University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Chancellor Donde Plowman delivered a powerful call to action during her seventh annual Flagship Address on Thursday, urging the Volunteer community to embrace bold ambition and pursue excellence in every endeavor. Speaking to a packed audience, Plowman highlighted UT’s remarkable momentum, its unwavering commitment to students and the state, and her vision for taking the university to the next level.
“We have the kind of upward trajectory that other universities dream about,” Plowman told the crowd of UT leaders, faculty, staff, alumni and friends gathered in the university’s Natalie L. Haslam Music Center. “But we’re not done. As they say, we didn’t come this far just to come this far. We are taking the University of Tennessee to the next level.”
In his introduction of the chancellor, Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor John Zomchick spoke of the university’s promises to expand access to unparalleled education, prepare tomorrow’s leaders, and advance knowledge that improves lives locally, nationally and globally.
“This vision guides us and will shape our future,” he said. “A great vision requires a great leader — a leader who sees opportunity in challenge, who insists on bold action, and who never loses sight of the people and communities we serve.”
Strengthening statewide impact
Plowman said that although higher education faces significant challenges, UT is uniquely positioned to seize opportunities and forge a bold new path forward.
“Decades from now, when others write the story of how universities regained prominence in our society — educating even more students, creating even more jobs, solving even more problems — they will point to the University of Tennessee,” she said. “They will say it was institutions like ours that were bold and creative, that pursued excellence in the face of obstacles. It will be universities like ours that never forgot who we were or who we served.”
The chancellor spoke of the university’s commitment to students, recalling that the Division of Student Success and Vol Success Teams were launching at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic made personalized student support more important than ever. Such efforts, she said, have been instrumental in building UT’s national reputation as an innovator in student success, helping increase graduation rates, and setting new records for retention and enrollment.
“Parents send their students here because they trust us to care for their entire well-being,” she said. “Of all the resources and assets we have built through the centuries, none is more valuable than the trust of those we serve.”
That trust extends throughout Tennessee, Plowman said, as the university works to meet the needs of the state through workforce development and technology innovations. She cited the Institute of American Civics, the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies and the Tennessee Reading Research Center as examples of UT’s commitment to living out its mission as the state’s flagship land-grant university.
“Every day we do work that meets the needs of our state and builds the confidence Tennesseans have in us,” she said.
Building on core strengths
Looking ahead at her vision for building on the goodwill the university has established, the chancellor spoke of UT’s strengths in three core areas: an unparalleled student experience, research that makes life and lives better, and the nation’s top athletics department.
The chancellor reiterated UT’s commitment to investing in the student experience through projects like the new student success building, which broke ground in April and is expected to open in fall 2027, and Vol Edge, a career-readiness initiative that launched earlier this year. She said the university plans to increase enrollment of graduate students and online students, and that everyone across UT should be proud of creating a vibrant community that so many students are eager to join.
Citing a recent Gallup survey, Plowman said 91% of UT students — compared to the national average of 73% — feel comfortable expressing their opinions freely on campus.
“Students want to be a part of this university because they trust that this is a community where they can be themselves and pursue their dreams,” she said.
Turning to research, Plowman cited UT’s role as a leader in crucial fields like nuclear engineering. She spoke of the university’s plans to recruit high-profile faculty across numerous disciplines and to expand existing research hubs as well as creating the new Maplehurst Innovation District to focus on artificial intelligence and technology.
“Investments in expert faculty, collaborative partnerships and cutting-edge facilities will springboard us to the next level,” she said.
Looking to the athletics department, Plowman said every decision made there keeps student-athletes in mind.
“We are one of the most imaginative, principled and competitive departments in the country. Our investments in both the student-athlete and the fan experience, as well as partnerships that provide flexibility and competitive advantage, are what will propel us to the next level.”
Leaning into a new era of ambition
Plowman concluded her address by calling on the entire UT community to strive for ambitious goals at a time when others may be afraid to seize opportunities.
“We will not squander this trust or the momentum we’ve built,” she said. “Now is the time to lean into this new era of ambition. To think creatively and act boldly. To pursue excellence in everything. Because we know excellence creates opportunity — for our students, our state and everyone we serve.”
A full recording and transcript of Plowman’s Flagship Address will be available on the chancellor’s website.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Tyra Haag (865-974-5460, tyra.haag@tennessee.edu)
Stacy Estep (865-974-8304, sestep3@utk.edu)