The University
Mission
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will serve as a national model for an engaged metropolitan university whose faculty, staff, and students, in collaboration with external partners, employ the intellectual resources of the liberal arts and professional programs to enrich the lives of those we serve.
Guiding Principles
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga interprets the land-grant spirit of service for the 21st century through people, partnerships, and performance:
People
- We are committed to preparing educated men and women for meaningful and productive lives.
- We educate students for life in a global society.
- We promote and celebrate the diversity of people and ideas.
- We provide reasonable and affordable access to higher education.
Partnerships
- We embrace active and collaborative learning through partnerships among students, faculty, staff, and the community.
- We encourage frequent, respectful, and collegial interaction among students, faculty, staff, and community.
- We provide opportunities for our students to augment intellectual development through participation in artistic, cultural, social, and athletic activities.
- We develop partnerships that strengthen the university and our community.
Performance
- We prepare our students and alumni to apply knowledge to the challenges of a changing society.
- We use the interconnected activities of teaching, research, and service to promote learning, problem solving, and innovation.
- We use technology to enhance teaching, research, operations, and community outreach.
- We use our resources in a prudent manner to accomplish our mission.
- We use multiple measures to evaluate the performance of our students, faculty, staff, and programs.
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.
