The University of Tennessee, Martin

The university states that, in 2020-2021, "The Office of Human Resources will collaborate with the Diversity and Inclusion Goal Strategic Planning Implementation Team to develop a comprehensive recruitment and retention plan to augment the campus diversity plan."

Goal three of UTM's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan states, "Facilitate recruitment and retention of diverse faculty, staff, and students." The plan also states that UTM intends to "involve current students of diverse backgrounds to help the recruitment efforts by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by summer 2023."

For the 2020-2021 academic year, the university will continue Captain's Courageous Conversations which will "engage students in meaningful and challenging conversations around racial justice and other diversity issues."

In 2020-2021, the school stated that, "opportunities will be offered to participate in multiple conversations, external training and programming centered on the cultural climate across UT Martin."

Goal three of UTM's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan states, "Highlight university policies and procedures regarding diversity and inclusion through increased training for faculty and staff."

UTM's Division of Access and Engagement will assist the university in achieving its goals by "providing the UTM community with educational and training experiences that improve awareness, knowledge, and cultural competencies that aid in understanding and managing a global community."

For the 2020-2021 academic year, the university will "Review Proposals for New Courses on Race and Diversity through the Faculty Senate."

The 2025-2026 General Education Requirements include nine credit hours of Humanities Courses in which "students will examine human diversity in various media."

UTM outlines methods for reporting a bias incident that is either experienced or witnessed by campus community members and defines bias as "any act that is motivated, in whole or in part, due to an individual’s age, race, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity or expression...."

According to the 2022-2025 "Prepare for Takeoff 2.0" plan, starting in 2022, "the central committee will work with the Office of DEI to sponsor regular training (at least two times annually for the next three years) for faculty and staff to ensure a campus that is safe, open, accessible, and welcoming to all."

According to the 2022-2025 "Prepare for Takeoff 2.0" plan, the University aims to "Highlight university policies and procedures regarding diversity and inclusion through increased training for faculty and staff."

In response to Tennessee Legislation, (SB 623 & SB 2290) which restrict the promotion of critical race theory, a "student government organization at the University of Tennessee at Martin" proposed a resolution to condemn the laws as "racist." The proposition was then passed by the Student Government Association by a vote of 16-4 in February 2023.

According to the 2025-2026 Catalog, the BA in Global Studies offers a concentration in Global Diversity and Multiculturalism.

In April 2021, the UTM campus police attended diversity training.

On February 23, 2021, the university hosted its annual Civil Rights Conference where Robin DiAngelo, author of “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism,” discussed white fragility and its impact on society.

The school states, "UT Martin is committed to providing an open and welcoming campus, which is why an inclusion task force was formed under the five-year Strategic Plan, implemented in 2018, to ensure the campus is diverse and inclusive for all."

The university has an Office of Equity and Diversity.

During the February 2022 annual Civil Rights Conference, one of the numerous events discussed "Critical Race Theory: What It Is and What It Isn't" and was hosted by the Weakley County Reconciliation Project virtually.

UTM Libraries provide social justice resources which include the following book titles: "Integrating Mindfulness into Anti-Oppression Pedagogy: Social Justice in Higher Education" by Beth Berila, "Promoting Diversity and Social Justice: Educating People from Privileged Groups" by Diane J. Goodman and "Social Justice Issues and Racism in the College Classroom: Perspectives from Different Voices" by Dannielle Joy Davis. 

On October 20, 2023, UTM's "Dr. Henry H. Parker Speaker Series" featured Ibram X. Kendi, author of "How to be an Antiracist."

The Office of Multicultural Affairs at UTM provides support to "underrepresented students" and "seeks to identify [their] academic, cultural, economic, and social needs."

The 2024-2025 Curriculum Requirements include six Credit Hours of Social and Behavioral Sciences. In the classes, "Students will analyze key ethical issues as examined by the social/behavioral sciences" and "will describe the influence of geographic, political, economic, cultural and/or family institutions on the individual and society." Classes offered to fulfill the requirement include "Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies," which "explains how class, race, ethnicity, and age shape the female experience historically and across cultures" and "Understanding Human Diversity and Oppressed Populations."

In March 2025, UTM chose "to comply" with the letter to Universities throughout the US by the Department of Education. The letter stated that “treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal under controlling Supreme Court precedent.” According to UTM, it is currently "working toward compliance with the 'Dear Colleague' letter and will do so in accordance with federal law, statute, policy, and federal or state government."

For the 2020-21 academic year, the university will hire a Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.

For the 2020-2021 academic year, the school announced, "The Strategic Plan Goal 3 Implementation Task Force has been busy this spring working on UT Martin’s first diversity statement, which has been submitted to our cabinet for vetting. The task force’s current work is focused on the establishment of a comprehensive and clearly articulated university-wide diversity plan. This process will involve faculty, staff and students across the university and provide measurables for accountability."

The university plans to "increase faculty diversity" for the 2020-2021 academic year.

In a September 2022 Board Meeting, a recommended goal for the University was to "[create] a central steering committee with representatives from all groups working on diversity, inclusion, and equity by Spring 2023."

According to the University 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, it aimed to "Increase diversity among campus leadership by 5% by fall 2024."