Priority 1: Transformative Experiences

Many UT fans and friends are familiar with the athletic success enjoyed across the university, but a lesser-known aspect of UT’s championship culture lives in the department of RecSports through the sport clubs program. The program is producing incredible results, combining national athletic success with intentional mentorship offered by department staff and personal growth available…

At the start of the 2025 fall semester, UT was home to 1,778 transfer students. While these students arrive from an array of institutions at varying classifications, they all have one trait in common: a desire to be a Tennessee Volunteer. And thanks to a new initiative through the Student Government Association, future transfer students…

At the University of Tennessee, leadership is more than a title or position, it’s a practice available to anyone at anytime. A reimagined interdisciplinary Leadership Studies Minor, delivered through a partnership between the Jones Center for Leadership and Service (JCLS) and the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS), is helping students connect what…

Every fall, thousands of Volunteers take their first steps into a new chapter of life. Families say goodbye, students step into independence, and our campus becomes a true home. And through this time, a small army of students, faculty, and staff serve as volunteers with University Housing to ensure every new campus resident encounters a…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…