{"id":71706,"date":"2025-10-24T13:41:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T17:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=71706"},"modified":"2025-10-24T14:02:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T18:02:01","slug":"college-of-nursing-to-become-utcs-fifth-academic-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/college-of-nursing-to-become-utcs-fifth-academic-college\/","title":{"rendered":"College of Nursing to become UTC\u2019s fifth academic college"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Artist

Conceptual rendering of the Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building, the future home of the UTC College of Nursing.<\/p><\/div>\n

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga announced today that the UT Board of Trustees has approved the elevation of the School of Nursing to the UTC College of Nursing\u2014pending final approval from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission\u2014 marking a significant academic milestone for a program that has prepared nurses for the region for more than five decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is rare to have the opportunity to establish a college,\u201d UTC Chancellor Lori Bruce said. \u201cElevating nursing to the college level brings visibility to an enterprise that has been delivering for this region for more than 50 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you have nearly 1,000 students preparing for nursing careers, alumni practicing across the state, and a reputation for excellence, the title matters. Being a college gives weight to the work and helps us attract more people into a profession that Tennessee critically needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bruce thanked UT System President Randy Boyd, the UT Board of Trustees, and legislative leaders\u2014including members of the Hamilton County legislative delegation\u2014for their continued support.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir leadership and investment make it possible for us to scale a program that directly serves Tennesseans when they are at their most vulnerable,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen someone in a hospital or clinic is at their most vulnerable moment, the nurse at their bedside may have come from UTC.\u201d<\/p>\n

UTC\u2019s nursing portfolio spans the workforce continuum: the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and accelerated BSN programs; RN-to-BSN (Gateway); the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with nurse practitioner concentrations in adult gerontology acute care, psychiatric mental health and family practice; and the nationally recognized nurse anesthesia program\u2014which has been preparing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists since 1972 and reports a 100% employment rate for graduates. Nursing also offers a DNP in Nursing Administration Systems for those seeking leadership roles and a post-master\u2019s DNP for advanced practice registered nurses who wish to earn the doctoral degree.<\/p>\n

When it is officially launched, the College of Nursing will become UTC\u2019s fifth academic college, joining the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies\u2014where the School of Nursing is currently housed; the College of Arts and Sciences; the College of Engineering and Computer Science; and the Gary W. Rollins College of Business.<\/p>\n

Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Jerold Hale said the change formalizes what already exists.<\/p>\n

\u201cElevating the School of Nursing to a college is recognition of its excellence,\u201d Hale said. \u201cAs we expand the nursing programs, this will help us continue to recruit and attract outstanding faculty members and students to the programs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hale said the administrative transition will be straightforward because the School of Nursing already functions with the size and budget structure typical of a college.<\/p>\n

The transition comes as UTC builds the new Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building<\/strong><\/a> at the corner of Palmetto and East 3rd streets. The 90,000-square-foot facility\u2014scheduled to open for classroom work in fall 2027\u2014will enable a 152% enrollment increase. The nursing program currently accepts approximately 50% of applicants and turns down eligible students due to space and class size limitations.<\/p>\n

The new facility will accommodate more than 400 students daily and feature eight classrooms, five task training spaces, eight standardized patient actor exam rooms, a specialized space for labor and delivery experiences, and a simulated intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency room. A dedicated hall of patient care rooms\u2014similar to those in acute care facilities\u2014will feature a simulated nurse\u2019s station and a medication room.<\/p>\n

UTC is also expanding its physical reach through initiatives like MobileMOC<\/strong><\/a>, a mobile health outreach clinic delivering preventative care and interprofessional training to rural counties in Southeast Tennessee. The MobileMOC initiative is funded through a $2.6 million grant and extends UTC\u2019s nursing impact beyond campus while serving older adults and caregivers in underserved communities.<\/p>\n

Dr. Chris Smith, director of the School of Nursing, will be the inaugural dean of the new college.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing a college will heighten our visibility, not only in Chattanooga and southeast Tennessee\u2014but across the state, the southeast region and the country as well,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWhile we already have more applicants than we can handle at our current enrollment, this will inform a lot of potential students in the area that, yes, this is a great College of Nursing\u2014one I want to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith said the elevation aligns with UTC\u2019s commitment to grow enrollment in high-need fields.<\/p>\n

Bruce stressed the workforce dimension. She noted that the Tennessee Hospital Association projects significant nursing shortages over the next decade.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Kennedy Health Sciences Building increases the number of people we can train on campus. MobileMOC increases the number of people we can serve off campus. Transitioning nursing to a college brings those efforts under a banner that signals scale, stability and commitment to meeting the state\u2019s workforce needs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The UTC nursing program enrolls nearly 1,000 students across the undergraduate, nurse practitioner, nurse anesthesia and doctoral levels, and has earned national recognition for academic excellence and workforce readiness.<\/p>\n

Among its achievements and accolades:<\/p>\n