The University of Tennessee at Martin Advisory Board met Sept. 20 to discuss the university’s strategic enrollment plan and updates to the campus master plan. A webcast of this meeting will be made available at <a href="http://www.utm.edu/advisoryboard">utm.edu/advisoryboard</a>.

Dr. Philip Acree Cavalier, university provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, discussed the university’s strategic enrollment plan, which is currently being constructed in cooperation with Ruffalo Noel Levitz. RNL has decades of experience working with higher education institutions to develop comprehensive plans for enrollment, marketing and other areas. Cavalier says this process will look at all areas of student recruitment, retention and success in order to help the university anticipate both enrollment and budget numbers at least five years in advance.
<blockquote>“(This plan is) comprehensive in scope. We’re talking about … marketing; we’re talking about recruitment; we’re talking about matriculation; we’re talking about retention and persistence to graduation. We’re not just talking about the front end,” he said. “We’re talking about ‘How do we get students interested?’ and ‘How do we get them here and keep them here so that they graduate?’”</blockquote>
Cavalier says the process will also involve extensive research to determine needs for both new and existing academic programs as well as other aspects of student life.

“We want to have a much clearer sense of what academic needs this area has. … What are the co-curricular activities that would help (students) succeed while they’re here? We want to look at and think about the 24/7 experience of students while they are here and not just the academic experience,” he said.

Dr. Keith Carver, university chancellor, presented the board with updated information regarding the final enrollment numbers for the fall 2019 semester, which show increases in first-time freshmen and overall student headcount. Carver says the university is planning an aggressive out-of-state recruiting plan for the coming years.

Dr. Tim Nipp, director of the UT Martin Physical Plant, discussed potential campus plans to consolidate Greek life housing in the vicinity of the Sorority Village lodges on Peach Street, update available campus housing options, add outdoor pavilion and social spaces to existing buildings, and purchase additional land to expand housing and parking areas, among other improvements.

The construction of the new Latimer Engineering and Science Building on the southeast corner of the existing campus quadrangle will anchor the secondary quad, which is planned to extend west toward the Boling University Center. The Johnson Engineering and Physical Sciences Building will also undergo extensive renovations once academic departments currently occupying that space are moved into the new facility.

The next regular meeting of the UT Martin Advisory Board will be held Jan. 10, 2020. Agenda information will be distributed one week prior to the meeting date.

For more information, contact the UT Martin Office of University Relations at 731-881-7615.

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