KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On Thursday education leaders, professors, and many others with connections to the University of Tennessee gathered in the Natalie Haslam Music Center to hear about the future of the college.
There, Chancellor Donde Plowman spoke about her goals and vision for the university while reflecting on the university's past year. It was part of her fourth flagship address.
"At every moment, through every challenge and at every opportunity — volunteers have stepped forward," she said. "We are a university on the rise."
She noted UT's recent record enrollment numbers, which saw its largest freshman class ever. Around 6,700 first-year students signed up to attend UT at the start of the semester. It was the third year in a row that UT shattered enrollment records.
She also highlighted the university's persistence rate, saying more students chose to attend a second year at UT instead of leaving after their first year. During the address, she also mentioned that the university was receiving historic levels of funding from both the state and alumni donations.
"You should be proud. I am so proud," she said. "The University of Tennessee is full of some of the greatest thinkers and doers, innovators and leaders that I have ever encountered. That's how I know that we will not only meet the challenges ahead, but we will embrace them and blaze new trails together. Volunteers support one another, they challenge one another, they embolden one another."
During the speech, she called for the university community to do more to meet the needs of the people it serves. She also said the university had "amazing momentum" and called for the university community to use it so they could be bolder and braver to do more in the future.