A Mission for UTC

Debbie Ingram, PT, EdD
UC Foundation Associate Professor
and Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education

I must admit I was quite surprised to be invited to speak before this group. I even laughed because as a graduate student pursuing a degree in educational leadership, I actually took a class studying college mission statements, visions, goals, and plans for assessment. The chairman of my doctoral committee was Dr. Grady Bogue, the former Chancellor at LSU, a leader in the outcome assessment movement, and one of the original writers of formula funding here in Tennessee. At my graduation, Dr. Bogue pulled me aside and encouraged me to use the knowledge, skills and abilities acquired through my education and experiences to serve as a leader in higher education. Instead, I chose to use these skills within my profession. While a UTC faculty member, I was elected and served for 2 years as the Vice President of our national organization for physical therapy licensing boards. This organization is comprised of the 53 regulatory bodies in the United States. To create our mission statement, vision, and strategic plan, we conducted a membership survey, performed an environmental assessment and SWAT analysis, and surveyed other healthcare regulatory bodies and professional associations in a benchmark survey. This benchmark survey was instrumental in helping us set the course for the next five years. I am now serving as the academic chairman for clinical education for the American Physical Therapy Association. Our Board also developed a mission statement, vision, and strategic plan. We involved our members in the process.

Ernest Boyer stated, "An effective college has a clear and vital mission. Administrators, faculty, and students share a vision of what the institution is seeking to accomplish." It is indeed an honor and a privilege for me as a physical therapy faculty member, to share my thoughts with you.

Mission statements should reflect an institution's purpose, role, strategic direction, and scope of programs and services offered. Previous speakers have addressed these particular areas. I have chosen to focus on another element. What are the characteristics that distinguish our institution from other institutions of its type?

Our physical therapy faculty faced a challenge a couple of years ago. Across the country, the number of students choosing to pursue our major was declining. We were now competing directly with other programs throughout the southeast. In order to attract quality students, we developed a presentation entitled "Why UTC?" We surveyed our students, alumni, and faculty to identify our strengths.

In preparation for today, I became a woman on a mission, to find the vision of our mission at UTC! I went to the University Center, the Bloodmobile, and my classes. I asked students the same question: "Why UTC?" It was not a scientific study. It was merely a means for me to confirm some of my suspicions.

One of the reasons students come to UTC is for the programs or degrees offered. It is the primary reason noted by our majors. A note of concern I would like to share is that we must adequately fund our programs and departments in order to provide quality education. Particularly in the professional programs, we must offer the degree suggested by the national organizations. For example, UTC was one of the last programs in the nation to convert to a post-baccalaureate PT degree. Now, half of the US entry-level PT programs have already converted or are in the process of converting to the professional doctorate level. If we don't offer the programs and degrees students need, then our recruitment efforts will be hampered. The impact will be felt not only in the respective departments, but the University as a whole because of the pre-majors.

Students across the campus remarked that the strength of our University is the faculty. In my experience, our faculty takes great pride in their role as mentors and teachers. I enjoy hearing various professors share stories about their students each year at the Instructional Excellence Retreat. Every time I visit the psychology department, I see Rich Metzger's eyes light up as students come by with questions. He introduces them to me. During my quest for our mission, engineering and education majors in the Bloodmobile shared particular examples of teachers on this campus that have made a difference in their lives. One of our PT students summed it up best: "You know my name. That speaks volumes."

Our role as faculty doesn't end at graduation. For you see, we have developed lifelong commitments to learning and we serve as vital resources to our alumni and the rest of the community. It is not uncommon for me to get a call each day requesting advice or asking my opinion on a particular issue. We do so much more than just teach our classes!

This University cannot afford to lose any more of our wonderful teachers. It must become our mission to retain competent faculty!

I recognize that UTC attracts students predominantly from this region. We are considered a commuter school. But, did you know that just within our program, we've had a student who was elected the national president of the student assembly for the American Physical Therapy Association? We've also had an Olympic athlete, a gymnast who won the national championship while a student at Stanford, and a former president of the student body at another university. Each department has similar stories they could tell. It is our mission to recruit quality students to our campus! I believe we as a faculty have a responsibility in carrying out this mission. It should not be left to the recruitment office alone!

I'm not making a profound statement by reminding all of you that the cost of pursuing a college education has increased significantly. Our students told me that they chose UTC because it was a public institution and one that was more reasonably priced. However, students have been forced to bear the burden of our recent state budget woes. I listened as a student trembled and tears welled up in her eyes as she told me she has $50,000 in student loans to repay with another year left in school. So, I sat down with my students and we calculated the cost of three years of graduate school for an adult living on his or her own. Our estimate is that it will cost between $40,000-50,000. There are too few scholarship opportunities available for graduate students. We are becoming less affordable to the average student.

As a faculty member in the College of Health & Human Services, it goes without saying that "service" is in our name and thus, it is a vital part of our mission. Each department offers opportunities for students to volunteer in our community. My students spent two Saturdays in September working at the Creative Discovery Museum, teaching children what it's like to have a disability. In Dr. Randy Walker's class, students assembled wheelchairs at Goodwill Industries. Students conducted balance and fall risk assessments for elderly persons at the YMCA and Hamilton Place Mall in Dr. Nancy Fell's class. And, students in Dr. Ralph Anderson's class performed SWAT analyses for non-profit organizations. I'm going to run out of time if I keep listing the wonderful examples of faculty and students actively assisting our community! What becomes clear is that not only are the students offering a service to the community, but also they are learning and applying their knowledge and skills at the same time. It is our mission to prepare our students to take the knowledge we impart and apply it in the "real world."

This University has a vital role in promoting scholarly activities. I advocate Ernest Boyer's broader definition of scholarship. It includes research activities (discovery), integration across disciplines (interaction), addressing social problems plaguing our world (application), and improving teaching.

We are preparing tomorrow's workforce. Our students are adults. They expect to be treated with dignity and respect. I would be embarrassed to show you the written comments I received regarding the unprofessional behaviors exhibited by some employees on this campus. All faculty and staff should model the behaviors we want to see in our workforce of tomorrow. We are their mentors.

My final remarks are meant to encourage us to continue to make improvements in student life. The overwhelming theme I heard from students was a desire that this University be more of a "community." I tried to put this in perspective. I transferred to a metropolitan university for my major. There was no campus life, even though the university had over 25,000 students. I only went to my classes and the library. While I received the desired degree, I missed the opportunity to interact with other students outside the classroom. So, in my quest for a vision of our mission, I asked transfer students to give me specific examples of things their former institutions offered that they missed at UTC. An outdoor pool, a park, frequent concerts, a nice campus cafeteria or restaurant, and conveniently located restaurants near campus (campus strip) were examples they listed. But, community is more than things. It is an atmosphere that must be cultivated by each and every one of us in all that we do for this University.

In closing, I called my dad last night. He is a UC alumnus. I asked him why he had chosen UTC for graduate school. He listed three things: the reputation of the University, the fact that the education department was accredited, and the strong faculty. After 50 years, he even remembered the names of some of the faculty. Our University has maintained high academic standards and continued to meet the educational needs of our community. I am also a graduate of this University. I am proud of our accomplishments and I look forward to the many positive changes that can be made for continued growth. My final question is this: What will our graduates remember about UTC in 50 years?

A Mission for UTC

Debbie Ingram, PT, EdD UC Foundation Associate Professor and Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education

Debbie Ingram, PT, EdD
UC Foundation Associate Professor
and Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education