The following is a message from Dr. John Shumaker, UT President:



March 11, 2003

Dear Faculty and Staff:

Last week, Governor Phil Bredesen promised no surprises in the budget he
proposed last night to the General Assembly, and this was certainly the
case for The University of Tennessee. The budget calls on us and other
state-aided entities, with a few exceptions like K-12, to share equitably
in the state's revenue challenges.

At The University of Tennessee, we have promised to make the cuts required
to live within the reduced level of state funding, and we must be prepared
to detail those actions during upcoming legislative budget hearings. We
will notify those directly impacted by these actions. Once the state's
fiscal situation improves, we will work with the Governor and legislature
to outline strategic investments the state can make to advance our goals
outlined in the "UT2010 Scorecard" and the respective scorecards for the
Chattanooga and Martin campuses.

While these are difficult times for us, I continue to remain encouraged
over the long-term. Governor Bredesen has talked repeatedly about the
importance of higher education, his regrets at having to recommend these
cuts, and his commitment to helping us in future years. I encourage you to
continue to do your very best to provide a high quality education for our
students, conduct cutting-edge research and serve our many constituencies
across the state on a daily basis.

Cordially,

John W. Shumaker
President