Recent news: shorter degrees in the works, tenure and discipline policy changed and Tamar Shirinian gets paid
Hello UTK! This is Keenan Thomas with Knox News, and I wanted to share a few of my recent stories.
First up, I spoke with UT System President Randy Boyd in an exclusive interview about new three year, 90-credit hour degrees he plans to implement at every campus. The degrees would be separate from a traditional bachelor's degree with the goal being to get students into the workforce faster. You can read the full story here: University of Tennessee offers shorter degrees to meet workforce demand
Next, I had a story this morning detailing the changes UT has made to its policy on academic freedom, tenure and discipline. Essentially, the updates strip faculty members and the Faculty Senate from having a voice during the suspension or firing process, and gives the provost and chancellor more control. You can read the full story here: Why and how University of Tennessee changed faculty discipline process
Finally, I broke the news on Monday night that the UT System Board of Trustees approved a $1.9 million settlement to former assistant professor Tamar Shirinian. I'll have more updates coming soon, but the original story can be read here: University of Tennessee to pay $1.9M to professor fired over Charlie Kirk comment
Thank you for reading!