TOP 25 A summary of the plan. An update on the progress that’s been made. A challenge for faculty. FEBRUARY 2011

BACKGROUND The Quest Last year, UT embarked on a journey to become a Top 25 public research university in a decade. Why?  Increase the quality and value of education  Further develop our strengths in research  Expand our contribution to economic growth and development  Strengthen the University of Tennessee’s flagship campus for the benefit of all Tennesseans

BENCHMARKING Add school chart here We compared ourselves to 27 public research universities that rank higher than us on US News & World Report’s annual ranking.

Faculty and Staff Infrastructure and Resources Graduate Education Undergraduate Education Research HOW IT WORKS Undergraduate education, graduate education and research and scholarship are central to the mission of the university They are nested within the responsibilities of the faculty and staff. To accomplish the mission, the academic community needs appropriate infrastructure and resources including dedicated staff and state-of-the art facilities

5 Areas of FocusMetrics UTK Top 25 Target Group UTK vs. Top 25 Target Group Undergraduate Education ACT Equivalent (75 th /25 th Percentile)29/2428.5/ /.5 Retention Rate (1 st to 2 nd Year)84%90%-6 pts Six-Year Graduation Rate60%75%-15 pts Graduate Education Number of Ph.D. Degrees Number of Master’s and Professional Degrees1,8452, Research Federal Research Expenditures $70 M$182 M -$112 M Total Research Expenditures $165 M$427 M -$262 M Faculty Avg. Tenure-Line Salary Range$67 to $108 K$73 to $120 K-$6 to $12 K Undergraduate Student/Tenure-Line Faculty Faculty Awards Resources and Infrastructure Teaching and Support Expenditures/ Student$16,100$24,300-$8,200 Endowment/ Student$14,380$38,400-$24,020 Top 25 Gap Analysis Relative Standing Compared to the Top 25 Target Group Sources: UTK institutional data; Institutional Common Data Sets; U.S. News & World Report; The National Science Foundation; The Center for Measuring University Performance; Institutional Annual Financial Reports; Council for Aid to Education

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A TOP 25 UNIVERSITY? It challenges each of us to be better and make the university stronger. It makes it easier to recruit stellar faculty and retain the exceptional faculty already here. It creates a more enriched and energized teaching environment; working with high-ability students is invigorating. It makes it easier to generate external funding that supports research and overall university operations. It positions the university to attract investments for state-of-the-art research facilities, classrooms, technology. It garners more recognition from academic community worldwide. It evokes pride, loyalty, and support from community and state. It elevates the status of everyone who works at the university.

STATUS OF THE TOP 25 QUEST During the fall of 2010, Chancellor Cheek appointed teams to focus on each Top 25 priority area. The undergraduate team has drafted a working action plan, suggesting strategies to improve undergraduate education and increase the graduation rate. Teams will prepare preliminary plans for presentation to the Board of Trustees in the first half of An integrated, resourced plan is anticipated by June.

TOP 25 UPDATE PROGRESS OVERVIEW FOR THE FIVE AREAS OF FOCUS Undergraduate GraduateResearchFaculty and StaffInfrastructure Teams are identifying plan areas of focus, metrics, and initiatives Infrastructure Team is identifying efficiency and effectiveness initiatives Undergraduate, Graduate, Research, and Staff Teams will provide recommendations to the Infrastructure and Faculty Teams Plan updates to be completed by the February Board of Trustees meeting Undergraduate Plan to be presented to various constituencies including Deans and other Implementation Teams Related materials to be completed by the February Board of Trustees meeting

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP Discuss with your colleagues how your unit, department and college compares to the Top 25 universities. Chart a course for your unit, department and college that support the university's Top 25 action plans. Get engaged in day-to-day activities that contribute to meeting the spirit and goals of VOL Vision 2015/Top 25 initiative.

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