Good morning,

Today's issue of the Chattanooga Times Free Press contains an unfortunate
error that I would like to correct. In an article on the effects of budget
cuts on Tennessee colleges, the following quote appears: "The [occupational
therapy] program's three faculty members and one staff member likely won't
return to the university, administrators said."

The occupational therapy program currently has three full-time faculty
members, two funded on the recurring budget and one funded on "soft money"
through a UC Foundation grant. The latter faculty member was offered a
renewal of her contract for the 2003-04 academic year last December, but
did not accept the offer, and that position has since been frozen as part
of our nine percent budget reduction. The other two positions remain
intact, and will do so for the duration of the program's existence at UTC.
I have not been informed that either of the two faculty in those positions
will not return next year, and it is my assumption that they will be here
to provide instruction for the more than 30 students who remain in the
program. As for the staff member referred to in the article, I have no
knowledge of her intentions. Her position also remains intact for the
duration of the program's existence at UTC.

I was interviewed last week by the reporter who wrote the article, and I
provided her with this information. I do not know if other unnamed
administrators were interviewed, nor what they might have said. But I want
to clarify any possible misunderstanding, and to state categorically that
UTC is committed to assuring the students currently enrolled in the
occupational therapy program that they will be able to complete their
education at UTC and graduate with a bachelor's degree from an accredited
program.

Thank you for your understanding.

John Friedl


John Friedl, Ph.D., J.D.
Provost and Vice Chancellor
for Academic Affairs
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
102 Founders Hall, Dept. 5555
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37403-2598
Phone: (423) 425-4633
Fax: (423) 756-5559
Email: [log in to unmask]