.09	3.17
Ethnic Diversity	2.87	3.03
Gender Equity	2.61	3.03
Support for the Arts	2.53	3.01
Faculty Research	2.76	2.86
International Education	2.29	2.63
Intercollegiate Athletics	2.91	2.50

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