The University of Tennessee at Martin 2025-2030 Strategic Plan received unanimous approval by the UT Martin Advisory Board during its winter meeting Friday, Jan. 24, in the Boling University Center. The five-year plan, which includes an enrollment goal of 10,000 students by 2030, now goes to the UT Board of Trustees for review during the board’s winter meeting Feb. 27-28 in Martin.
Advisory boards were created for each University of Tennessee campus under the UT FOCUS Act passed during Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration. Board members are appointed by the governor, confirmed by the Tennessee General Assembly, and advise the chancellors, UT president and UT Board of Trustees on matters related to the university campuses. UT Martin graduate Art Sparks of Union City, partner at Alexander Thompson Arnold PLLC, is advisory board chair and presided over the meeting.
UT Martin Chancellor Yancy Freeman outlined the plan’s five goals for the board that will guide the university during the next five years. Those goals focus on achieving sustainable enrollment growth, delivering exceptional education and service, creating and enhancing physical and virtual spaces, strengthening existing partnerships and developing new collaborations, and promoting and celebrating faculty and staff excellence and student achievement.
The goals were developed beginning last fall with initial SWOT analysis sessions conducted by six constituent groups that examined strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Approximately 265 university and community members participated in the SWOT workshops, focus groups or goal working groups. Twenty-four strategies emerged to accomplish the goals, including metrics for tracking progress.
“I am really excited about this plan,” Freeman told the board during his presentation. “It is one that I think is entrepreneurial, and innovative, and creative, and will take us to the next level.
“I’m most excited because it’s not just my plan. It is not just me standing and talking about ‘this is what we will do’ … but 265 people that have contributed to the bottom line of what this plan looks like.”
Art Sparks opened the floor for comments following Freeman’s presentation and offered his assessment of the plan that will serve as a roadmap for the university’s growth and progress.
“Those are five ambitious goals, but they’re all attainable with hard work,” he said. Discussion followed before a unanimous vote approved the plan that moves to the UT Board of Trustees for consideration and final approval in February.
Sparks later closed the meeting by reminding board members of their responsibility for supporting the university.
“We (board members) are the people that should be getting out and talking to people within our communities about all the great things that are going on at UT Martin,” he said. “As we have seen today with these presentations, there are a lot of great things going on, a lot of good things.”
Other reports to the advisory board included:
• Petra McPhearson, senior vice chancellor for finance and administration, reminded the board of the groundbreaking for the Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology (TEST) Hub that is set for 11:30, Feb. 28, behind the Student Recreation Center following the UT Board of Trustees meeting. The TEST Hub was completely funded by the Tennessee General Assembly in April 2022. She also reported plans for other major capital projects that include a new College of Business and Global Affairs Building and new student housing.
• Kurt McGuffin, vice chancellor for athletics, highlighted several academic achievements among Skyhawk student-athletes; 2024 conference championships in men’s basketball and football and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament by Skyhawk women’s basketball; and several facilities improvements, including field renovations and a new fence for Skyhawk baseball. He also discussed the changing landscape in college athletics and the impact of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) on student-athletes and college sports.
•Destin Tucker, assistant vice chancellor for enrollment services, reported unofficial UT Martin spring semester enrollment numbers that currently stand at more than 7,000 students, a 9.5% increase compared to spring 2024. Looking ahead to fall semester, she said the university aims to increase enrollment by more than 5% over fall 2024 enrollment as UT Martin moves toward the strategic-plan goal of 10,000 students in 2030. Dr. Brad Baumgardner, director of retention, added his comments about the university’s record student retention and credited multiple people and university initiatives for keeping students on track to earn degrees.
In addition to Art Sparks, members of the UT Martin Advisory Board are Hal Bynum, Dresden; Chayil Watkins, Rossville, student representative; Dan Strasser, Chapel Hill, alumni representative; Dr. Dan McDonough, faculty representative, Martin; Johnny Woolfolk, Jackson; and Dr. Tonya Reynoldson, Camden. The full meeting is archived for viewing and associated meeting materials are available at www.utm.edu/advisoryboard.
The UTM Advisory Board’s next meeting will be May 16, 2025, in the Boling University Center.
PHOTO: UT Martin Advisory Board chair Art Sparks (left) and university chancellor Dr. Yancy Freeman are pictured during the Jan. 24 meeting of the UT Martin Advisory Board. The board unanimously approved the university’s new strategic plan that now goes to the UT Board of Trustees for consideration at the board’s February meeting in Martin. The full advisory board meeting is archived for viewing and associated meeting materials are available at www.utm.edu/advisoryboard.
