The board of trustees of the University of Tennessee system was told that a tight fiscal year ahead must not prevent the university from progressing towards its goals and may include changes to tuition, at the Friday, Oct. 28 meeting.
    
UT President Joe DiPietro and Gov. Bill Haslam, who addressed the media after the meeting, explained that a tight year ahead for both state and university will involve tough decisions about budget matters.
    
“We’re very serious about looking at capital for higher ed. I mean, it’s a piece of what we’re trying to do,” Haslam said. “And again, interest rates are low, construction rates are better than typical because of the slow economy. My responsibility, and the legislature’s as well, is to say, as we take on that indebtedness, what’s the right amount?”
    
However, DiPietro said that any changes to tuition would involve discussion with parents as well as attempts to draw out a long-term fixed plan.
    
DiPietro, when addressing the fall meeting of the board, gave a description of what progress has been made since his hiring exactly one year and six days prior.
    
He explained how he has been engaging with staff, students and faculty members at campuses across the state.
   
 “I’ve been really focused on efforts to take care of the campuses and institutes,” he said. “We are expanding teamwork, cooperation and engagement among all the components of the System.”
    
However, DiPietro did admit that the road towards completion of these goals would not be easy, particularly as the year ahead is predicted to be tight fiscally.
    
He explained that despite progress, the university is still behind on staff compensation as well as classroom facility and building plans.
    
A compensation advisory board was established to look into the issue that UT currently sits at 87 percent of the market median as far as staff and faculty compensation.
    
An engagement survey will be sent out over the next month to faculty and staff members to try to gauge feedback on the issue.
    
He also explained the work of the lottery task force, established to work out how to reduce the $20-24 million lottery scholarship overspend.
    
This may involve changes to the HOPE scholarship SAT and GPA qualification rules. However, DiPietro was keen to state that this must not affect the best and brightest students coming to UT and in particular those from low-income families.
   
 DiPietro explained that a budget meeting with Gov. Haslam on Nov. 15 will allow the university to decide more accurately how it will implement progress in the coming year.
    
The board was also addressed by trustee Charles Anderson, who described a visit to Clemson University as part of a review into the top 25 status goal.
   
 Clemson has risen from 39th in U.S. News and World Report rankings in 2001 to 25th in the most recent ranking, while UT has dropped from 44th to 45th.
    
In order to establish what Clemson’s secret formula for success was, Anderson visited in July.
    
Anderson explained that Clemson has had consistent leadership over 10 years, self-assessment, a clear message that has been adopted across the campus and state as well as getting out to peer universities and spreading the message.


    
He also acknowledged this will not be a short-term 2-to-3-year target but instead a much longer term ambition.


The board also approved the following proposals:


— DiPietro’s recommendation for election and compensation of Johnnie Ray as the vice president for development and alumni affairs. Ray comes to UT from Arizona State, where he was president and chief executive officer of the university’s foundation since 2007.

— Naming the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education. Former Gov. Bredesen helped grow the partnership between UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory and was a champion of higher education during his eight years in office.

— Naming of the UTC Library Annex (auditorium) the Dr. Lawrence G. Derthick Sr. Hall. Derthick was U.S. Commissioner of Education from 1956 to 1961.

— FY 2012-2013 operating budget appropriations request for non-formula units, capital outlay and capital maintenance projects and revenue/institutionally funded projects.

— An amendment to UT’s affiliation agreement with Methodist Healthcare Memphis Hospitals and a new affiliation agreement with the West Clinic to integrate cancer services.

— An affiliation and services agreement with the UC Foundation, Inc. at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The purpose of the agreement is to leverage the foundation in order to maximize private giving to UTC, sharpen the focus of UTC’s fundraising efforts, enhance the outreach and services available to University of Chattanooga and UTC alumni, and provide the means to increase the development and alumni operation (staffing, activities and other initiatives) located at UTC.

— An endorsement on the UT Foundation policy on affiliated foundations. The policy establishes the model for any future UTFI affiliated foundation and paves the way for the creation of the UTHSC foundation.

— Statement of commitment to graduate medical education as required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

— Establishment of the University Honors College at UTC, which is an expansion of the existing University Honors Program. A part of UTC’s goal to become a top-5 public master’s university in the South, the University Honors College will emphasize individual development in leadership, personal and professional ethics, and creativity for approximately 10 percent of UTC’s undergraduates. Financial support will come primarily from private sources. In addition to the existing $6.5 million Brock Scholars endowment, another $7 million of a $15 million development goal has been raised to create the college.

— 2011 Annual Report to the General Assembly, which includes financial and enrollment data.