Dr. Keith Carver has been recommended as the 10th chancellor for UTM.
Pending board approval, he hopes to focus his time and efforts on student success.
Dr. Joe DiPietro, president of the UT System, recently announced his recommendation for Keith Carver as the next chancellor of UTM. This recommendation will go before the UT Board of Trustees at their next meeting in Knoxville on Oct. 13 and 14.
Carver has spent time serving as UTM’s assistant vice chancellor for development from 2006 to 2010 and has been the executive assistant to the president for Dr. DiPietro since he took office in 2011.
Carver studied at the University of Memphis, and earned his masters and doctorate degrees from UT Knoxville. If appointed to UTM, he would be joined by his wife, Hollianne, and their family, all of whom are very excited about the opportunity to come back to Martin.
As a new team player at UTM, Carver would want to focus on first becoming a student of the school. Traditions, organizations, each of the colleges and all of the small things that make up this university are important to Carver. He believes that if he can gather information, then hold focus groups and hearing sessions that he will be well equipped to hear out the needs of the students and faculty.
“I think… Martin can be excellent in terms of student success, not just looking at enrollment, but truly taking students as they’re in high school and community college, and helping them get through and navigate the recruiting, admission, orientation and advising processes,” said Carver. “They get connected through research projects, cooperative experiences and internships. [Once they graduate,] students really feel like they’ve been embraced, nurtured and prepared. That’s what student success is about: embracing them and supporting them.”
Because of his position within the UT System, Carver has exposure to the state legislature and policies that have come through it within the last several years. He hopes to bring that knowledge to The Nest and see how we can embrace some of the methods that worked at other institutions.
Carver refers to Martin as an access to education for not only young people in the surrounding area, but also business and corporations throughout all of west Tennessee who can benefit from the intellectual capital of our campus. He knows that between the experience of faculty and the dedication of students, UTM can give back to the greater region and always be present in important discussions for the area.
Carver says that above all he has missed interacting with students regularly and hopes that, if selected to serve at UTM, he can talk and work with students and faculty closely and often. The Board of Trustees meeting will be livestreamed and students can watch along as the final decision is made on Oct. 13 and 14 at http://trustees.tennessee.edu/webcasts/
