Priority 1: Transformative Experiences

Inaugural Global Citizens Program Sparks Growth for UT Students

Launched in 2024, UT’s Global Citizens Program provides an opportunity for students to participate in an international educational program regardless of financial abilities. Each Global Citizens cohort identifies a country of interest and studies the selected country throughout the school year. Then, the cohort visits the selected country at the conclusion of the spring semester…
Translating Her Volunteer Experience into Student Advocacy

The lifelong dream of a University of Tennessee alumna has come to fruition at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, thanks in part to the work of UT’s Student Disability Services. As a PhD student at UT, Kaycee Bills was invited to become a member of Delta Alpha Pi, a national honor society for students with disabilities who…
Campus to Career: Our VSA Internship Experience

Written By: Tess Valkovschi, Junior Studying Marketing, and Leila Robinson, Senior Studying Psychology This past summer, we had the privilege of interning in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Life, focusing on strategic initiatives, through the Vols in Student Affairs program. Over the course of six weeks, we collaborated on building a new framework…
From Service Hours to a Way of Life: UT Student Embodies the Volunteer Spirit Through Community Engagement

When UT student Jessica Cecchi started volunteering through the Jones Center for Leadership and Service, it was initially to meet her community service quotas for various programs she is involved in on campus, like the 1794 Scholars Program or Leadership Knoxville Scholars. But now, after logging over 200 hours with community partners across Knoxville, the…
A CliftonStrengths Campus: Three Student Stories of Exploration and Growth

As an official CliftonStrengths campus, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville has partnered with Gallup to allow all incoming students to take the CliftonStrengths assessment at no cost to them, train faculty and staff members as certified coaches, and infuse CliftonStrengths into academic courses. Focusing on strengths instead of deficits is a core and guiding philosophy…
Homesick to Home Sweet Home: The Impact of Living and Learning Communities at UT

Abigail Kom, Graduate Assistant, University Housing College students today are feeling more isolated than ever. A 2022 study published by the National Library of Medicine highlighted that students face greater challenges in forming close relationships compared to previous generations. The national study revealed that 26% of college students report feeling lonely, with first-year students being…
MLK Jr. Days of Service: UT’s Tribute to a Lasting Legacy

Blakley O’Brien, Student Intern, Jones Center for Leadership and Service Martin Luther King Jr.’s lasting legacy reminds us of the value and necessity of service, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s MLK Jr. Days of Service reflect his profound commitment to community. Hosted by the Jones Center for Leadership and Service, the annual initiative organizes…
Room Where It Happens

We are a university on the rise. UT is experiencing record success and there has never been a better time to be a Volunteer. Amid that backdrop, I have had the incredible honor of leading the Division of Student Life through a season of rapid growth, expansion, and ascent the past few years. With 91.9%…
Not the Principal’s Office: A Restorative Approach to Conduct Violations

Do the next right thing after a mistake has been made. That’s the core belief that guides Student Conduct and Community Standards in their work with students facing conduct violations or investigations. “At UT, the conduct process is educational in nature and centered around student development,” says Amanda Samsel, director of the 11-person team. “Staff…
Welcome Week Means More Than You Know

Rachel Moore, Information Sciences ’26 Each semester, Welcome Week infuses students with a sense of belonging and connection. For those who feel a little different, this can be truly transformative. My early childhood was spent isolated in homeschool, and the long-awaited transition to a classroom setting brought bullying and depression. Decades later, as a first-generation…