KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Randy Boyd will be president of the University of Tennessee System for six more years.
The UT Board of Trustees unanimously sealed the reappointment Monday afternoon in a brief but enthusiastic meeting on the UT Ag campus. Boyd, an entrepreneur and philanthropist is an at-will employee who draws no salary -- by his choice.
"I'm a big believer in the word serendipity -- great things that happen to you that are unexpected," he told board members. "I never really expected to be in this role."
Monday afternoon's meeting agenda focused on a review of Boyd's 2023 performance as well as discussion and a resolution to keep him into the future. The South Knoxvillian and UT alum started as interim president in 2018 and was formally named president in 2020.
While he gets paid nothing, Boyd does receive an annual $10,000 stipend to cover health care. Board chair John Compton said Boyd had never submitted any reimbursement for expenses, although he travels dozens of days a year on the job.
Boyd first broached the idea of signing on for more time leading the UT System at the March trustees meeting. His term otherwise would have ended next summer.
He said he looks forward to continuing pursuit of what's been dubbed internally "the greatest decade." The idea of focusing on 10 solid years of progress at UT started as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he said.
Compton, in preparing his 2023 performance review of Boyd, gave him strong marks for being a dynamic and visionary leader who builds relationships with key contacts including state and federal lawmakers. He's also put good people into important positions within the system such as at UT Knoxville and UT Martin, the review shows.
Boyd also has been a champion in transparency, making more nuts and bolts information about how the universities operate available in one place, the Transparent UT website.
Over the last five years, Compton credited Boyd among other things with championing the addition of UT Southern in Pulaski to the system and with pushing for a new guaranteed early admission policy for Tennessee high school students who meet requirements. The first results of that new policy should become apparent in the fall.
Boyd wants to grow overall system enrollment to 71,000 by 2030, Compton notes in a summary to the board. It's now at more than 58,000 students, documents indicate.
UT Knoxville has seen total enrollment grow 20 percent over the last five years, documents show.
"The University needs to grow strategically to best serve the interests of Tennessee and allocate its resources to their highest and best use," Compton wrote.
Compton said in his opinion it'd be good for Boyd to grow and challenge his leadership team, which helps operate the various campuses within the system.
"All members of the senior leadership team should continue to be expected to take part in meaningful ways to advance not only their respective campuses/institutes, but the UT System collectively."
Boyd, as he has said in the past, wrote in a self-evaluation that he considers leading the UT System to be "the honor of my life."
His 2024 goals include addressing housing needs for UT campuses; addressing parking problems and shortfalls at some campuses; and finding ways to ensure UT can cover all capital costs when campuses need to build and grow.
"There is much work to be done, and I am committed to harnessing our collective strengths and potential to further advance our campuses and institutes. I look forward to the continued privilege of leading such a dynamic university system toward even greater achievements."
Boyd and his wife, Jenny, have given money to projects that include a new theater, dubbed the Jenny Boyd Carousel Theatre, next to the Clarence Brown Theatre. His family's Boyd Foundation also looks for ways to invest locally in education, animal welfare, youth programs, mental health and the arts.
He owns the Tennessee Smokies AA baseball club that will move next year from Sevier County to downtown Knoxville to play ball. Boyd is the driving force behind ongoing construction of a $116 million stadium just east of the James White Parkway.
