University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

As part of its Diversity Plan, the Department of Communication will "continue to recruit and retain minority and underrepresented student groups and provide a supportive and inclusive environment for students to learn and express themselves intellectually and creatively."

UTC's 2021-2025 Strategic Plan states that by 2025 the university will "effectively recruit a larger and more diverse student population" with a "particular focus on traditionally underrepresented groups...."

HR will be undertaking both one-time and recurring diversity and inclusion training events.

The university hosted the "White Allies and Accountability" lecture.

As part of its Diversity Plan, the Department of Communication will "encourage faculty to participate in 'safe zone' training programs so the department can continue to provide 'safe zones' for minority and underrepresented students. (ongoing)"

The Office of Equal Opportunity and Accessibility provides diversity training for faculty, staff, and students which is "used to increase cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills by increasing the inclusion of different identity groups, and by promoting better teamwork."

The Walker Center for Teaching and Learning offers a "Certificate Series for Transformative Teaching" which includes a module on "The Diverse Classroom: Race, Inclusion, Mental Health, [and] First-Gen."

The Division of Access and Engagement offers several optional diversity training programs including "Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity," "The Power of Respectful Language," "Equality: Is it Bias?," "Combating the Isms," "Managing a Multi-generational Workforce," and "Team Building Across Cultures."

A comprehensive curriculum review has been completed with changes to follow.

UTC's Department of Communication created a Diversity Plan and states that it is "committed to achieving and maintaining diversity in its curriculum, educational environment, and faculty and student populations." Additionally the department states, "Faculty and staff members will strive to create and maintain a diverse and inclusive program that serves and reflects society and that embraces the Values and Competencies related to diversity as defined by ACEJMC."

One of the "student learning outcomes" of UTC's General Education program is the following: "Cultivate inclusion by recognizing, examining, and reflecting on the diversity of cultural and individual experiences."

UTC has an Individual and Global Citizenship core curriculum requirement. The student learning outcomes include assessing "multiple perspectives and experiences, especially those previously underrepresented historically and currently, manifest in societies" and demonstrating "intercultural knowledge and competencies and a sense of community through interaction with the cultural, material, spatial, and/or historical dimensions of the diverse world around us."

The Department of Communication states that it is "committed to achieving and maintaining diversity in its curriculum, educational environment, and faculty and student populations." The goal of the curriculum is to "foster an understanding of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and, as appropriate, other forms of diversity in domestic society in relation to mass communications."  

The Department of Education has a "Diversity Plan" which states that its objectives for the curriculum are to "review [the] curriculum [regarding] issues of diversity, including ethnic, religious and racial minorities; people with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals; the economically disadvantaged; and nontraditional and international students" and then "incorporate [the] issues concerning these groups into courses throughout the curriculum where appropriate." Both of these efforts are ongoing.

A Bias Response Team will be created.

Regarding implicit bias, UTC states that "Search Committee Orientation provides some tips on how to reduce the impact of bias in the search process...." Orientation is required to serve on a search committee.

The primary goals of UTC's employment, recruitment, and selection process are "to attract a diverse array of highly qualified applicants" and "to take affirmative action to address any areas of underrepresentation of women or racial/ethnic minorities in the ranks of the university’s faculty and staff" among others.

Research grants and proposals for social justice projects are being reviewed by the Vice Chancellor for Research.

The university will conduct a review of its policing strategy and will reform/review it.

Faculty has been provided with extensive pedogogical resources for "Teaching about Race, Racism, and Race Justice."

The Office of Equity and Inclusion created a "Guide for Navigating Difficult Conversations on Race."

In February 2022, the Claremont Institute Center for the American Way of Life published a report titled "Critical Social Justice in Tennessee Higher Education: An Overview," which states that Critical Social Justice "undermines equal protection of the law— creating different standards of justice for minorities and the supposedly oppressive majority." The report draws connections between CSJ and DEI program/initiatives at UT-C and states the following: "UT-C has a Strategic Plan for DEI and a university-level administrator. Its efforts at the college level are less developed than most however, with only one of the four colleges seeming to emphasize DEI."

UTC's Walker Center for Teaching and Learning provides pedagogical resources for "Teaching about Race, Racism, and Race Justice" which includes links to the "1619 Project Curriculum" and the "Harvard Implicit Bias Test."

Multicultural Educators of Tomorrow is a UTC student organization that "strives to make teacher candidates, faculty and staff more aware of diversity, multiculturalism and anti-racism in relation to the future of education." The organization also provides resources for "culturally responsive teaching."

In 2023, the Chattanooga City Council members approved a "University of Tennessee at Chattanooga professor's study of social and equity in the Scenic City." The study covers "race disparities" along with "gender and age disparities." According to ABC, "The $20,000 equity study by UTC is similar to a study the city paid for in 2016."

The university will create a new "Vice Chancellor of Diversity and Engagement" position.

In October 2023, an article by the University paper titled "Redefining Diversity: UTC Prepares for Changes to DEI Programs" was published. The article covered a forum hosted by the University, which discussed UTC's "dedication to inclusivity" and the decision to shift from “diversity and engagement” to “access and engagement.” The University stated, “This is not turning our backs on diversity, inclusion, equity... It’s really doubling down and trying to decide how we can do an even better job.”

According to the Division of Access & Engagement, it lists "diversity & diverse perspectives" and "equity, inclusion, fairness & justice" among its values.

The Department of Chemistry and Physics and the College of Arts and Sciences adopted a "diversity statement" which states, “We recognize that diverse and inclusive communities serve as rich learning environments that cultivate growth in both intellectual knowledge and philosophical perspectives." The Department and College also affirmed "the values in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect statements of the national chemistry and physics professional societies" and "[recognized] the underrepresentation of minorities in STEM."

UTC's Counseling Center has a diversity statement which states, "We are committed to providing culturally competent counseling that is inclusive of our diverse student body in a safe, affirming space." It continues, "We [consider] the unique experiences and concerns of LGBT+ students, racial and ethnic minorities, international students, veterans, differently-abled students, and students of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and religious/spiritual beliefs."