Welcome Back for Fall 2022
Welcome back! The 2022-23 academic year begins next Wednesday and I hope each of you are rested and ready for another great year. To those of you who are new to the college or new to UT – welcome to our Volunteer community!
As you have probably heard, we have a record-breaking number of new Vols this year. Our college will be an integral piece of their success since we provide the core, foundational courses each of these students need – whether as a major in the liberal arts or in a professional college. The work you do in the classroom to teach these students critical thinking, communication skills, basic science and math, or how to be an engaged learner lays the groundwork for success in their academic careers. Thank you for your expertise.
Our staff are also critical to our students’ success by supporting them as they navigate through the various resources available for first-year students – from finding the right forms to locating labs and classrooms. Thank you for your help.
Earlier this week, my team and I hosted our annual college leadership retreat where we welcomed 10 new department heads. In addition, we have a new director of advising and a new associate dean of academic personnel. Soon, we will welcome a new associate dean of academic programs. Look for more information about our new college leadership in the September edition of Dialogue.
In other record-breaking news, the campus hit a new record with more than 60,000 generous donors coming together to raise $264 million for our students and campus community. Our college added significantly with growth in our donor base. Thank you to those of you who played a role in that support.
Additionally, the college hit a new record level of research support in winning new contracts, grants, fellowships, and other funding last year. Congratulations to everyone who applied for funds (that is a very important step to gaining funding), those who succeeded, and a special thank you to the hard-working staff in the departments, the college, and ORIED who help everyone meet deadlines and prepare successful proposals.
We will continue our College Conversations series this year with a focus on faculty research that contributes to discourse on current social issues, such as access, healthcare, voter rights, and other issues we see in headlines and news crawls every day. Associate Dean of Diversity Angie Batey is coordinating this program. If you have an idea for a topic, please submit it using this link.
We have a full semester ahead of us. I encourage you to be mindful of self-care. Take the time you need to recharge so you can be present and ready for the road ahead.
Thank you for your work and Go Vols!
Sincerely,
Theresa M. Lee
Herbert Family Dean
College of Arts and Sciences