The University of Tennessee at Martin Faculty and Staff Newsletter | July 29, 2019

addendaSummer town hall meeting gives updates on

important topicsChancellor Keith Carver held

a town hall meeting July 17 to update campus faculty and staff on a variety of topics in preparation for the fall semester to begin Aug. 26. Carver praised campus improvements in the area of assessment and reporting and says the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Colleges’ recent positive review of the university’s fifth-year report, follow-up report and Quality Enhancement Plan are a direct result of hard work on behalf of campus personnel (see page three for related story).

He also discussed expected enrollment for the coming year and said the numbers are positive. “We’re trending the right way, and we’re going to beat what we had last fall in terms of freshmen,” he said. “In terms of transfer (students), last year we had 474 full-time transfer students. We’re on track again to beat that again this year. So, when you look at full-time enrollment, we’re ahead of where we were last year, and so that’s good news for us.”

Carver continued the meeting with a discussion of the $22 million bequest made by Bill and Rosann Nunnelly in recent weeks. The scholarships created by this gift will become last-dollar scholarships and cover the cost of attendance remaining after the Tennessee Lottery Scholarship, Pell grants and other forms of financial aid have been exhausted. “At

the time this gift is realized, we could be awarding 95 or 100 scholarships (each year) in the Nunnelly name,” said Carver.

While the full amount of the gift will not be received until the death of the couple, the Nunnellys have decided to award four initial scholarships beginning this fall. Carver says these awards are already making an impact on incoming students and their families.

“When Destin (Tucker, director of admissions) and her team realized they had money to give away, they started looking for students from those rural counties (specified by the gift). They called one and got the

young woman on the phone, and she and her mother … had just finished putting everything together, and they had both decided that she was not going to be able to come to a four-year college this fall,” said Carver. “(Destin) told her about the Nunnelly Scholarship and that she was going to get to come here and not only have her tuition paid, (but) she was going to be able to live on campus and we would be able to cover that, too. (The young lady) was in tears, and her mother was in tears.”

The chancellor ended his portion of the meeting with a call for UT Martin faculty, staff

and local alumni to serve as mentors in the new UT Promise program, which will begin in the fall 2020 semester. Students with an annual family income of less than $50,000 who meet other eligibility requirements will be able to take advantage of this new last-dollar scholarship, which also includes time with an assigned mentor.

“They want to make sure, as these students are coming in, that there’s someone, when they arrive, in that community or on that campus, that’s … got their back. That’s someone they can call, someone they can go

Continued on page 3

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YoUTMs highlighting the excellence of our faculty and staff

WORKSHOP – Faculty and staff members from across campus participated in the Learn, Explore and Design Educational Resources for Students Workshop last week, co-sponsored by Information Technology Services and UT Martin Online. This workshop arms participants with the knowledge and resources to create interactive, responsive and accessible online courses during the coming year. Participants receive a stipend for work completed during the session. Pictured are (front row, l-r) Dr. Carrie Humphreys, Ashley Bynum, Dana Gatewood, Beth Edwards, (middle row, left of couch) Dr. Brandon Kilburn, Dr. Amanda Batts, Dr. Ashley Kilburn, (middle row, right of couch) Cheri Wolfe, Matt Chesnut, Dr. Jeff Hoyer, Dr. Bonnie Daniel, (back row) Dr. David Dietrich, Dr. Ben Guyer, Dr. Tim Dasinger, Dr. Robert Nanney, Dr. Clint Ary, Dr. Mark McCloud, Dr. Amanda Vanhoose, Dr. Keith Dooley, Dr. Jason Roberts and Andrew Brown.

DIVERSITY TRAINING – Joe Henderson, Dr. Daphne Henderson, Jason Holloway, Dr. Sim Taylor and Yalanda Parr attended the Diversity Certificate Conference at the UT Health Science Center, April 1-2. (far left photo, l-r) Joe and Dr. Daphne Henderson are pictured with Chancellor Keith Carver during their certificate presentation on the main campus. (near left photo) Holloway (center, left) and Taylor (center, right) are pictured with Erica Bell (left) and Carver (right) during their certificate presentation at the Ripley Center. Parr is not pictured.

page 3 | addenda | July 29, 2019

to lunch with, someone they can share joys and fears with. The mentoring part is going to be really big. I’m going to take a mentee, and I hope that all of you will consider that, too,” said Carver. “(UT Promise is) a big deal for us, and I think it’s going to be a difference-maker for students who think, ‘I would really like to do a four-year residential experience and start my freshman year, but I can’t afford it.’ It takes that off the table, and we’ll be able to bring them here. I think we’ll get our fair share, and I think we’re a fantastic landing spot for so many of our students.”

Petra McPhearson, vice chancellor for finance and administration, gave an overview of the 2019-20 budget and said state appropriations comprise

approximately 35 percent of the budget for this coming year. Additional funds have been earmarked to provide campus safety and security upgrades, including the ability to lock campus buildings in the event of an active shooter or other crisis situation. New positions have been funded to hire a campus recruiter dedicated to out-of-state students, a bilingual recruiter to serve the growing Hispanic student population, and a university videographer to fill university marketing needs.

McPhearson also explained that eligible employees making $40,000 a year or less will receive a minimum pay increase of $1,000 this year, and the amount is pro-rated for part-time employees. All other market and merit raises will be

Continued from page 1calculated in the coming weeks and will be paid retroactive to July 1 for 12-month employees and to Aug. 1 for nine-month and flex employees.

Dr. Philip Acree Cavalier, university provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, used his portion of the meeting to discuss a new university partnership with Ruffalo Noel Levitz, an internationally known research firm specializing in higher education enrollment and fundraising management. Cavalier says that a representative from RNL will visit campus nine times in the next 18 months to help develop a strategic action plan for recruitment and enrollment growth. The first project included in this plan is the creation of an academic program demand report, and

faculty and staff across campus will be asked to participate in this project as it moved forward.

Carver closed the meeting by answering questions from the audience. One question concerned the status of the capital project known as “The Garage,” which Carver says has become a joint venture between UT Martin, the local Tennessee Board of Regents community colleges and TCAT. He explained that this gives the project a higher profile for state funding and other resources as plans move forward.

The meeting was webcast live to the five UT Martin centers and for faculty and staff unable to attend in person. An archived copy of the webcast will be made available at The Chancellor’s Corner in the coming days.

UT Martin recently received official notice of a positive accreditation mid-term review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the university’s primary accrediting body.

“Every person in every unit of our campus has contributed in some way to this critical work to clear these standards and to prepare our fifth-year report,” said UT Martin Chancellor Keith Carver in a message to the campus. “UT Martin is an exceptional university. … The feedback we received from

University’s accreditation mid-term review shows significant improvement

SACSCOC demonstrates UT Martin has progressed and transformed its assessment protocols to become a more innovative and responsive campus.”

UT Martin experienced difficulties with the accreditation process in 2015 after being placed on probation for issues related to the documentation of program assessment strategies. Now, Carver says the campus has established a thriving culture of assessment in all areas and uses research-based feedback to improve university processes and curricula.

University accreditation is re-evaluated every 10 years, and the fifth-year report is a mid-cycle progress report designed to catch problem areas in the early stages. Of the 22 standards addressed in this report, SACSCOC asked for additional information in two areas, both of which had incomplete information at the time the report was submitted. No other problem areas were identified. SACSCOC also cleared the university of all concerns found in the previous 10-year review.

The ENGAGE Program common reader, “Educated: A Memoir” by Tara Westover, is now available in the UT Martin Barnes and Noble Bookstore and is free for all faculty, staff and incoming

students. Please email Calista Drone the number of copies your unit would like.

Fall Faculty workshop

8:30 a.m. - noonAug. 16

Duncan Ballroom

This workshop session will focus

on experiential education.

Email orsp@utm.edu by noon, Aug. 9, to

RSVP.

page 4 | addenda | July 29, 2019

UT Martin to offer online cybersecurity courses in fall 2019 semesterUT Martin will offer two

online courses in cybersecurity during the fall 2019 semester. These classes are open to all current students and community members as well as computer science and cybersecurity professionals seeking additional certifications. Enrollment in the university as a special-admit student is necessary, and course tuition and fees will apply.

The classes – designated CSCI 290 Cybersecurity Literacy and CSCI 290 Cybersecurity Analyst Training – have been designed by UT Martin faculty to prepare participants for the CompTIA Security+ certification exam. Passing this exam results in a Security+ certification, which is a globally recognized credential in the information technology and cybersecurity professions. The courses can be taken in sequence or simultaneously.

According to the computer science industry, a shortfall in cybersecurity graduates has resulted in open positions in

CYBERSECURITY – A computer science student works on a class project in this spring 2019 marketing photo.

companies around the world seeking this type of specialized industry training.

For more information about the program, or to find

an application to become a non-degree-seeking student at UT Martin, visit utm.edu/cybersecurity. Interested students can also contact Dr.

Joshua Guerin, chair of the Department of Computer Science, at 731-881-7391 or jguerin@utm.edu.

mandatory security training

ALL faculty and staff, including retirees with active UT Martin email accounts, are required to complete security awareness training each year. This year’s training is available in Canvas and must be completed by Sept. 30. Contact the Help Desk at 881-7900 for assistance accessing training modules or completing the required quizzes.

Addenda is published bi-weekly during the summer semester. The next issue will be Aug. 12. Please send submissions to Erin Chesnut

by noon on Thursdays. Click here to submit.

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addendaPublished weekly during the academic year and biweekly during the summer by UT Martin, Martin, TN 38238

Randy Boyd – Interim President, University of Tennessee System • Dr. Keith Carver Jr. – Chancellor • Erin Chesnut – Addenda Editor UT Martin is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA employer. E05-0425-00-001-20

•Aug. 2-4 – Transfer Boot Camp; Linden•Aug. 3 – Women’s basketball elite camp•Aug. 3 – Volleyball camp •Aug. 5 – RSVP deadline for Women and Gender Studies Seminar; see ad on page 4 or contact Dr. Renee LaFleur for information•Aug. 5-9 – Summer Faculty Colloquium; Holland McCombs Center; 8:30 a.m.-

August Calendar4:15 p.m. daily; contact Dr. John Glass for more information•Aug. 7 – Mid-South Agricultural Finance Conference; Watkins Auditorium •Aug. 9 – Summer classes end•Aug. 9 – SOAR session; Boling University Center; 8:30 a.m.•Aug. 12 – Administrative Retreat; Smith Legislative Chamber; 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.•Aug. 13 – Women and

You Tell Me•Question – What is the ENGAGE common reader?

•Answer – As part of the new ENGAGE program, members of the campus community, including all freshman students, are asked to read “Educated: A Memoir” by Tara Westover as part of a campus common reading program. Copies of these books are available free of charge for faculty, staff and incoming students and are now in stock at the UT Martin Barnes and Noble Bookstore.

Submit your questions anonymously to the Suggestion Box link at www.utm.edu/suggestionbox.

Gender Studies Seminar; Verna B. Coleman Center for Women and Gender Equality; 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.•Aug. 16 – Fall Faculty Workshop; Duncan Ballroom; 8:30 a.m.-noon; see ad on page 3•Aug. 19 – Reopening of the Harriet Fulton Theatre; Fine Arts Building; 6 p.m.; by invitation only•Aug. 22-25 – First-Year Initiative

•Aug. 22 – Move-In Mania; Residence Halls; 6:30 a.m.-noon•Aug. 22 – Legacy Luncheon; Paul Meek Library; 11 a.m.; by invitation only•Aug. 22 – Convocation ceremony; Skyhawk Arena; 5 p.m.•Aug. 22 – Skyhawk family picnic; Graham Stadium; 6 p.m.•Aug. 26 – Fall semester begins•Aug. 26 – Addenda resumes weekly publication schedule

NUNNELLY SCHOLARS – Elias Istre and Jacob Bybee, both of Centerville; Cierra Russell, of Duck River; and Emmalee Mathews, of Lyles, are the first four students to receive scholarships to the University of Tennessee at Martin provided by Bill and Rosann Nunnelly, of Nashville. The couple recently announced a $22 million bequest to fund scholarships at the university where Bill earned his degree in 1970, making their gift the largest in university history. The four-year scholarships are initially open to incoming UT Martin freshman students from Hickman County. The Nunnellys visited UT Martin on July 26 and met with two of the four scholarship recipients. Pictured (l-r) are Bybee, Rosann Nunnelly, Russell and Bill Nunnelly. Istre and Mathews were unable to attend.