UTC aims to grow honors college

If UTC is going to compete for the state’s top high school students, the school must expand its small honors program, and officials said they need to raise $10 million to do it.

“The problem is not with the honors program because the program is excellent,” said UTC Provost Phil Oldham. “The problem is that it’s too small.”

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga currently admits 35 to 40 students into its highly competitive University Honors Program each year. UTC spends more than a $1 million yearly on academic scholarships on honors students.

Many of those students are given William E. Brock Jr. scholarships, an aid program supported with a $6 million endowment through the University of Chattanooga Foundation.

Within the existing University Honors program, students live together in an honors dorm, receive special perks such as early registration and library privileges and attend special honors courses and programs. Those opportunities need to be expanded to more students, Dr. Oldham said.

A new honors college, which would include the Brock Scholars Program, would house several niche honors programs in areas such as international studies, environmental sustainability science and technology or leadership.

“We could not only serve more of our current students who have the ability to participate in an honors program, we could recruit additional top students who want that experience,” Dr. Oldham said.

Carlyn Saylors, a senior in the University Honors Program, said a more inclusive UTC honors college will help draw top-notch high schoolers who would have considered private colleges.

However, she said expanding the Brock Scholars Program would hurt the quality of the program.

“I think the University Honors Program should be left at the size and scope that it is, but the university could make a smart move by designating an honors college,” said Ms. Saylors. “You will be provided with extra opportunities to have priority registration or extra funding you deserve.”

Officials are working on a $10 million endowment to support the school’s new honors initiative. Dr. Oldham said he spoke with the UC Foundation, the fundraising arm of UTC, about the need for an honors college.

Thirty to 40 percent of the money needed to support an honors college has been raised, said Bob Lyon, vice chancellor for university advancement at UTC.

Most of the gifts, however, are tied to estates and it could be years before UTC can use the money, he said.

“We have to have some patience. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it looks good at this point,” Mr. Lyon said.

Eventually, Dr. Oldham said he wants to see 10 percent of UTC’s student population — more than 1,000 students — enrolled in the honors college.

With Gov. Phil Bredesen’s emphasis on encouraging more students to begin their college at two-year schools and then transfer into universities. UTC must create honors options for transfer students, he said. The University Honors Program currently admits freshman students.

“We don’t really have a good pathway for transfer students,” he said. “The truth is we need to be providing those kinds of opportunities for students.”