Howard C. Johnson, one of five finalists for the position of UT Chancellor, visited campus Thursday and Friday to meet with President Petersen, members the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, faculty and students.

In a Friday afternoon forum held in the Hodges Library auditorium, Johnson, provost and vice president of academic affairs at the University of North Texas, praised UT and spoke with excitement about the chancellor position.

He said of UT's students, “They’re thoughtful and it’s crystal clear that they love the University of Tennessee.”

Johnson honored the faculty as being outstanding and listed the achievements of several professors, including Terrell Strayhorn, Suzanne Lenhart and Jay Rubenstein.

Administrators come and go…the staff is the backbone of the institution
-Howard C. Johnson, UT chancellor candidate

“Outstanding faculty nurture outstanding students,” he said.

He also spoke on the importance of the infusion of financial capital to support faculty and staff. Johnson said that he would be more than willing to work with the staff’s union.

“Administrators come and go…the staff is the backbone of the institution,” he said.

When asked how to balance UT’s competitive entrance requirements with its responsibility to the state as a land-grant institution, Johnson suggested stepping back and evaluating the system.

He said that UT should reach out to K-12 schools and not wait until potential students are juniors or seniors in high school.

He also commended UT’s status as a research institution and said that he wants to get more undergraduate students involved in the research.

When questioned about budget reductions, he stressed that institutions must move forward even through tight budgeting restraints.

“They’re not pleasant, but there’s a way of thinking about that…you put all the opportunities out front and then engage in the trade-off,” Johnson said .

He gave his vision of a campus community with a shared sense of welfare.

“Shared governance is foundational to effective leadership,” he said.