—Enrollment increased 19.6 percent, surpassing more than 10,000 students in fall 2009 and 11,430 students in fall 2010
—The Coalition of Urban and Metro Universities 18th national conference comes to UTC (to be held in October)
—University earned the community engagement classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2008
—Campus was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll in 2009
—Was reaccredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 2011
—More than $100 million in construction and capital improvements have been implemented, including the new library that is scheduled to be completed in 2013
—Grant funding increased to $12.2 million for the fiscal year 2011
In an email sent to campus employees at UTC Friday afternoon, Chancellor Roger Brown announced that he is stepping down from his post.
Brown cites the difficult year that he has had, which included the recent passing of his wife, Carolyn, as the primary reason behind his decision. Carolyn passed away after a battle with myelofibrosis, which is a cancer of the bone marrow.
"As all of you know, this has been a tremendously difficult year for me personally, and yet, throughout all of the ups and downs, Carolyn and I received so much love and support from our campus and community families," Brown said. "You will never know how important this has been for me."
Brown continued on to say that he wanted the faculty and staff of UTC to hear of his decision to retire personally and not through another source.
"It has truly been a privilege to work at UTC and to be welcomed in the hearts of so many. From the beginning, Carolyn and I felt the friendship and warmth from both the campus and the community. As many of you know, we had already begun to make arrangements to retire and make Chattanooga our home, and I certainly plan to still do so," Brown said.
UTC is already searching for a new provost, and Brown said that after speaking with UT System President Joe DiPietro, the decision to search for a new chancellor will take precedence over the provost search so that the new chancellor can aid in the selection of a new provost.
Brown anticipates that a chancellor search committee will be named soon, with the hopes of having a new chancellor in place by spring 2013. Brown will remain in his position until March 31, 2013.
"I pledge to do everything in my power to keep the Chattanooga spirit of achievement strong as I prepare to relinquish the reins to a new leader in the spring," Brown said.
Brown has held the position of chancellor at UTC since February 2005. He was the 15th head of UTC.
Brown came to Chattanooga from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where he had served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs since 2000. Previously, he had served since 1991 in various academic and administrative capacities with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Brown left UNC Charlotte in 2000 as senior associate provost and associate vice chancellor for academic affairs.
A political scientist with particular academic emphasis in American government, Brown earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from the University of Tennessee and a Ph.D. in political science from Johns Hopkins University. He began his teaching career at Iowa State University in 1983 before joining the UNC Charlotte faculty in 1985.
