You may have been as surprised as I was to read this morning in the paper
about our new UTC business incubator, to be housed in the School of
Engineering, if the article is accurate. Chuck Cantrell tells us in the
article about the positive things that will happen for the community, UTC,
and our students with this exciting new program. Good news.

I have often wondered why the campus needs to read the newspaper each
morning to learn about such important new initiatives, which may have some
impact on our budget (nothing is mentioned of costs, only benefits in the
article). This program is probably a good idea, but by not announcing the
program first via Raven or via other campus communication, it gives the
impression of plans formulated in secrecy. This can create a negative image
of a new activity, as the public is informed before the campus. Done deal.

Of course it forestalls debate and discussion of what the UTC mission is
all about. The vague rubric of "engaged metropolitan university" allows us
to go off in all sorts of directions without much reflection. Maybe this is
the first step in the new Master Plan for Tennessee Higher Education? Who
knows.

  I do not read anything about "technology incubator" in the current UTC
mission statement, nor for that matter anything about "sports-spectator
promotion," nor about "urban development," but since a committee is
rewriting the mission statement, perhaps to be accurate and transparent we
should expect these activities to be mentioned. Certainly the UTC budget
now strongly reflects these realities. Be honest.

Richard Rice
History