State of the University Address highlights future changes for UT

The University of Tennessee’s interim president Randy Boyd delivered his second State of the University Address on Feb. 14. He spoke of the successes over the past year and goals he has for the future. Students were able to listen via live stream.

The speech began with a brief overview of historical events in UT’s history, like becoming Tennessee’s land grant university and the creation of the UT Space Institute. Boyd also commemorated the acceptance of the first female and African American students to the university.

“In almost every measure, you’d have to say that the 1960’s was one of the most incredible decades in the history of the University of Tennessee,” Boyd said, “but I believe that this next decade could be even greater.”

He announced three initiatives to carry UT into the next decade. They corresponded with three aspects of the university’s mission: education, discovery and engagement.

Education

To further access to education, Boyd announced a dedication to improve online classes. In order to accomplish this, every UT branch will need to share a program rather than work independently.

Additionally, he expressed that mental health resources will receive more attention. This is in part due to growing levels of mental illness on campus.

Lastly, Boyd spoke of ways to lessen student debt.

“It [college] is expensive as hell,” a UT student Lauren Chan said. “I think we should lower student debt, so we can live our lives after college.”

Boyd emphasized the UT Promise as a primary solution to support students whose family income is less than $50,000 ensuring that the students concentrate on their studies without the burden of financial strain. This program aims to provide much relief to students who may face challenge sin accessing their higher studies due to financial constraints and who otherwise might not be able to secure necessary funds through traditional channels. In short, UT Promise is a lifeline for students who can’t get a loan, enabling them to achieve their educational goals and unlock a brighter future.

“Student debt at the University of Tennessee is manageable,” Boyd said. “At the University of Tennessee system, 46% of the students that graduate, graduate with zero debt.”

Discovery

Next on the agenda, Boyd wants to expand research done by UT with a partnership through Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He explained the need for research efforts to expand even more than they already are. The Department of Energy conveyed a demand for research in areas such as artificial intelligence and bioinformatics.

“They have identified the Knoxville area with the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Labs as one of the best areas in the world, or the country, to be able to develop centers of excellence” Boyd said.

Working with the Department of Energy can bring in more funds and more jobs.

Engagement

Boyd’s final point conveyed UT’s commitment to serving their state. He is working with the commissioner of tourism to bring tourists to rural areas. Support for the commissioner of education is done through UT’s high production of teachers.

Boyd also took time to address the growing opioid epidemic in Tennessee. His solution to combating this issue is for UT health sciences to work on creating new prescriptions and train more doctors on alternative procedures. Another solution is for the College of Social Work to study causes and warning signs of opioid addiction. Boyd hopes to push UT campuses, doctors and nonprofits to work together to fight this crisis.

Featured photo courtesy of The University of Tennessee System Office of the President

Edited by Donna Mitchell and Ashley Depew