By Mason Edwards, The University Echo
Photo of Interim Chancellor Robert Dooley contributed by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Image captured by staff photographer Angela Foster.
Interim Chancellor Robert Dooley is steering the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga through a pivotal moment, balancing the UT System's growth goals with students' immediate needs. In a conversation with the University Echo, he discussed everything from housing shortages and student retention to his decision not to pursue the permanent chancellor position.
The day after the November 2024 election, Chancellor Steven Angle announced his decision to leave his office and return to faculty. Eight days later, UT President Randy Boyd appointed Dooley as interim chancellor for the Spring semester, giving Dooley a little under two months to prepare to steward a campus which had relied on Chancellor Angle for 11 years.
While Dooley plans to return to his role as Dean of the College of Business, he explained he's currently focused on maintaining stability and addressing immediate student and campus needs.
"I’m happy to serve as interim, but my heart is with the College of Business," Dooley said. “If I leave this role in six months and people say I kept things moving forward and executed on some initiatives, I’d consider that a success."
Former Chancellor Angle significantly helped with Dooley's transition, the interim chancellor said. “The only thing I asked of him when he stepped out was to answer my phone calls," Dooley said. "He’s picked up every time I’ve called, and that’s been a great resource.”
Updating infrastructure and housing on campus is critical, according to Dooley, particularly as the UT system set enrollment goals of 12,000 students by 2025 and 14,800 students by 2030. While he mentioned the new dormitory coming to campus, which is scheduled to open in 2027, Echo reporting in May 2024 revealed that student demand for housing skyrocketed that year, largely thanks to the high rent prices near campus and in the downtown region.
According to former Chancellor Angle, UTC has "fewer students than we did [in 2019,] but the number of students who want housing from us has gone up 20% and it’s not because we have 20% more students, it’s because the cost of rents nearby."
Until the new dorms open, students will have to make do with outdated housing complexes that are inefficient and costly to maintain. Dooley added that Boiling hadn't changed much since he stayed there in 1979, and— in an interview last Fall— former Chancellor Angle mentioned that while they can bandage Lockmiller for a while, it has to be "put it out of its misery."
According to Dooley, much more than UTC's housing will need to be upgraded to reach enrollment goals. “As enrollment grows, we have to think about classroom space, the University Center, and support services," he said. "Everything that engages with students needs to grow to support that level of expansion.”
Retention is another critical focus for Dooley, from an administrative and student perspective, as the UT system set high desired rates. “Retention affects everything— from operations to funding," he said. "It’s the right thing to do to ensure students have the resources they need to succeed."
The interim chancellor also addressed the search for a new Dean of Students following the retirement of Jim Hicks, who served various roles on UTC campus for almost 27 years. The Dean of Students oversees student support services, promotes campus engagement, addresses student concerns and upholds university policies, and until a new Dean of Students is hired, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Veronica Warren is serving in the interim role.
“The search is underway, and we’re working to find the right candidate,” Dooley said. “I expect the position to be filled by summer, but in the meantime, Dr. Warren is doing an excellent job keeping things on track.”
Looking ahead, the interim chancellor emphasized the importance of UTC's strategic plan— a document outlining UTC's mission, vision and top priorities. He expects the plan to be finalized in May 2025 and presented to the UT Board of Trustees in June. The previous plan, approved in October 2021, was accepted in the wake of "an unprecedented global pandemic and in the shadow of a looming 'demographic cliff,' anticipated to dramatically shrink the pool of traditional, college-going young Americans eligible for and interested in attaining college degrees," and at a time where society doubted the value of a liberal arts education, according to the document.
Dooley touched on UTC's research development goals, partnership with the Electric Power Board (EPB) on quantum technology and plans to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into academics and student services.
"The opportunities are endless,” he said, “We’re laying the groundwork for the future of education and research at UTC.”
Following President Donald Trump's inauguration Monday, universities across the country have braced for his administration, which has promised to curtail spending and cut diversity, equity and inclusion programming. UTC leadership didn't want to speculate on how new policies might reshape the school. “It’s too soon to know what his policies will look like," Dooley said. "It’ll become more clear over the next three to six months.”
Outside of his new role, Dooley's academic achievements and personal characteristics have not gone unnoticed. As Dean of the College of Business, he secured the largest private gift in UTC history, welcomed the school's $30 million dollar expansion, and skydived from a plane in 2018 in support of the university. Moreover, he's stressed the importance of a work-life balance, partly through his collection of 22 restored pinball machines-- a hobby that began when his wife surprised him with one.
“At some point during the day, I will play pinball, either in the morning or in the evening," Dooley said. "It could be just one game, it could be multiple games, but I always turn on the pinball machine.”
As interim chancellor, Dooley wants to maintain an open-door policy as much as his schedule permits it, and he wants students to feel comfortable approaching him on campus. If he's eating lunch in the University Center and students see him, he says they’re welcome to join him: "I’d love to hear what’s on their minds.”
Students wanting to learn more about the interim chancellor and the state of the univerisity can tune into WUTC-FM 88.1's new series, "Chatting with the Chancellor." Hosted by Ray Bassett, the program airs monthly at 3 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month, beginning today, Jan. 21.
“This series is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the incredible work happening across our campus and to engage directly with the Chattanooga community,” Dooley said in a UTC blog post.
The University Echo plans to interview Interim Chancellor Dooley again at the end of the semester. Students should feel free to email their questions or concerns to the paper.
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