New University of Tennessee colleges aligned with goals to elevate the entire state
In a major academic restructuring of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, administrators have created three new colleges to meet the emerging needs of students balanced with administrators' goal to lift up the entire state of Tennessee.
In short, administrators say, even Tennesseans who have never attended the university will benefit from the changes.
"We have a huge responsibility in the workforce development and helping the state meet its needs," said Chancellor Donde Plowman. "It's a great time to be a Tennessean," she said, adding there is an influx of business, students and families in the state.
The university's Board of Trustees unanimously approved three colleges Feb. 24:
Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs, turning the existing Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy and the new and Institute of American Civics into a freestanding college with degree programs. The school will work to develop Tennessee's future leaders in government, public policy and public service.
College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies, working to keep Tennessee in the conversation as a national technology leader. The college will have innovative programs in data science, artificial intelligence, sustainability and health and house "world-changing research."
College of Music, with programs designed to support the rapidly changing music economy in Tennessee and around country, propelling Nashville into an even more powerful creative and economic center.
"We're a university on the rise," Plowman said, adding that the new units align with the university's strategic vision for growth.
"We think more opportunities for students, better for the state in terms of answering its workforce needs. Win, win all around," Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor John Zomchick said.
University of Tennessee positioned for growth
At a time when colleges around the country are struggling to recruit students because of the financial burden of education, the University of Tennessee System's enrollment has stayed steady, according to data shared at the meeting.
The University of Tennessee in Knoxville in particular is "bucking the trend" when it comes to enrollment, UT System President Randy Boyd said.
Administrators believe these three new offerings will help show families their investment is worthwhile.
"Each of these three units, we feel, are intricately tied to the identity of the state of Tennessee," Zomchick said.
All three will begin operations in July. The proposal will now go to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for consideration.
What will the new colleges look like?
College of Music
From the founding of country music in Bristol to its current home in Nashville, and from to Dollywood to Sun Records in Memphis, music is the identity of Tennessee, Zomchick said.
The College of Music is being elevated out of the existing College of Arts and Sciences, the university's largest undergraduate college. The new college will be housed in the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center.
Jeffrey Pappas, the current director of the music school, will be the college's inaugural dean.
The current music school has about 200 students enrolled, Zomchick said, and the new college will be able to add another 100.
The College of Arts and Sciences currently spends $7.5 on the Music College and the realignment will cost another $2 million.
The existing music program has brought in over $31 million in the last decade through fundraising efforts. Administrators anticipate that donor base will increase substantially with the new standalone college. The school also currently holds $11.75 million in endowments and $705,000 in gift dollars.
The new college also will mean new positions, such as:
A new associate dean for academic and faculty affairs
A new associate dean for research and development
A new associate dean to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts
A new assistant dean to oversee budgeting
The projected expenditure on faculty, staff and personnel salaries and benefits for the first year $8.4 million, according to documents shared at the board of trustees meeting.
Baker School of Public Policy
Tennessee "is so well-administered that we're becoming the envy of the other 49 states in the union," Zomchick said, and the new public policy school will build on that tradition.
The idea of a designated school for public policy isn't a new one. In a 1998 memo, University President Joseph Johnson wrote about establishing a “Baker School of Government.” A 2009 task force also recommended streamlining the Baker Center's structure.
The new school will remain housed in the existing prominent building on Cumberland Avenue, which was built in 2008 using public and private funds.
"The Baker School of Public Policy is going to be a beacon of light for civil discourse and civic engagement," Boyd said.
The center's current research program has brought in $7 million in the last decade in grants from private donors, state and federal agencies. The center's current annual budget from the university is $2.1 million and the new center require another additional $2.1 million. It attracts about $400,000 in endowments annually, and has $700,000 in gift funds and $600,000 in an emergency fund.
Five of the Southeastern Conference's 14 universities already have a similar public policy school. As the state's flagship land grant university, Zomchick said, "we have a responsibility to serve the state."
The university's current public policy and administration program, housed in the Department of Political Science, is not accredited. The program ranked 102 out of 270 in the latest US News and World Report rankings. The new college, administrators hope, will bring more visibility and a better ranking. It currently enrolls an average of 12 students each year.
The center currently offers a minor in public policy analytics for undergrads with an average annual enrollment of six students, capped at 15. With a new school, the ceiling will be removed.
Marianne Wanamaker, executive director of the Baker Center, will be the new public policy college dean.
The new college will add the following new positions:
The existing director position will be converted into a dean position. The dean will report to the chancellor for matters related to the center's research and to the provost for matters concerning the faculty and academic programs.
An assistant dean of finance, administration and operations
An associate dean of academic programs to supervise faculty, among other responsibilities
The university is estimating spending $4.9 million on faculty and staff salaries and benefits in the first year.
College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies
With the world's fastest supercomputer located at the nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the new college plays makes the state even more attractive to next-gen businesses, Zomchick said.
This unique new college will bring together disciplines from different academic fields. It's expected to cost $2.7 million to launch. Administrators are conservatively estimating an enrollment of 30 students in the first year.
The college will start up with two existing programs: a data science undergraduate minor and a global development minor. Other new programs under discussion include a certificate course in sustainable development, a human-computer interaction minor and major and a minor in artificial intelligence.
The college will cater to students who want to carve their own education pathways, Zomchick said.
Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Ozlem Kilic has been named the dean for the new college, which will be developed in phases. The initial positions hired include:
A vice provost and a dean
An assistant dean for student experience to focus on career development and cohort experiences on campus
An associate dean to oversee the academic administration
A director of industry partnerships to engage potential employers
A director of business operations to manage day to day operations and finances
A director of communication and marketing
A director of advising to support student needs
A director of content design to develop coursework
Two administrative assistants to support the deans
Program directors and lecturers to be hired from faculty across campus to develop curriculum
The estimated expenditure for the college's hires in the first year is $2.25 million.
How did we get here?
In May 2021, Plowman formed a working group of 20 deans, department heads and faculty members who outlined four alternatives to the existing academic structure. During feedback sessions with staff primarily from the College of Arts and Sciences, several supported a model that focused on changing policies and procedures to meet future needs with little structural change.
Over the course of 15 months, various departments, faculty and staff across the campus were engaged in the process, resulting in the idea of these three new colleges. The new units are a part of an academic restructuring announced last year in September.
Areena Arora, data and investigative reporter for Knox News, can be reached by email at areena.arora@knoxnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AreenaArora. Support our newsroom's exclusive, in-depth local coverage by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee approves three new colleges
