The University
Campus Overview
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga educates students to assist in the enlightening and disciplining of their minds and their preparation for ethical and active leadership in civic, cultural, and professional life. To achieve this, the University engages in the complementary and mutually supportive activities of teaching, research, and service.
The University combines the advantages of a strong private tradition with those of a state-assisted institution. Dedicated to providing quality education to a diverse population of approaching 9,000 students, UTC seeks to meet its responsibilities as an emerging metropolitan university, actively involved with regional municipalities, schools, business, and industry and offering expanded instructional opportunities that respond to area needs. The University’s ability to fulfill this role is enhanced by continuing support from its alumni, community, and the University of Chattanooga Foundation, a public, nonprofit organization which administers most of UTC’s private endowment.
The hallmark of the University is outstanding teaching by a talented and committed faculty. Small classes, personalized advising, and frequent opportunities to interact with faculty provide a student-oriented learning experience.
Research is a priority for the campus. Effective teaching and faculty involvement in scholarship, research, and creative activities are interdependent. These activities foster the intellectual growth of the faculty, provide students with opportunities to participate in the development and application of new knowledge, and enhance the region’s growth. A program of well-endowed centers and chairs, (including a significant number of Chairs of Excellence), and professorships builds upon a tradition of faculty research.
The University’s programs provide both a firm grounding in the liberal arts and strong professional preparation. Bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as several post-master’s specialists degrees are awarded through our Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education and Applied Professional Studies, Engineering and Computer Science, and Health and Human Services.
Education at UTC goes beyond the traditional classroom and laboratory as befits an institution where service is also a high priority. UTC faculty members continue to bring their professional expertise to bear on the concerns of the larger community. Moreover, the University takes advantage of its metropolitan location to provide firsthand learning experiences to students through career-related work experience. Innovative programs, such as our University Honor Program, serve exceptionally talented students. Off campus, the University offers credit and noncredit instruction for professional and intellectual development, extending its educational mission to an even broader range of citizens.
UTC has taken the land grant spirit and applied it in Tennessee and the surrounding region to effect positive social and economic change. In its constant pursuit of academic excellence, UTC is committed to several strategic, imperatives:
- Claiming the assets of technology
- Recruiting, retaining, and celebrating diversity in faculty, staff, and students
- Demonstrating accountability
- Enhancing partnerships
- Enhancing the learning environment
- Using evaluation to drive change
As UTC looks to its future and the emerging needs of the metropolitan region, it will continue its commitment to quality education, excellent research, and dedicated service.
