Students and two UTIA units to benefit
The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees approved plans to enhance the student experience and support strategic growth at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, during its annual winter meeting. Among the approved projects, the board approved the addition of student housing redevelopment and College of Veterinary Medicine renovation projects to the university’s fiscal year 2026-27 state budget amendment request.
The university plans to build new residence halls to replace North Carrick, South Carrick and Reese Hall to support on-campus housing needs. The project is estimated to cost $253 million and will provide housing for more than 1,300 students.
A $72 million renovation and addition project will support the College of Veterinary Medicine’s emergency and critical care unit and feline health care center.
The state budget process requires legislative approval on both projects even though no state funds will be used. The projects are included in the campus master plan.
The board also took up new academic programs that will provide students with the skills needed to be competitive in the job market while addressing workforce needs. Among them, the board approved the Bachelor of Science in bioinformatics in the Herbert College of Agriculture. It is the first undergraduate degree of its kind in Tennessee. Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field that integrates biology, computer science and data analysis to interpret large quantities of biological data. Students in the program will learn to use data to develop solutions to real-world problems in agriculture and animal science.
See more details about the Board of Trustees winter meeting on UT System News and UT Knoxville News.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.