Student Life and Educational Services

Educational Services

Accommodations and Assistance

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is strongly committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act and assuring that no qualified individual is by reason of disability, excluded from participation in or denied the benefits of any services, programs, or activities provided by the University. The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities whenever necessary to afford otherwise qualified students access to services, programs, or activities. The Director, Michelle Rigler, hold the responsibility of ensuring University compliance with ADA. For more information, please come by the OSD office located at 102 Frist Hall, or call (423) 425-4006.

Asia Program

The purpose of the Asia Program is to enhance understanding of Asia by the general public and the University community through a variety of educational services including courses, exchanges, summer institutes, and publications such as Education About Asia.

Bookstore

The University Bookstore is operated by Barnes & Noble Bookstores, Inc. The store is located in the University Center and offers new and used textbooks for all courses and all required supplies for class along with UTC merchandise—T-shirts, sweatshirts, fraternity and sorority items, etc. Services provided include daily book buy-back with price paid on wholesale basis. Prices are higher at the end of the semester, and many fluctuate depending on inventory needs of the bookstore for the next semester.

The Bookstore accepts checks, cash, Mocs Cards, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover cards. For more information, please contact the bookstore at (423) 425-4107.

Cadek Conservatory of Music

The Cadek Conservatory has as its goal the education of music students of all ages who are not enrolled at the University level. The conservatory offers applied music courses in virtually all instruments and voice in a curriculum which includes theory, chamber music, and other ensemble activity. This comprehensive curriculum has special courses for young children including Suzuki violin and piano.

The conservatory is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music and the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts . The faculty ranges from full-time conservatory teachers to public school music teachers who serve part-time. The faculty includes many University music faculty and other prominent performing musicians as well.

For further information, please consult the Cadek Conservatory of Music Bulletin or call (423) 425-4624.

Center for Economic Education, The Probasco Chair of Free Enterprise

The Probasco Chair of Free Enterprise and its associated Center for Economic Education design and implement research projects and educational programs to educate UTC students, secondary and elementary school teachers, and the general public, including the clergy, media, employees, and business executives, about basic economic principles and the unique features of the free enterprise system.

Children’s Center

The UTC Children’s Center is an early childhood program and learning lab operated by the School of Education in the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies. The center serves children from six weeks of age through prekindergarten in two sites located at Brown and Battle Academies. The Tennessee Department of Human Services licenses the center which has attained a Three Star Rating at each site. The center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The prekindergarten program is approved by the Tennessee Department of Education. The center provides a clinical laboratory environment for early childhood education majors and students in other fields related to children and families.

Priority for enrollment is given to children of UTC faculty, staff and students, faculty and staff of Brown and Battle and attendance zone families. The center maintains a waiting list. These applications are available by calling the center at 209-5735 (Battle) or 209-5740 (Brown). The Coordinator at each site maintains the waiting list and provides tours of the facility.

Computer Network and Acceptable Use Practices: Privileges and Responsibilities

Computing SerStudents are expected to read, understand, and follow UTC’s “Acceptable Use Practices” policy. The following is not an all-inclusive list but rather a summary of common examples. The full description of Acceptable Use Practices for UTC is available online at: www.utc.edu/Administration/WalkerTeachingResourceCenter/AUP/

• Disrupting network access for others, whether deliberately or unintentionally. Examples: infected computers flooding the network with spam or viruses, P2P file-sharing applications that consume more than a fair share of network resources, improperly configured network devices.
• Using technology resources to violate any State or federal law including copyright and license agreements. Examples: illegally downloading, storing, and/or sharing copyrighted materials, viewing child pornography, theft of confidential information.
• Transmitting abusive, threatening, or harassing messages, chain letters, spam, or other communications prohibited by law or University policy.
• Unauthorized attempts to scan or gain access to systems, accounts, network traffic or information not intended for you.

Violations may result in termination of access, disciplinary review, expulsion, and possible legal action. If you receive notice of an AUP violation, follow the instructions in the notice or contact the Help Desk at (423) 425-4000 as soon as possible.

Safe Computing

Students are advised to keep computers safe from viruses and spyware by following these guidelines.

• Keep Windows up to date
• Have an up-to-date antivirus.
• Be careful where you click. Never open e-mail attachments you weren’t expecting. Don’t click on pop-up ads or install things you don’t really need.
• Run spyware removers/blockers regularly.
• Do not use P2P or torrent software. Almost all “free” music and file-sharing applications install spyware and viruses.
• Be careful who you let use your computer. Roommates, friends, and relatives may click or install things they should not.
• Don’t share your usernames or passwords with anyone.

Students who believe their computer is infected may call the Help Desk at (423) 425-4000 for assistance. If necessary, students may make an appointment to bring PCs to the Student Help Desk in the UC Student Technology Center where staff members will guide users through the reformat or disinfection process. Students must stay with the computer and be an active participant in the process, which typically takes at least two hours.

Continuing Education and Public Service

The Division of Continuing Education and Public Service provides high quality, lifelong learning opportunities to individuals seeking personal growth or professional development programs, workshops, certificates, and/or college degrees to students who are located off-campus. Detailed information on Continuing Education and its programs is available online at www.utc.edu/ContinuingEducation.

Distance Education Credit Courses

To meet the needs of individuals who wish to complete degree programs in a non-traditional manner, the university offers a number of courses and programs in Distance formats. Distance Instruction includes on-site at regional locations, two-way interactive video, and online delivery via the Internet. Persons interested in Distance Education instruction should contact the Division of Continuing Education for further information at (423) 425-4344.

Professional Development

To meet the needs of individuals and groups seeking professional development learning experiences, the division offers a variety of professional development programs in both public and customized formats. The professional development programs carry Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and the Division maintains individual transcripts and issues certificates.

Community Outreach

To extend University resources to the community, the Division offers personal development programs for all ages, including Youth University, Elderscholars, and courses in art, literature, foreign languages, recreation, money management, and many other areas.

The Division coordinates the admission and advisement of local high school students participating in the Tennessee Dual Enrollment program. For more information, call (423) 425-4344 and ask about our Dual Enrollment program.

Meeting Management and Video Production

This service offers a top quality learning environment and a wide variety of program planning and implementation services.

• Fifteen+ meeting rooms with seating from 10 to 450
• Flexible seating arrangements
• Event/conference management services
• Teleconferencing and satellite downlink
• Catering services to meet all your needs
• Registration services
• Video production services

Counseling and Career Planning

The Counseling and Career Planning Center at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga offers a variety of services to students. These services include personal, vocational, academic counseling, and crisis intervention for individuals and groups and psychiatric services. Consultation services, workshops and other programs are developed and available for the university community.

The staff of the Center includes professionally-trained counselors and a psychologist, who have achieved appropriate certification and/or licensure at the state and national levels. Graduate students work under the supervision of the Center’s professional staff, and are given responsibilites commensurate with their training.

Issues for which students receive counseling include finding a major, relationship difficulties, roommate issues, difficulty in classes, adjusting to college, family issues, depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns. Students may walk into the Center for their first appointment during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to Noon, and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. If a student is experiencing a crisis or emergency, he or she may be seen at any time during business hours, or after hours call campus security to reach the counselor on call.

Services of the Counseling and Career Planning Center are confidential. The services are free to students with the exception of career, learning, or mental health assessment instruments. The need for such assessments may be discussed with a counselor during the first visit. Students may contact the Center by phone at (423) 425-4438, or come to the Center in room 338 of the University Center.
 

UTC Dining Services, operated by Aramark Co., recognizes the hectic and demanding schedule that college students balance. The key to dining satisfaction is a variety of options, and at UTC you’ll find something for every taste.

From national offerings like Subway, Chick-Fil-A, and Quizno’s Subs to campus brands like the traditional cooking at Home Zone and pizza and pasta at Topios, the choices go on and on. Scrappy’s Place in the University Center offers the largest selection and the Campus Crossroads is the place for residential dining.

Campus meal memberships offer the most bang for your buck, and all students who live on campus must enroll in one of the campus meal plans.

Health Services/Insurance

University Health Services (UHS) is a partnership between UTC, the Erlanger Health System, the UT College of Medicine Chattanooga (UTCOMC) and the UT Family Practice Center (UTFP). Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. For after hours emergencies call the UTFP office number (778-8837). The scope of services includes office visits for general illnesses, allergy injections, flu immunizations, hepatitis B immunizations, TB skin testing, physical exams, women’s health, lab services, educational programs, and referrals. All currently enrolled University students are eligible for health services. Payment for any deductible and co-payments are expected at the time of service by means of cash, check, or credit card.

For other information concerning UHS or to schedule an appointment, please call (423) 778-9303 or visit www.utc.edu/uhs.

The University recommends that students obtain separate hospitalization and medical insurance. A health insurance policy is offered through the University and covers a schedule of expenses for surgery and hospitalization in case of accident or illness. All international students are required to enroll in The University of Tennessee insurance program. Information about this policy is mailed to students in the summer. Additional information is available by calling 1-(877)480-4161 or visiting www.aetnastudenthealth.com.

All students in the School of Nursing must have health insurance.

Housing

UTC offers a unique web based tool for graduate students and other members of the campus community to search for off campus housing and to even find roommates, if desired. You may learn more about off campus housing options by visiting http://offcampushousing.utc.edu. There is a limited on campus housing availability for graduate students, but you may learn more about these options, rates and the application process by visiting www.utc.edu/housing.

ID Cards

The University provides each student with an official University ID card, the Mocs Card. This card is used to gain admission to athletic events, to check out books from the library, to obtain special rates and privileges at many University functions, and to indicate the individual’s right to use University facilities. Mocs Cards can also be used as a debit card at the following locations:

All Food Service Facilities; Boling Mini-Mart

Bookstore

Computer Labs

Go Print Stations

Graphic Services and Mail Room

Parking Garage and Parking Services

Counseling and Career Planning

ARC-Guest and Equipment Checkout

Select copy and vending machine locations

A student’s account can be managed online through ManageMyID by registering at www.utc.edu/mocscard. A debit card account balance can be activated by depositing cash into the Value Port machine located next to Food Services in the University Center and in the Library. Also, deposits can be made in the form of cash, check, Visa or Mastercard in the Bursar’s Office, University Center.

A student’s initial Mocs Card is intended to last throughout the entire stay at UTC. Lost or stolen cards should be reported immediately through ManageMyID. The Mocs Card Office is located in the University Center, ground floor, Room 141. The telephone number is (423) 425-2218 or (423) 425-4109; fax (423) 425-4795. UTC is not liable for any loss of funds due to misuse or theft of a Mocs Card. Replacement cards (lost, broken, or damaged) are made at the Mocs Card Office for a cost of $15 to be paid at the Bursar’s Office. Once a replacement card is made, previous cards cannot be reactivated under any circumstances. No fee is charged for the initial card or for the initial use of the debit card system. A $15 service fee is applied to Mocs Card refunds.

Information Technology (IT)

The mission of the Information Technology Division is to provide students, faculty, and staff with information technology services that are available, reliable, responsive, cost effective, and delivered in a proactive and courteous manner.

The University provides both general-purpose computer labs and departmental labs. All buildings and dorms on the campus have high-speed Internet access and many have wireless capabilities. Students, faculty and staff have accounts and networked storage for e-mail, documents, and personal web pages. The Help Desk supplies technical support including troubleshooting of hardware and software and assistance in connecting to the campus network. Audiovisual technology is provided through permanent classroom installations and equipment delivery upon request. For more information on technology services, visit http://itd.utc.edu.

The Lupton Library is the center of many of the teaching, learning, and research activities of the students, faculty, and staff of UTC, as well as members of the metropolitan Chattanooga community. The library maintains a collection of over 473,000 books; 2,700 current periodical subscriptions; 24,000 reels of microfilm; and 14,000 audiovisual items. Total holdings comprise over 1.7 million physical pieces of material.

The Lupton Library’s on-line catalog enables users to locate items in the library’s collections. Anyone with an Internet connection can access the online catalog by visiting the library’s Web page at www.lib.utc.edu. In addition, electronic access to databases which index and abstract magazine and journal articles in business, medicine and health, education, psychology, sociology, environmental studies, and many other areas is available in the library. The electronic indexes can be accessed in the library and on campus. Students, faculty and staff can access some electronic indexes from off-campus. Reference librarians staff the Reference Desk on the first floor of the Lupton Library during almost all hours of operation. They are available for individual instruction on the use of the many resources owned and accessed by the library. They are also the best resource for service details and policy clarifications. Reference librarians also work with graduate students who would like to search the more than 400 off-site databases available through Dialog Information Services. However, this service is available only to those who are willing to assume the cost of the transactions.

To borrow circulating materials from the Lupton Library, individuals must present a valid, barcoded identification card. The standard loan period for graduate students is 28 days. Along with the collections of UTC’s Lupton Library, UTC students, faculty, and staff with valid identification are granted reciprocal borrowing privileges at all libraries of The University of Tennessee and Tennessee Board or Regents Systems. In addition, UTC students may borrow from other libraries materials not owned by Lupton Library. This Interlibrary Loan Service sometimes has charges associated with it. Charges are paid by the student making the request.

UTC faculty members may reserve certain items for special use by students in their classes. These items are listed in the online catalog as “on reserve” and are shelved behind the Circulation Counter. The loan period for these items ranges from two hours to one week. The use of some reserved items may also be limited to within the UTC Library building.

Library materials which are lost or returned late are subject to fines. Fines accrue at a rate of 20 cents per day, per item. Fines will accrue to a maximum of $5 per item. If fines are not paid as required, responsible individuals will be blocked from use of the library. These individuals will also not be permitted by the business office and the registrar either to register or to receive course credits and transcripts until the outstanding obligations are fully cleared.

Minority Affairs

The Office of Minority Affairs provides academic and social support to minority students attending UTC. The office works in conjunction with other student groups and the community to encourage cultural diversity. The office sponsors programs such as the Pre-Labor Day Picnic, Black History Month, Littleton H. Mason Singers, Horace J. Traylor Minority Leadership Award, Littleton H. Mason Scholarship; Tennessee Pre-Professional Fellowship Program, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

Oak Ridge Associated Universities

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a sponsoring institution of Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), a not-for-profit consortium of 62 colleges and universities and a management and operating contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with principal offices located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Founded in 1946, ORAU identifies and helps solve problems in science, engineering, technology, medicine, and human resources, and assists its member universities to focus their collective strengths in science and technology research on issues of national significance.

ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for DOE. ORISE is responsible for national and international programs in science and engineering education, training and management systems, energy and environment systems, and medical sciences. ORISE’s competitive programs bring students at all levels, precollege through postgraduate, and university faculty members into federal and private laboratories.

ORAU’s office for University, Industry, and Government Alliances (UIGA) seeks out opportunities for collaborative alliances among its member universities, private industry, and federal laboratories. Current alliances include the Southern Association for High Energy Physics (SAHEP) and the Center for Bio-Electromagnetic Interaction Research (CBEIR). Other UIGA activities include the sponsorship of conferences and workshops, the Visiting Scholars program, and the Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards.

Contact the director of research at (423) 425-4202 for more information about ORAU programs.

Placement Services

Located in the University Center, the Placement and Student Employment Center assists degree candidates, alumni, and students in securing full- and part-time employment. The service is free and available year round. Degree and nondegree job orders are placed on the bulletin board in the Placement Center for students to peruse at their convenience. Part-time jobs as well as temporary opportunities are posted.

Students should register with the center early in their final year to take advantage of the employment recruiting season, the center’s Job Opportunities bulletin, and various seminars and workshops. Individual employment counseling is also available.

Southeast Center for Education in the Arts

The Southeast Center for Education in the Arts is an umbrella for three institutes in arts education that focus on music, theatre, and visual arts. Since 1988, the Center has operated intensive professional development programs to help administrators, arts specialists, classroom teachers, artists and parents understand the nature of art, music, and theatre as they discover exciting ways to integrate the arts into the curriculum.

SCEA has leveraged more the $7 million in support of local and regional education efforts.

Beginning with two local school districts, the work of the Center has grown to encompass more than 450 elementary and secondary schools representing 85 districts in eight states (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia). School teams consisting of administrators, arts specialists, classroom teachers, artists, and parents interact to develop unique and exciting arts education programs that are integrally linked to the overall school curriculum.

One-week Core Institutes are held each summer on the UTC campus. Choosing either dance, music, theatre, visual art, or arts administration, participants investigate the historic and cultural context in which works of art were made, engage in critical and aesthetic discussions and interrelating curriculum. A school participating for the first time is encouraged to send a team compromised of an administrator and at least two teachers for one or more arts areas.

Educators who have previously attended a core institute can continue their professional development through a one-week Multi-Arts Institute. Participants explore a combination of dance, music, theatre, and visual art.

Summer Institute participants can register for two hours of graduate or undergraduate credit for the Core Institute and the Multi-Arts Institute. They must complete extracurricular projects after the institutes end. UTC students can also attend by special arrangement.

For more information, see the Center’s Home Page: www.utc.edu/SCEA.

Student Handbook

Distributed at the beginning of each academic year, the Student Handbook provides detailed information on student services. It also contains information on the Student Government Association and specific rules for the purpose of regulating campus life. These rules are stated in the Honor Code, Student Conduct Code, and other codes regulating groups.

Teaching Resource Center, Grayson H. Walker

The Grayson H. Walker Teaching Resource Center staff works with faculty to improve teaching and learning, and to integrate technology into the classroom. The Walker Teaching Resource Center provides campus-wide faculty development seminars, workshops, and individual consultations on methods to improve teaching, learning, and to integrate technology into the classroom. Virtual workshops on topics are also available through the Walker Teaching Resource Center Web site at www.utc.edu/Teaching-Resource-Center. The Walker Teaching Resource Center provides instructional design consultation for faculty who wish to produce multimedia and other instructional materials.

Writing Center

The Writing Center helps students from all disciplines at all stages of their educational development to become more skillful, more aware, and more independent writers.

Toward that end, the Center works in co-operation with the UTC Department of English and under the supervision of the Dean of Arts and Sciences to complement and extend students’ classroom experience by providing professional and peer tutoring and consultation. Tutors are trained in the practice of collaborative learning, a teaching/learning venue in which writers become actively engaged in the process of finding their own answers and developing the skills necessary to become their own critics and editors, rather than relying on outside sources for answers.

The objectives of the Center are to:

• Supplement and complement instruction students receive in writing classes.
• Provide assistance for writing tasks associated with non-writing courses.
• Provide resources and an environment in which to work on any writing task, whether it be for a writing class, another class, or personal need.
• Provide current references, including handouts, exercises, software, handbooks, and internet resources for use in training writing center personnel, for use in tutoring sessions, for quick reference for walk-in clients, and for use by faculty across the curriculum.
• Provide one-on-one assistance through regularly scheduled help sessions or walk-in sessions; small group instruction; workshops; and classroom consultations.
• Provide grammar review and help writers develop their own editing/proofreading strategies, rather than proofreading for writers.
• Serve as a resource for all faculty both in their own writing needs and in their use of writing in their classes.
• Provide workshops on specific topics of general interest or to meet instructors’ particular needs for their classes.
• Provide assistance with work processing or use of software used in writing courses.

Wheeler Center for Odor Research

The William H. Wheeler Center for Odor Research is a cross-disciplinary program established by a gift from the Wheeler estate. The center supports the study of the objective relationships between various substances and their effect upon olfaction.