UTIA–UT Knoxville Reunification: Working Groups

To sustain the positive momentum created by the UTIA–UTK Reunification Committee 2019 report, Senior Vice Chancellor/Senior Vice President Tim Cross and Chancellor Donde Plowman committed to establish working groups composed of faculty, staff, students, and administrators, focused on five broad areas—student services, research, academic affairs and shared governance, communications and marketing, and finance and administrative processes. The goal for these groups is to consider and prioritize the opportunities and ideas identified in the report, generate other opportunities and ideas to enhance collaboration between UT Knoxville and UTIA, and solve problems that may arise as reunification efforts move forward. Upon completion of the tasks assigned to these working groups, Chancellor Plowman and SVC/SVP Cross will create a document reflecting their shared understanding of collaborative structures and processes going forward.

 

 

I.  Student Services Working Group

  1. Members
    1. Frank Cuevas, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life (co-chair)
    2. John Stier, Associate Dean, Herbert College of Agriculture (co-chair)
    3. Kari Alldredge, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management
    4. Brian Browning, Executive Director of Auxiliary and Support Services
    5. Deb Haines, College of Veterinary Medicine Administration
    6. Justin Cross, student
    7. Amadou Sall, Lecturer, Africana Studies
    8. Lannett Edwards, Professor and Graduate Director, Animal Science
    9. Samantha Ward, Manager, Pendergrass Library
    10. Mary Mahoney, Assistant Director, Center for Career Development

     

  2. Charge
    1. To identify the top five opportunities or ideas relating to enhancing student services for UTIA students, whether they are identified in the report or generated by the working group, and to recommend specific actions that need to occur to take advantage of those opportunities or ideas
    2. To recommend ways in which UT Knoxville can gather feedback on student services provided on the UTIA campus
    3. To recommend ways to increase collaboration between students who spend most of their time on the UTIA campus and students who spend most of their time on the Knoxville campus
    4. To recommend solutions to problems related to student services that may be referred to the working group as reunification efforts move forward in 2020

     

  3. Timeline
    The working group should report to Chancellor Plowman and SVC/SVP Cross on items 1 through 3 of the charge by March 16, 2020
     

Download the Student Services Working Group Report

 

II.  Research Working Group

  1. Members
    1. David White, Associate Dean, AgResearch (co-chair)
    2. Kimberly Eck, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Development (co-chair)
    3. Holly Raynor, Interim Assistant Dean for Research, College of Education, Health and Human Sciences
    4. Stephen Kania, Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine
    5. Kevin Hoyt, Director, Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center
    6. Jane Burns, Interim Director and Compliance Officer, AgResearch
    7. Dave Ader, Research Assistant Professor, Smith Center
    8. Torre Olson, Associate Professor of History
    9. David Harper, Professor, Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries
    10. Dan Simberloff, Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
    11. Ashley Draper, student
    12. Neal Schrick, Department Head, Animal Science

     

  2. Charge
    1. To identify the top five opportunities or ideas relating to enhancing research collaboration between UTIA and UT Knoxville faculty, whether they are identified in the report or generated by the working group, and to recommend specific changes that need to occur to take advantage of those opportunities or ideas
    2. To identify ways and specific changes that need to occur for UTIA and UT Knoxville to work together more seamlessly in research development, research administration, research compliance, and faculty research support
    3. To help solve problems relating to research that may be referred to the working group as reunification efforts move forward in 2020

     

  3. Timeline
    The working group should report to Chancellor Plowman and SVC/SVP Cross on items 1 and 2 of the charge by March 16, 2020.

    4.  

Download the Research Working Group Report

 

III.  Academic Affairs and Shared Governance Working Group

  1. Members
    1. Caula Beyl, Dean, Herbert College of Agriculture (co-chair)
    2. John Zomchick, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (co-chair)
    3. R.J. Hinde, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
    4. Bonnie Ownley, Professor, Entomology and Plant Pathology
    5. Chris Cox, Department Head, Civil and Environmental Engineering
    6. Alison Buchan, Professor, Microbiology
    7. Carole Meyers, Professor, Nursing
    8. Peter Fernandez, Associate Professor, Pendergrass Library
    9. Ann Berry, Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences
    10. Bob Trigiano, Professor, Entomology and Plant Pathology
    11. Olivia Yates, Student

     

  2. Charge
    1. To identify the top five opportunities or ideas to enable UTIA and UT Knoxville to work together more seamlessly in academic affairs and shared governance, including increasing collaboration between UTIA and UT Knoxville faculty in teaching and shared governance, whether those opportunities are identified in the report or generated by the working group, and to recommend specific changes that need to occur to take advantage of those opportunities or ideas
    2. To recommend ways to enhance curricular opportunities at UT Knoxville relating to agriculture
    3. To help solve problems relating to academic affairs and shared governance that may be referred to the working group as reunification efforts move forward in 2020

     

  3. Timeline
    The working group should report to Chancellor Plowman and SVC/SVP Cross on items 1 through 3 of the charge by March 16, 2010.
     

Download the Academic Affairs and Shared Governance Working Group Report

 

IV.  Communications and Marketing Working Group

  1. Members
    1. Tisha Benton, Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing (co-chair)
    2. Lisa Stearns, Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications (co-chair)
    3. Ahmon Watkins, student
    4. Tyra Haag, News and Information Director, Office of Communications and Marketing
    5. Christie Kennedy, Communications Director, Tickle College of Engineering
    6. Nancy Rucker, Extension
    7. Toni Wang, Professor, Food Science
    8. Jamie Greig, Assistant Professor, Agricultural Communications
    9. Lauren Vath, Communications Director, UTIA Advancement
    10. April Massengill, UTIA Marketing and Communications

     

  2. Charge
    1. To identify the top five opportunities or ideas to enable UTIA and UT Knoxville to collaborate and work together more closely in communications and marketing, whether they are identified in the report or generated by the working group, and to recommend specific actions that may need to occur to take advantage of those opportunities or ideas
    2. To enhance and unify communications and marketing relating to research, outreach, and the land-grant mission
    3. To recommend how to communicate the reunification of UTIA and UT Knoxville clearly, effectively, and transparently
    4. To recommend how to educate UT Knoxville stakeholders about UTIA and vice versa
    5. To help solve problems relating to communications and marketing that may arise as reunification efforts move forward in 2020

     

  3. Timeline
    The working group should report to Chancellor Plowman and SVC/SVP Cross on items 1 through 4 of the charge by March 16, 2020.
     

Download the Communications and Marketing Working Group Report

 

V.  Finance and Administrative Processes Working Group

  1. Members
    1. Chris Cimino, Senior Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration (co-chair)
    2. Tim Fawver, Chief Business Officer (co-chair)
    3. Tom Looney, Director, UTIA Advancement
    4. Chip Bryant, Vice Chancellor for Advancement, UT Knoxville
    5. Kim McCullock, Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
    6. Tonya Kenley, Budget Director, College of Veterinary Medicine
    7. Mary Lucal, Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources
    8. Justin Rhinehart, Associate Professor, Animal Science
    9. Audris Mockus, Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
    10. Paitlyn Webb, student
    11. Amy Stover, Budget Director, Herbert College of Agriculture
    12. Angela Gibson, Chief Information Officer, UTIA

     

  2. Charge
    1. To identify the top 10 opportunities or ideas to enable UTIA and UT Knoxville to collaborate and work together more seamlessly in finance and administrative processes (e.g., human resources, training, information technology and security, and development), whether they are identified in the report or generated by the working group, and to recommend structural, process, policy, or reporting changes that may need to occur to take advantage of those opportunities or ideas
    2. To continue to develop short and long term solutions to parking and transportation issues relating to the UTIA campus
    3. To solve problems relating to finance and administrative processes that may arise as reunification efforts move forward in 2020

     

  3. Timeline
    The working group should report to Chancellor Plowman and SVC/SVP Cross on items 1 and 2 of the charge by March 16, 2020.
     

Download the Finance and Administrative Processes Working Group Report