UT System President Randy Boyd spoke at the annual spring faculty meeting on April 4.
Boyd spoke to the audience regarding new initiatives for the UT System and took questions at the conclusion of his presentation. UTM Chancellor Dr. Keith Carver also presented to the faculty an update on the Strategic Plan.
Boyd discussed the newly instated UT Promise program and the effect it will have on the school system.
This program will provide funding to Tennessee residents with a combined household income of $50,000 per year or less.
Boyd is no stranger to tuition funding projects like the UT Promise. While Governor Haslam was still in office, Boyd helped initiate the KnoxAchieves program, which served as one of the inspirations for the state’s new means-tested tuition program. He announced his intentions for UT Promise at the Annual State of UT address last month.
“This gives us a great way to market the University of Tennessee,” Boyd said following the address. “This isn’t a school just for the wealthy or the elite. This is a school for everyone.”
The program will make its debut in the fall semester of 2020. In order to qualify for the program, students must apply for full-time enrollment at an eligible school by Dec. 15, 2019. They must also have their FAFSA forms completed by Jan. 15, 2020.
Carver discussed the current status of the Strategic Plan, which will also be discussed during the annual summer Board of Trustees meeting.
The Five-Year Strategic Plan was put into motion two years ago and is focused on academic programs, student success and regional community impact. The objectives for the plan were made after evaluating student and faculty concerns.
Concerns of lack of a faculty and student representation on the Board of Trustees arose during the question portion of the meeting. Boyd assured the audience that while these two prominent groups may not have a vote on the board, they do have a voice that is heard loud and clear.
Following the audience questions, Boyd concluded the meeting by
For more information on the Strategic Plan, visit https://www.utm.edu/strategic/.
For those interested in following policy updates, all UT Board meetings are streamed at https://trustees.tennessee.edu/.
