From UT System President Randy Boyd
I am pleased to announce that I am recommending Yancy Freeman as the next chancellor to lead the University of Tennessee at Martin. I will recommend his election by the Board of Trustees at a special meeting July 14 at 8:45 EDT.
One of the most important responsibilities I have as president is hiring outstanding people to lead our campuses and institutes. Thank you to everyone who participated in the search process. Your involvement and feedback contributed to the process in significant ways. Yancy is the right person at the right time to lead UT Martin. He will bring energy, excitement and expertise to the campus, and will be a generational and transformative leader.
- The biggest challenge and opportunity at Martin will be increasing enrollment and retention, and these are his greatest areas of expertise. Under his leadership at UT Chattanooga, enrollment has held strong while peers have experienced more significant declines, retention and graduation rates have increased significantly, and students of all backgrounds are achieving almost equal success.
- He is a first-generation college graduate and has a passion for serving students. His student-centric focus is just what UT Martin needs, and I believe he will be enthusiastically welcomed by all students.
- He is committed to the state of Tennessee and committed to One UT. I expect him to serve UT Martin for many years to come.
- He is from West Tennessee; his wife is a graduate of UT Martin. He is committed to this region of the state. His roots are here and his future is here. His authentic passion for West Tennessee will make him an excellent recruiter, an effective fundraiser and an engaged member of the community.
- He knows the UT System. He has embraced the OneUT philosophy and knows our culture, lives our Be One UT values, and is known and respected by colleagues across the state. He will be able to reach out to other campuses for partnerships and leverage the entire UT System to its fullest.
- He has broad expertise and experience across enrollment services, student affairs and student success, and has been a trusted partner to faculty and academic leaders. Like all of us, he will be expected to lean on talented colleagues, and he has the fortune of being surrounded by a very strong leadership team already in place. He 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!
- He is student focused, which is such an important attribute for a leader of this great regional campus.
Dr. Freeman is planning to start Aug. 9. Pending the UT Board’s approval, it will be all our responsibility to rally around Dr. Freeman to ensure not just his success, but the success of UT Martin. I couldn’t be more excited for UT Martin and the Skyhawk Family!
