Unique and valuable student experiences across the College of Arts and Sciences develop throughout purposeful spaces and facilities where students live, learn, create, and collaborate with faculty and each other. These research and teaching labs, classrooms, theaters, studios, and other shared spaces foster an interactive, in-person culture where curiosity, expertise, and transformative ideas flourish together.
Students in arts and sciences have room to think critically, communicate clearly, and engage creatively with each other and the world. Research on successful student experiences points to facilities that build community and belonging, integrate support services, and enable experiential learning. Classrooms designed for collaboration help learning stick while also strengthening connection and confidence. Common areas extend that impact beyond class time with places for study groups, peer support, and the informal relationships that reduce isolation.
This intentional campus environment is designed to help students thrive, develop their unique strengths, and graduate prepared to make an impact in Tennessee and beyond.
Laboratories Offer Students Room to Put Ideas Into Practice
Teaching labs provide the structure and tools for students to discover and reinforce their research strengths, resilience, and curiosity, working with insightful feedback from instructors and teaching assistants to build confidence to go beyond undergraduate research into professional internships and advanced studies. Students develop core scientific practices by solving problems in real-time through collaborative work, careful observation, experimental design, data collection, and analysis.
Facilities like the Mossman Building, the Forensic Anthropology Center (FAC), and the upcoming Charles and Julie Wharton Chemistry Building provide students an environment where learning is active, collaborative, and connected to real scientific practice. Students engage in undergraduate research and develop the competence and curiosity to pursue research, internships, and advanced study. Small-group teamwork and close interaction with instructors and teaching assistants supports student success by creating built-in opportunities for mentoring, feedback, and a sense of belonging in the research world.
The Forensic Anthropology Center (FAC) opened its new Forensic Anthropology Laboratory in 2026, adding much-needed space and capability that strengthens its already renowned international legacy of research and teaching. The new lab expands hands-on training opportunities for forensic anthropology graduate students to learn the intricacies of putting names to unidentified human remains—building highly competent skills for careers in forensic fields.
“Having a lab space where multiple analysts can be working on cases means more students can be involved,” said FAC Director Giovanna Vidoli. “That graduate student involvement is incredibly important, because then we have the better capacity to train them to be able to be employed with strong forensic anthropology casework experience.”
New labs and teaching spaces for student chemistry learning continue to expand these opportunities for students.
“The new Wharton Chemistry Building’s state-of-the-art teaching, research, and collaboration spaces will provide an unparalleled experience for students studying chemistry at UT,” said Kevin Shaughnessy, professor and head of the Department of Chemistry.
The new chemistry building adds tremendous new areas for students to explore the foundational science of chemistry, including dedicated workstations, teaching and research labs, numerous collaborative spaces, and new lecture and study areas. These features align with evidence-based facility strategies tied to student success—spaces that support active learning, collaboration, and frequent interaction.
Creative Spaces Allow for Experimentation and Professional Development
Spaces that allow for creative activity provide structure and resources for students to discover and strengthen their imagination, voice, and cultural awareness as they build professional skills for creative careers. They work in these spaces with thoughtful guidance from faculty, visiting artists, and peers to build the competence and confidence to carry their campus experience into professional creative work and graduate study. Students develop essential artistic practices by generating ideas through collaborative critiques, close observation, experimentation with materials and movement, rehearsals, design development, and reflective revision and performance.
The UT Printmaking Studio is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for graduate students and until midnight daily for undergraduates. Students work side-by-side with faculty members, gaining insight on the tools of the art and the creative.
“We’re lucky to have one of the best printmaking facilities in the world, with equipment to support deep investigation into traditional techniques like stone lithography alongside new and experimental processes,” said Elysia Mann, the printmaking studio technician. “The shared studio operates as a home base for cross-disciplinary collaboration, giving students access to a wealth of creative resources—not just the amazing equipment, but each other as well.”
The Jenny Boyd Theatre adds a powerful experiential-learning space to the UT Theatre Program and Clarence Brown Theatre Company, where students don’t just study theatre—they practice it in a professional environment. The theatre’s approximately 300-seat, intimate design demonstrates how facilities can build community and belonging through interaction. The theater’s inaugural production of Cabaret drew audiences and performers close in on three sides of the stage—helping student performers sharpen their craft and connect to the community. Behind the scenes, cutting-edge lighting and production technology gives students valuable hands-on time with tools that match contemporary professional practice.
Students gain the opportunity to work side-by-side with nationally recognized artists in a LORT D Equity (League of Resident Theatre) company, create new works, and graduate with professional credits and relationships, supported by a culture where faculty take mentorship seriously.
Student Collaboration Within the Campus Community
Even outside of traditional learning spaces, arts and sciences students experience a collaborative lifestyle throughout the vibrant campus community, strengthening collaboration and leadership habits as their sense of purpose and belonging grows through interaction with supportive peers, mentors, and staff. Students solve challenges in real time through teamwork, open communication, active listening, planning, inclusive decision-making, and reflective problem-solving across residence halls, student organizations, and campus events.
Living-learning communities (LLCs) offer students valuable opportunities for social engagement in common spaces that blend their social life with fellow Vols who share their interests. One of the first LLCs for the college—with more to come—is the Civic Explorers LLC in Robinson Hall. This part of the campus community helps introduce students to careers that promote civic engagement and build their appreciation for ways their majors, particularly psychology and political science, can prepare them for civically engaged work.
“By creating an interdisciplinary LLC specifically geared towards these future career paths, we hope the program creates a community of like-minded students who are interested in civically engaged careers,” said Professor Gina Owens, divisional dean for social sciences.
Students in the LLC experience unique opportunities in their coursework by being enrolled in common courses that help students build community, friendships, and find mutual support when working on assignments.
With facilities such as research labs, creative studios and theatres, and purposeful residence spaces, arts and sciences students experience everyday life in an engaging, shared learning environment. Students gain both a support network and a launchpad for professional careers, strengthening friendships and confidence as they contribute thoughtfully to their communities now and throughout their lives.
by Randall Brown