I love sunrises. To me, a sunrise is to be savored. Each one is different and represents a new beginning to every day.
My morning routine typically has me driving down University Street at sunrise. And as I pass the University of Tennessee at Martin teaching farm on my left, I often see the sun beginning to peak above the horizon over the pastures where our horses and cattle are grazing. More often than not, I pull off on the shoulder of the street and capture an image or two on my cell phone.
Even on rainy days I still scan that familiar view to look for a hint of brightness beyond the clouds. The sun rises in that same spot on dark days, too.
I look at the beginning of each academic year as a sunrise. Our new students get to begin a new academic career. Our returning students take another step toward graduation and their chosen careers. Our faculty and staff have new opportunities to educate, mentor and serve.
And just like sunrises, no academic year is the same. They all have promise and potential. There are clouds and occasional difficulties, but each year there are new ways to overcome obstacles and creatively deliver a high-quality education for our students.
We’ve got some wonderful opportunities coming on the university’s horizon. The walls are going up on our first new academic building in four decades, as the Latimer Engineering and Science Building will be ready for use in 2022. We are also expanding our academic offerings at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, ushering in new markets to recruit and opportunities to educate the region’s brightest students. Dr. Mark McCloud has been hired as our first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, and we are excited about increasing our students’ and employees’ sense of belonging at UT Martin.
This year will look and feel different, but our focus will be the same. UT Martin will strive to be a place where our students are the top priority. We know that each of our students have their own particular sets of hopes and dreams, and it’s our job to help them achieve their potential.
Thanks for your support of UTM.
All the best,
Dr. Keith S. Carver Jr.
