Chancellor’s Corner

The University of Tennessee at Martin and the University of Tennessee embraced a shared vision on Feb. 28, 2025, when the UT Board of Trustees approved the UT Martin 2025-2030 Strategic Plan during its winter meeting in Martin. This five-year roadmap is not just a blueprint for the future but a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and impact. Our vision is to cultivate a vibrant academic community that empowers individuals, advances knowledge, and transforms society.

The steps to achieve the plan’s goals have already begun. The following initiatives support our goal to bring 10,000 students to UT Martin by 2030.

TEST Hub construction begins: Ground was broken Feb. 28 for the $18 million Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology (TEST) Hub, set to open in early 2027. Funded by the Tennessee General Assembly in 2022, the Hub will combine educational, entrepreneurial, and manufacturing spaces around a shared industrial makerspace. Through partnerships with TCAT Henry/Carroll and Dyersburg State, the facility will support certificate, associate, and bachelor’s degrees, as well as career and technical education for area high schools.
New Business Administration Building: Gov. Bill Lee recommended, and the Tennessee General Assembly approved, $57.5 million to replace the current Business Administration Building, originally a dormitory from nearly 70 years ago. The new building will house Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)-accredited programs in marketing, management, information systems, accounting, economics, and finance, along with the MBA program.
Hall-Moody Administration Building upgrades: Phase one of the HVAC capital upgrade will finish by early fall 2025; phase two will wrap in early 2026. The building, opened in 1968, will welcome back the chancellor’s office, finance and administration, university advancement, the WestStar Leadership Program, and university relations.
New residence hall approved: In October 2024, the UT Board approved design and construction of a new residence hall to replace Browning Hall, with funding secured through the Tennessee State School Bond Authority. Demolition and construction are scheduled to begin in summer 2026; the new hall is expected to open in fall 2028 and serve as a cornerstone of our Living-Learning Community for first-time students.
Cattle Outreach and Workforce (COW) Facility proposed: The UT Martin Beef Cattle Advisory Board has proposed a $5 million COW Facility to replace the current outdated beef cattle site. Located on the teaching and demonstration farm, it would feature a classroom, lab, and a large, covered barn with a full cattle-working system to support hands-on teaching and outreach.
Waverly Center announcement: On May 6, a 1+3 signing event with Nashville State Community College marked UT Martin’s return to Waverly, which will become our seventh regional center. Many UTM alumni live in Humphreys County, and we’re proud to be back.