Rising — UT’s ability to reach top research university goal
   
According to a university press release, the University of Tennessee has reached its multi-year goal of becoming a top-46 public research university in the nation, according to rankings by U.S. News and World Report.
    
“Yes, it’s true,” said one anonymous UT official. “We responded to the governor’s mandate for us to become one of the truly elite — the top 46 in the nation.”
    
Students were puzzled on Sunday. They thought they remembered hearing something about going after a more traditional ranking — say, top 25 — rather than being ...