John Abel, former Director of the University Center, has been appointed Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.
The position became available in March, 2014, upon the retirement of David Belote, and the search for a new Assistant Vice Chancellor began in the fall. “ I was very interested in the position and decided to apply. After two rounds of interviews with the selection committee, I was offered the position,” says Abel.
As Assistant Vice Chancellor, Abel will focus on budget and policy issues that will affect the Division of Student Affairs, work with each department on budget issues and priorities and work with colleagues at other UT campuses on policy issues as they arise. Abel will also still have an active role in Student Life at UT Martin and continue to advise SGA.
When asked about his goals as the new Assistant Vice Chancellor, Abel said, “The overriding goal will always be to improve the support and services we provide students from the Division of Student Affairs. As the Assistant Vice Chancellor, I will be able to work with all the departments of Student Affairs to achieve this goal. Effective and efficient budgeting will also be a priority. A major goal will be building a sustainable budget model for the division.”
Abel also said that he would miss many things about his previous position as Interim Director of the UC.
“I will miss a lot of things, but mostly I will miss the daily and constant interaction with students that you get from working in the University Center. I have been in the University Center for over 15 years, and we are the hub of the campus with a constant flow of students. I will miss that level of student interaction the most as I transition to working over in the Administration Building.”
Though he may not get the level of interaction with students as he once did, John Abel will continue to serve UT Martin and its students to the best of his abilities.
