Dr. Yancy Freeman, who will be the next chancellor of UT Martin, participates in a chancellor’s candidate forum on campus earlier this summer. Freeman’s appointment was officially approved July 14 during a special meeting of the UT Board of Trustees. | Photo courtesy University Relations
KNOXVILLE – UT Martin has a new chancellor after a special meeting of the UT Board of Trustees held Friday morning, July 14, 2023.
Trustees approved UT System President Randy Boyd’s recommendation earlier in the week that Dr. Yancy Freeman be appointed as the next chancellor of UT Martin. Freeman was most recently the vice chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at UT Chattanooga.
Freeman’s appointment is effective Aug. 9, 2023, and he will replace Dr. Keith Carver, who moved to senior vice chancellor/senior vice president of the UT Institute of Agriculture earlier in the year. The board also approved Freeman’s compensation and terms.
“Dr. Freeman is the right person at the right time to lead UT Martin. His student-centric focus is just what UT Martin needs, and I believe he will be enthusiastically welcomed by all students,” Boyd said. “Dr. Freeman has proven to be a great listener, collaborator and team builder, and with the leadership already in place, I think the sky is the limit!”
Freeman has served at UT Chattanooga for the past 25 years in various admissions, recruitment and enrollment roles. A first-generation college graduate, Freeman completed an undergraduate degree in Political Science, a master’s degree in Public Administration, and a doctorate in Learning and Leadership from UT Chattanooga. He currently serves on the boards of the Public Education Foundation in Chattanooga, The River City Company, and Chattanooga 2.0. Freeman was named a 2018 Top 30 Influential Leader in Chattanooga by City Scope Magazine, and he holds active memberships within several honor societies including Golden Key, Alpha Society and Phi Eta Sigma. Freeman is also a 2020 graduate of the UT System’s Executive Leadership Institute.
The UT Martin chancellor is the chief executive officer of the campus and serves on the UT System leadership team, reporting directly to the UT System president. The chancellor’s primary responsibilities are to promote academic excellence and to provide leadership and administration of the Martin campus. The chancellor is also expected to provide visionary leadership in strategic initiatives to enhance the standing of the university, budget planning and accountability, shared governance, enhancement of diversity and resources, engagement of the university with the wider community and other elements of administrative policy.
The search committee, chaired by UT System Senior Vice president and Chief Financial Officer David Miller, launched the chancellor search in February and was conducted by a committee of faculty, staff, students and alumni community members. The committee invited three candidates to campus earlier this month. For details about the search process, please visit the search website.
The UT System is composed of campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski and Martin; the Health Science Center based in Memphis; and the statewide Institute of Agriculture and Institute for Public Service. The UT System has a presence in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties.
