University of Tennessee at Martin

Infobox University


motto="The Total Collegiate Experience"
name=University at Tennessee at Martin
established=1900
type=State funded
chancellor=Tom Rakes
city=Martin
state=Tennessee
country=USA
undergrad=6,504 [http://www.utm.edu/departments/univrel/newsitems4.php UT Martin has eighth consecutive record enrollment] ]
postgrad=542
staff=650
campus=Rural, 930 acres
free_label=Sports Mascot
free=Skyhawks
colors=Orange & Blue
website= [http://www.utm.edu/ www.utm.edu] The University of Tennessee at Martin is a campus in the University of Tennessee system. Other campuses include the flagship campus in Knoxville, the Chattanooga campus, the Center for the Health Sciences in Memphis, and the Space Institute in Tullahoma. UTM is the only public four-year university in West Tennessee outside Memphis.

History

UT Martin began in 1900 as Hall-Moody Institute in Martin, Tennessee, a Baptist junior college. In 1927 the school was in danger of closing, and area civic and political leaders asked the state of Tennessee to step in and operate the school under the auspices of the University of Tennessee, which it did, renaming the institution the University of Tennessee Junior College. It operated under this name until 1951, when, with the addition of four-year fields of study leading to a bachelor's degree, it was redesignated the University of Tennessee Martin Branch. In 1967 it was designated as a primary campus of the UT system and given its current name.The school grew greatly in the post-World War II era, largely under the influence of the G. I. Bill of Rights, and again in the 1960s. It was noted that the school had almost as many entering freshmen in 1969 as it had overall students in 1961. Currently enrollment is approximately 7,000.It was the first campus in the University of Tennessee system to practice racial desegregation. A large experimental farm is operated, and there are several satellite campuses in West Tennessee (and one in Middle Tennessee).

Academics

Given its rural location, much of the focus of the school has been on undergraduate studies in education and agriculture, although many other courses of study are offered, particularly in the liberal arts, and in recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on business and engineering. There is an active ROTC program, and a school of nursing. The school is among the top providers of candidates to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. There is a small graduate school, with most graduate degrees being conferred in education.

Colleges & Departments

* College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
* College of Business and Public Affairs
* College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
* College of Engineering and Natural Sciences
* College of Humanities and Fine Arts

Campus

The campus is noted for being particularly scenic and well-landscaped. Students who live on campus are within walking distance of all academic buildings, the library, food services, the Boling University Center, and all recreational and sports facilities. Recent years have seen the demolition of old double-occupancy dormitory halls in favor of construction of apartment-style housing.

Greek Life

Honorary Societies

* Order of Omega
* GAMMA
* Gamma Sigma Alpha
* Rho Lambda

Interfraternity Council (Fraternities)

* Alpha Gamma Rho
* Alpha Tau Omega - [http://www.utm.edu/organizations/taus Zeta Pi Chapter]
* Kappa Alpha Order - [http://www.kao1865.org Delta Upsilon Chapter]
* Phi Sigma Kappa
* Pi Kappa Alpha
* Sigma Alpha Epsilon- Tennessee Tau Chapter
* Sigma Chi - [http://www.martinsig.com Kappa Psi Chapter]
* Sigma Phi Epsilon - [http://sigep.utm.edu/ Tennessee Kappa Chapter]

Panhellenic Council (Sororities)

* Alpha Delta Pi
* Alpha Omicron Pi
* Chi Omega
* Zeta Tau Alpha
* Gamma Kappa Pi

National Pan-Hellenic Council (Fraternities and Sororities)

* Alpha Kappa Alpha - Zeta Lambda Chapter
* Delta Sigma Theta - Eta Xi Chapter
* Kappa Alpha Psi - Zeta Kappa Chapter
* Phi Beta Sigma - Kappa Omicron Chapter
* Omega Psi Phi - Iota Zeta Chapter
* Zeta Phi Beta - Delta Iota Chapter
* Alpha Phi Alpha - Mu Beta Chapter
* Sigma Gamma Rho - Gamma Kappa Chapter

Other Fraternities

* Phi Mu Alpha (Music) - Sigma Psi Chapter

Athletics

Athletic teams participate in the Ohio Valley Conference.

The university mascot was changed from "Pacers" to "Skyhawks" in 1995. The reasoning behind the "Skyhawks" moniker was described thus [http://www.utmsports.com/traditions.cfm UTM Mascot] ] :

*The first educational institution on the site of UT Martin was Hall-Moody Bible Institute. The school's athletic teams were called "sky pilots", a frontier term for preachers in that day, but perhaps the students were thinking of the glamorous flying aces of World War I.
*During World War II, UT Junior College contracted with the Naval War Training Service to help train pilots, who completed their flight training at an airport located on the current site of Westview High School.
*Red-tail hawks are indigenous to the West Tennessee region.

Prior to being known as "Pacers" the university's teams were called "Volunteers." The name was changed in 1971, largely due to fact that, on account of the former junior college status of the school, the teams were often referred to as the "Baby Vols."

Publications

Founded in 1928, "The Pacer" is the name of the student newspaper. The Office of Student Publications publishes "The Pacer" every Tuesday morning throughout the semester except for holidays and exam periods. As of 2006, the newspaper has a circulation of 3,000 copies. In the spring of 2006, the publication was won the distinction of being named "Best in the South" at the Southeastern Journalism Conference, beating out such schools as Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. Throughout its history, the newspaper has also been named "The Checkerboard" and "The Volette".

Notable alumni

*Pat Head Summitt (’74) Tennessee Lady Vols head basketball coach, all-time leader for games won among NCAA Division I basketball coaches (men's or women's). The court in the basketball arena and a street on campus are named for Summitt.
*Leonard Hamilton (’71) Florida State Seminoles head basketball coach
*William C. Rhodes (’87) president and CEO of AutoZone, Inc.
*Van Jones ('90) attorney and internationally-recognized civil and human rights advocate
*Fred Thomas (’96) New Orleans Saints cornerback.
*Jerry Reese ('85) general manager of the 2007 World Champion New York Giants
*Dr. Shirley C. Raines ('67) President of the University of Memphis
*Charlie Neese ('92) "NewsChannel5" (WTVF-Nashville) meteorologist
*Wm. Lance Culley, D.D.S. ('92) Founder of the Institute for Periodontics and Implant Dentistry.

Points of interest

* University of Tennessee Botanical Gardens
*Hosts the Tennessee Governor's School For the Humanities and Agricultural Sciences.

Related

* [http://www.utm.edu/ University of Tennessee at Martin] - Official Web Site
* [http://www.utm.edu/fastfacts.html Fast Facts]
* [http://www.utmsports.com/ UT Martin Skyhawk Athletics] - Athletics Web Site
* "The Pacer" - Student Newspaper
* [http://www.utm.edu/departments/acadpro/library/departments/special_collections/LD5300_college_history/0college_history.htm A Virtual History of the University of Tennessee at Martin]

References