Beyond the Classroom Challenge
How does the Beyond the Classroom Challenge work?
- Sign up to receive a weekly list of the best fun, free events on campus and in the community.
- Complete the Beyond the Classroom Challenge in one of two ways:
- Fully participate and reflect on 10 events
- Have completed a designated experience the prior semester, then fully participate and reflect on five events.
- Complete a post-challenge reflection survey and turn in a photo.
Weekly Events List - Listed Below
The Beyond the Classroom Challenge is a way for students to jump into a broad variety of FREE campus and community events, learning more about UTC, Chattanooga, and themselves—all based on their own schedules and interests. Each event will help students get to know UTC and Chattanooga and learn where to get more involved.
By completing the challenge, students can receive the Beyond the Classroom Challenge Award, which includes a pictorial award signed by UTC's Chancellor, Steve Angle, a celebratory dinner with your fellow award winners, priority registration during the registration period of the following semester and all points accumulate toward being recognized as a ThinkAchieve Graduate.
Beyond the Classroom Challenge
Weekly Events for 11/10-11/16
In-Person/Online Events
Monday, November 10
ImPASTA Syndrome
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Lupton Hall 119
Feeling like a fettuccini fraud?
Join us on for a delicious lunch and a discussion on imposter syndrome!
This Monday at 11 am in Lupton Hall Room 119. Learn more here.
Fall Into Fun: Mental Health Workshop Series
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
University Center 128
This education-based group helps students strengthen their mental health through hands-on activities and peer connection. Explore a wide range of therapeutic exercises designed for different needs, learn real-life skills you can apply every day, and build supportive social connections while promoting overall wellness. RSVP and learn more here.
National French Week at UTC
6:30 pm
Lupton Hall, 239
Join the Department of Modern & Classical Languages and Literatures for events from November 5th through the 10th for our celebration of National French Week on campus! Join us for our Fête du fromage! We will have cheese and possibly even fondue! All are welcome for this celebration of French food and culture to close out our National French Week celebrations on campus. Vive la francophonie! RSVP and learn more here.
Beat Hunger!
7:30 pm
Roland Hayes Concert Hall
Our Percussion Ensemble will be performing their annual “Beat Hunger” concert one week from today! Admission is any non-perishable food item that will be donated to Scrappy’s Cupboard, a food pantry for the UTC community. Learn more here.
Tuesday, November 11
AI For Everyone
11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Fletcher Hall
Join us for AI For Everyone hosted by the Business Analytics Club and Data Department. This event will showcase the many things AI technology can do, free food will be provided, and a debate to conclude, with the questions "Should we use AI for homework?" Students and Professors will be presenting research and applications of AI technology on the Second Floor of Fletcher Hall. Beginning at 11 am and finishing at 2 pm. RSVP here.
Lead Belay Clinic
UTC Outdoors
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Learn how to lead climb and lead belay at the UTC Climbing Wall. Each clinic will provide in-depth instruction and experiential learning to safely lead climb indoors. This clinic is free and requires pre-registration in the Outdoors Center Office, on the first floor of the Aquatics and Recreation Center (ARC). All equipment is included. *You must be belay certified in order to participate in this event.* Learn more here.
UTC Film Club Weekly Showing – Dead Poets' Society
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Grote Hall 129
UTC Film Club invites you to a weekly movie night! This week, we are showing Dead Poets' Society (1989) directed by Peter Weir. The film follows a group of boarding school students inspired by a rebellious English teacher to bring their own meanings to self-expression and poetry writing. We will also be joined by UTC Thespian and Intro to Film Professor Dylan Kussman who plays Richard Cameron in the film. Join us for a special Q&A where we discuss self-expression in art, teaching, and filmmaking! RSVP and learn more here.
Wednesday, November 12
Fall Into Fun: Mental Health Workshop Series
9:30 pm – 10:30 pm
University Center 128
This education-based group helps students strengthen their mental health through hands-on activities and peer connection. Explore a wide range of therapeutic exercises designed for different needs, learn real-life skills you can apply every day, and build supportive social connections while promoting overall wellness. RSVP and learn more here.
Thursday, November 13
Shuptrine & Shuptrine: Brushstrokes Through the Generations
Shuptrine’s Gallery
4:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Shuptrine & Shuptrine: Brushstrokes Through the Generations, showcases the extraordinary talents of two generations from one of the South’s most prolific art families: Alan Shuptrine and his father, Hubert Shuptrine (1936–2006). Both artists are internationally recognized for their museum exhibitions, representation in museum collections, and acclaimed fine art publications. This exhibition features a range of works from Alan Shuptrine’s Scotland tour in watercolor alongside Hubert Shuptrine’s work spanning the years of 1977-2006. Shuptrines Gallery showcases this legacy of artistry and the exhibition will be on display through December. We invite you to join us for a Special Artist Meet and Greet to celebrate these two renowned artists and their amazing talent! Learn more here.
Inside The Art, Outside Ourselves: Cory Knedler & Young Ae Kim
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Stove Works
Inside the Art, Outside Ourselves is a series of workshops that each invite you to spend time reflecting on a specific artwork from our main exhibition, An Invisible Current: Engaging with History, curated by Epiphany Knedler & Tim Rickett. Through guiding prompts and conversation, we encourage you to dig deeper into the work, think meaningfully about the ideas presented, and to respond with drawing or writing exercises. Learn more here.
Friday, November 14
Compost-a-ween!
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Chamberlain Pavilion
Do you want to smash some pumpkin? This is an event held every year by EDGE where we bring awareness to composting while having fun and smashing some pumpkins! Do you need to get rid of some pumpkins? We are Partnering with the composting company NewTerra to have a pumpkin drop off at the Holt Hall loading dock. Some of the pumpkins will be used to smash during the event! The bins will be out from October 29th-November 14th.
We will have FREE FOOD and APPLE CIDER! Learn more here.
Chattanooga Singers, Chamber Singers, & Guthrie Quartet
7:30 pm
Roland Hayes Concert Hall
The UTC Chattanooga Singers is a concert choir of male and female voices that performs a wide variety of music from a cappella works to major works with full orchestra. They have a long tradition of performing in the Chattanooga area, throughout the United States, and abroad. The UTC Chamber Singers is a chorus of male and female voices that performs a wide variety of music, including formal chamber music, folk songs, spirituals, and vocal jazz. It is the main touring choir in the Music Department at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In addition to frequent U.S. tours, the Chamber Singers tour internationally. Learn more here.
Saturday, November 15
Project ReWild
9:00 am – 11:00 am
Reflection Riding Arboretum, 400 Garden Rd, Chattanooga, TN, 37419
Restore natural habitats as you learn about invasive species and how to combat them with native plants. Habitat restoration is a continuous commitment to nature. This event is free but requires all participants to sign the waiver. Register and learn more here.
Scratching Your Roots Black Genealogy Society
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Downtown Public Library
The Scratching Your Roots Black Genealogy Society (SYRBGS), in partnership with the Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas, meets every other month to discuss and explore family history research with support and resources from the Library’s Local History and Genealogy Department. Meetings are open to the public, and SYRBGS welcomes anyone interested in learning more about African American genealogy and discovering ancestors of African descent. Learn more here.
Resident Workshop: Quilting with Jules Sease
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Stove Works
Join Artist in Residence Jules Sease for a workshop in the classroom! Participants will first sew a 9-block square to cut and sew, and cut and sew, and cut and sew again, transforming it into a funky, one-of-a-kind crazy quilt block. By exploring different cuts and pattern variations, each participant will discover new, creative ways to think about what quilting can be. At the end of the workshop, participants may choose to keep their individual block or contribute it to a collaborative quilt made from everyone’s creations. Learn more and RSVP here.
Veteran’s Ruck Day
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River St.
Join us for a quiet, meaningful community walk to honor the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans. You’re invited to wear a ruck (weighted backpack) as a symbol of the burdens our service members carry—or come unweighted and simply walk in support. Bring a flag, a photo, or the name of a veteran you’re honoring; we’ll take a moment to reflect and carry their stories with us. All are welcome—veterans, families, and supporters of every age and pace. Pre-registration is required; full details will be emailed after you sign up. Register and lean more here.
Sunday, November 16
Urban Birding Monthly November
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Stove Works
Join local Bird Enthusiast Clay Aldridge on an informal birding walk around the neighborhood (and sometimes Sculpture Fields). Birds tend to fade into the background of our every day activities. Clay wants to take a moment to pay attention to them, and to our urban environment in general. Clay will help find and identify the birds you share a home with. RSVP here.
Library Events
Monday, November 10
No library events scheduled today.
Tuesday, November 11
No library events scheduled today.
Wednesday, November 12
Free Workshop: Science and the Media
10:10 am - 11:00 am
Online
Ever feel confused about whether to believe a scientific claim? Does chocolate really cure cancer? Come explore how science is communicated in the media and what you can do to evaluate evidence for yourself. RSVP here.
Free Workshop: Making Zines in InDesign
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Library Room 204
What's a zine anyway? Zines are self-published magazines, and anyone can make one about anything! Join the Studio to learn more about zines and how to make one using InDesign. RSVP here.
Thursday, November 13
Free Workshop: Science and the Media
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Online
Ever feel confused about whether to believe a scientific claim? Does chocolate really cure cancer? Come explore how science is communicated in the media and what you can do to evaluate evidence for yourself. RSVP here.
Free Workshop: PowerPoint: Back to Basics
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Online
Need to get ready for an important presentation and don’t know how to create the perfect slideshow for the event? Look no further. This beginner workshop covers the basics of PowerPoint tools to get you set up for making your presentation just right! RSVP here.
Friday, November 14
No library events scheduled today.
Saturday, November 15
No library events scheduled today.
Sunday, November 16
No library events scheduled today.