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UT approved to establish 3 new academic units, including the first College of Music in the SEC

The UT Board of Trustees approved converting the School of Music into a full-fledged stand-alone college on Friday.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On Friday, the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees approved a measure that will establish two colleges and transform the Baker Center at the Knoxville campus.

UT will be converting its existing School of Music into a full-fledged, independent College of Music that's separate from the College of Arts and Sciences. The stand-alone college will be the first public college of music in Tennessee and the SEC.

UT said its goals for the College of Music will include developing programs to support the music economy in the state and country and enhancing opportunities for private development and philanthropy. UTK will invest $2 million to launch the college, saying it expects to see revenue generated from tuition and fees to increase from $8.2 million to $9.2 million over five years.

The second college, the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies, will establish a central office to serve other colleges. UT said its plans will be centered on collaboration and interdisciplinary education, calling it unique among UT's peers.

The new college will design programs to address emerging workforce needs, launch and grow multidisciplinary courses and programs in emerging areas, and provide customizable programs for students of all ages both face-to-face and online. UTK said it plans to invest $2.7 million into the new college, saying it expects revenue from tuition and fees to increase from $123,000 to $3.1 million over five years.

The board also approved transforming the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center into the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs. It will be the first school of public affairs at any public university in Tennessee. UT said the school will build on the 20-year achievements of the Baker Center.

The campus plans to invest $2.1 million to launch the school, saying it projects revenue from tuition and fees to increase from $280,900 to $2.3 million over five years.

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