UTM ADVISORY BOARD MEETING COVERS FY ’23 BUDGET, FUNDRAISING AND MASTER PLAN

UTM ADVISORY BOARD MEETING COVERS FY ’23 BUDGET, FUNDRAISING AND MASTER

PLAN

MARTIN, Tenn. – Recommendations for no tuition or mandatory fee increases highlighted the

University of Tennessee at Martin’s 2022-23 proposed budget that was presented and approved during the

UT Martin Advisory Board summer meeting held May 20 in the Boling University Center. The proposed

budget now goes to the UT Board of Trustees for consideration at the annual meeting June 23-24 in

Knoxville. The advisory board meets three times annually and advises the university’s chancellor

regarding operations and budget.

Petra McPhearson, senior vice chancellor for finance and administration, presented budget

information that proposes $107.5 million in unrestricted budget funds and a total operating fund budget of

$152.2 million. The funding includes a $4.6 million increase in state appropriations. This is the third year

that no mandatory fee increases are recommended for UT Martin students.

In addition to the state’s funding support, McPhearson said that the university’s scholarship

program is another key to controlling costs for students attending UT Martin. “Our scholarship program is

something that we need to ensure that we fund and continue to provide affordability for our students to be

here at the university,” McPhearson said.

In other business, the 10-year UT Martin Campus Master Plan was presented by DLR Group, an

architecture and engineering design firm. Appearing via Zoom, DLR representatives previewed the plan

for board members that will next go to the UT Board of Trustees for final review and approval. The plan

addresses space needs and future development on the Martin campus. The plan was created through

engagement and visioning meetings with students, faculty and staff as well as using information gathered

from a campus-wide survey.

Dr. Charley Deal, vice chancellor for university advancement, presented a fundraising report and

recalled major accomplishments since his last presentation to the board in May 2021, which included

acquisition of Wildwood Farm in Shelby County, the largest commitment in UT System history. He also

noted the announcement of the university’s “RISE” capital fundraising campaign in September 2021 to

raise $175 million. To date, the RISE Campaign has reached almost 92% of its goal through 12,832

donors with the campaign set to conclude June 30, 2023. “It’s been an exciting 26 months for me to be

vice chancellor for university advancement, and we’re just getting started,” he said. “and you just saw the

master plan that is going to be our foundation for the next 10 years as we are looking forward to our next

campaign after ‘RISE.’”

Chancellor Keith Carver closed the meeting by reminding board members about the recent

funding of UT Martin’s proposed TEST Hub by the Tennessee General Assembly, which he connected to

the Blue Oval City development by Ford Motor Co. as a primary reason for legislative support of the

project. The $18 million TEST Hub will be located on the west side of the main campus and combine

educational facilities, entrepreneurial centers and manufacturing workshops surrounding a shared

industrial maker space. “When we look at the future of UT Martin … and the outlook for West Tennessee

– I just think it’s really bright when we think about all these new jobs and new people that are going to be

coming into this area for those jobs,” Carver said.

Art Sparks, of Union City, chairs the seven-member board and was reelected during the meeting

to his third term as chair. In other board-member updates, Dr. Anderson Starling will succeed Dr. Philip

Smartt, professor of natural resources management, as faculty representative to the board. Starling is

associate professor of political science and interim chair for the Department of Accounting, Finance,

Economics, and Political Science.

Also, Iman Ahmed, a junior political science major from Cordova, will follow Kelsea Koonce as

the UT Martin student representative to the board. Koonce is a senior in agriculture business major from

Newbern. The remaining board members are Hal Bynum, Sharon; Monice Hagler, Memphis; Julia Wells,

Jackson; and Johnny Woolfolk, Madison County.

Archived meeting agendas, minutes and meeting webcasts, including the May 20 meeting

webcast, are found at www.utm.edu/advisoryboard. Select the “Agenda and Meeting Materials” menu

link for archived content. Call the UT Martin Office of University Relations at 731-881-7615 for

additional assistance or information.

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