The UTC Strategic Plan 2008-2013: Critical Partnerships—A Pathway to Excellence
At The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, we are guided by a pledge handed down from generation to generation—“We shall achieve.” This simple yet bold statement tells the world what to expect from our campus. Much emphasis is placed, appropriately so, on the achievement element of this phrase.
Equally important, however, is the subject “we.” The notion that we can do more by working together than by working separately. In a word, partnerships.
Strategic planning must build upon a legacy of achievement and combine with a commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and service. It is a vital, continuous process that contributes to the future success of the University.
As we looked at our strengths, our weaknesses, and our challenges, several themes repeatedly emerged—strong emphasis on student interaction, a commitment to experiential learning, a close relationship with our community and region, and a dedication to our alumni. Partnerships became the foundation of our strategic plan, and from that single idea came a series of strategic directives and action steps. Partnerships between departments. Partnerships between faculty members. Partnerships between students and faculty members. Partnerships between the campus and the community.
The main strategic directives from the plan are:
- Partnerships for Students: Teaching and Learning
- Partnerships for Education and Research
- Partnerships for Diversity
- Enabling Partnerships
Within each of these directives a series of measurable action steps has been developed. Committees have been formed to promote and monitor the progress of each action step and to develop other appropriate measurable outcomes. Another university committee has taken up the task of aligning our budgeting priorities with our planning initiatives.
Our strategic plan calls for UTC to grow in enrollment, including among the best academically prepared students in Tennessee. Our plan calls upon our campus to grow in externally funded research and to address resources and teaching loads to accommodate this. Our plan challenges the campus to discover programs that will bring us national distinction and help us become a major institution of higher education.
In education, in research, and in service, we can find a pathway to excellence through partnerships. Thanks to the outstanding work of everyone who offered their support and input to this plan, we believe we have found that path.
As the campus reclaims a motto that has been handed down to us from generations, we know that the words are not only chiseled in stone on the buildings, but are alive in the classrooms and laboratories. Chattanooga’s university has a strong heritage of success and a bright future awaits us.
