A Message from Acting President Emerson Fly
To UT Faculty and Staff at all campuses
August 24, 2001

As we begin the Fall Semester, it seems to be an important time to spend
just a few minutes talking about the important issues UT faces over the
next academic year and the priorities I will be emphasizing. Your "Top
Five" and mine are probably similar, although the order of the items might
be different.

Addressing the difficult financial situation we face is at the top of my
list. I can assure you the members of the President's staff and I will be
working diligently to continue to communicate our funding needs to state
legislators and business leaders. You also should take advantage of every
opportunity to share personal examples of the impact the financial
situation is having on our efforts. Although the legislature did not
provide any new money this year beyond all-important salary increases, I am
convinced they understand our plight. We must make sure we do not lose any
momentum that we may have gained.

As we work to increase resources, we will continue to do everything we can
to operate as efficiently as possible. One important part of this strategy
is our effort to identify 4 to 6 percent of this year's revenues that we
can invest in our highest priorities next year. Obviously, this is a
difficult task after years of cost cutting and the uncertain state of
Tennessee's tax collections. I know the UT family has many innovative and
creative people, and I'm convinced campuses and institutes can accomplish
this goal without sacrificing their critical missions.

We will continue to emphasize ways to reduce bureaucracy by streamlining
administrative processes and reducing decision-making to the appropriate
level. Implementation of new computer-based systems like IRIS will be an
integral part of this strategy.

Each of these efforts is designed to allow us to make additional
investments in our most important mission -- the preparation of our 42,000
students. We will make the quality of student life one of our highest
priorities. At the undergraduate level, this covers everything from the
quality of the instruction to the standards for the facilities and
equipment. At the graduate level, the most notable indicator is the
competitiveness of the stipends we pay our GRAs and GTAs.

Finally, we will continue our commitment to the other two priorities of a
land-grant institution -- research and service. It was unfortunate the
legislature did not provide the second installment of the special research
funding, but this should not deter the entrepreneurial spirit of our
researchers. And, now more than ever, we need the statewide connections
that have been put in place by our Institute of Agriculture and Institute
for Public Service.

UT is a valuable resource for Tennessee, much more so than some people
realize. While these are difficult times, I prefer to look at them as those
proverbial "times of opportunity" to make progress. I am committed to doing
everything that I can to ensure that the new President inherits an
institution poised for even greater successes in the future.



Chuck Cantrell
Director, Office of University Relations
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
201 Founders Hall
Chattanooga, TN 37403

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