Faculty and staff at the University of Tennessee at Martin were welcomed to campus by Chancellor Yancy Freeman Sr. and other administrators at the annual campus-wide opening meeting, held Aug. 17 in Watkins Auditorium in the Boling University Center.
Administrators recognized new faculty and staff, provided updated reports to those in attendance and announced faculty and staff achievements that took place over the previous school year.
In Freeman’s opening, he spoke about the phrase “Every Student, Every Time.”
“I am thankful for the folks who are here, thankful for the work that you do and that you lean into it and invest in our students,” he said. “It’s not a catch phrase or a slogan for us. It is something that I truly believe sits at the core of who we are as an institution.
“For me, it means that it does not matter where you came from, does not matter what you have, does not matter what you want to achieve, that if you come here and you work hard, students can have success on our campus. I thank you for the work that you’ve done to make sure ‘Every Student, Every Time’ is not a catch phrase and not a slogan but a part of who we are.”
Freeman spoke about the coming construction projects for UT Martin’s main campus, which includes the Business Administration Building, which is scheduled to be demolished this fall; the Cattle Outreach and Workforce (COW) facility, a $4.2 million agricultural sciences facility still in development; the Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology (TEST) Hub, which began construction last April adjacent to the Student Recreation Center; and the demolition of Browning Hall, which is underway.
Freeman mentioned UT Martin’s continued impact on the area through its regional centers in Jackson, Parsons, Ripley, Selmer, Somerville and Springfield, increasing the ability for people in West and Middle Tennessee to earn a four-year degree.
Dr. Laurie Couch, who began her role as provost in April, spoke about the ways the university seeks to bolster and increase student success. She introduced faculty and staff who would work with the new reading task force, which would help students improve their reading skills and comprehension, leading to more student success in the classroom.
She added that increased career guidance and career development will help students find more success.
Petra McPhearson, senior vice chancellor for finance and administration, discussed the budget for Fiscal Year 2027, including tuition, funding and the effects of enrollment on the budget.
She announced that, beginning in Fiscal Year 2028, the university will no longer assess an additional rate for online classes for face-to-face students with 12 or more credit hours.
Classes for the fall 2026 semester began Aug. 24, with the fall commencement scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12. For more information about UT Martin, visit www.utm.edu or call 1-800-829-UTM1 (-8861).
PHOTO: UT Martin Chancellor Yancy Freeman Sr. speaks to faculty and staff during a campus-wide opening meeting Aug. 17 in the Phillip Watkins Auditorium in the Boling University Center. In the meeting, administrators recognized new faculty and staff, provided updated reports to those in attendance and announced faculty and staff achievements that took place over the previous school year.
