Tech Board of Trustees approves new AI guidelines, welcomes proposed engineering degree program
Tech President Phil Oldham delivers his report to the Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees at Tennessee Tech University acted to protect academic integrity
in the age of artificial intelligence, renewed the university’s mission statement,
were notified of a proposed new degree program and heard updates from Tech administrators
detailing a series of achievements at their quarterly meeting on Sept. 28.
University leaders briefed trustees on developments since the previous board meeting,
including the announcement of an all-time record for externally funded research, another overall enrollment increase, Tech’s inclusion on national rankings lists and the largest marching band in university history.
“Trustees heard an exciting snapshot today of ways that Tennessee Tech continues to
put students first,” said Tech President Phil Oldham. “From last week’s career fair
with more than 180 employers – the largest career fair in our history – to Tech’s
inclusion at the top of the pack in newly-released rankings, our rapidly expanding
research portfolio and the more than $200 million in capital improvements recently
made to campus, Tech is on the move and poised for even greater impact in the years
ahead.”
At the meeting, trustees approved a revision to Policy 217 – Student Academic Misconduct, which provided new guidelines for student use of generative
artificial intelligence (AI) platforms in classroom assignments. Importantly, the
revised guidelines do not prohibit student use of AI outright, but rather ensure university
instructors have final say in approving sources used for classroom assignments. The
revised guidelines prohibit the unapproved use of generative AI to create content
that is submitted as one’s own. Provost Lori Mann Bruce shared that an ad hoc Al task
force has also been working to harness the capabilities of AI and recommending thoughtful
ways to bring this changing technology into the classroom experience, so Tennessee
Tech students are prepared to effectively utilize AI technologies in their future
careers.
Students in the Golden Eagle Marching band were recognized by the Board of Trustees.
Also at the meeting, Provost Bruce briefed trustees on the university’s plans for
a new Master of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering. The university submitted
a letter of notification to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission outlining a
proposal for the degree program earlier this month, noting that THEC’s own reporting
showed that industrial engineering is an “in-demand occupation” that is key to eight
of the nine industry clusters in Tennessee. The university proposes an implementation
date of spring 2025.
Trustees additionally approved a renewal of Tech’s mission statement, which was last
reviewed and approved in 2018. Tech’s accrediting body tasks trustees with ensuring
“the regular review of the institution’s mission.” The mission statement reads: “Tennessee’s
technological university creates, advances, and applies knowledge to expand opportunity
and economic competitiveness. As a STEM-infused, comprehensive institution, Tennessee
Tech delivers enduring education, impactful research, and collaborative service.”
In the board’s afternoon session, trustees heard a performance from the university’s
Brass Art Quintet, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary and is believed to be
the longest continuously running faculty brass quintet in the United States. Later,
trustees recognized students in the Golden Eagle Marching Band. Under Director of
Bands Jeff Miller, the marching band has swelled to its largest size in Tech’s 108-year
history – amassing 211 members representing 32 different majors.
Trustees take their seats for the Sept. 28 meeting.
In other business:
- Enrollment and communication report: Karen Lykins, vice president for enrollment and communication, noted that the university’s
overall headcount for fall 2023 rose to 10,117 students, fueled by the addition of
nearly 3,000 new students and the fourth largest freshman class in university history.
New freshmen at Tech have an average high school GPA of 3.68 and hail from 85 of Tennessee’s
95 counties, 28 other states and 21 other countries. Lykins also informed trustees
of ongoing 2024 recruitment efforts, including Tech’s upcoming preview day on Sept.
30 and the addition of 67 Trailblazers, Tech students who give personal tours to prospective
students and their families.
- Provost’s report: Provost Bruce noted that undergraduate students’ average GPA at Tech stands at 3.15
while the first-time freshmen fall to spring retention rate stands at 91.7%. Provost
Bruce also shared that withdrawals from the university are down nearly 20% year-to-year
and provided data showing that Tech’s rate of first-time freshmen completing at least
30 credit hours during their first full year at the university has increased to 40%
– far outpacing the state and national average of universities participating in the
study: 24% and 28%, respectively. Provost Bruce attributed this, in part, to Tech’s
flat-rate tuition model, implemented before the start of the 2020 – 2021 academic
year. “I think this is a very significant competitive advantage for our students,”
remarked Board Chair Trudy Harper. Provost Bruce additionally noted that 155 Tech
students studied abroad during the spring and summer of 2023. Trustees heard from
a cohort of students who recently studied abroad in Ghana.
- Student Affairs report: Cynthia Polk-Johnson, vice president for student affairs, detailed the success of
fall 2023 Week of Welcome activities, including the first-ever “College Town Kickoff,”
held on Aug. 19. The event was a block party-style community gathering in downtown
Cookeville that drew more than 2,500 attendees. “This was a great way to bring the
students and the community together,” said Polk-Johnson. She also detailed the recent
renovation of the Leona Lusk Officer Black Cultural Center and noted that Intercultural
Affairs’ mentoring program has seen a 30% increase in mentee participation year-over-year.
Polk-Johnson concluded with a report on efforts to maintain student safety on campus,
including threat assessment trainings for faculty and staff.
- Research and economic development report: Carl A. Pinkert, interim vice president for research, highlighted the university’s
recent all-time record for externally funded research – reaching $36.3 million for
fiscal year 2023. Pinkert also noted the continued success of the university’s Rural
Reimagined outreach efforts, for which students have now collectively contributed
more than 110,000 volunteer service hours over the last year, and the university’s
annual Eagle Works entrepreneurship program and pitch competition, which has yielded
two patents and one pending patent and has led six students with startup businesses
creating 38 jobs. Pinkert will depart his role on Sept. 30. The executive committee
of the Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Zhanjiang “John” Liu as vice
president for research at a specially called meeting on Sept. 18. “You have made a
monumental difference in the trajectory of our research program,” said Board Chair
Trudy Harper to Pinkert ahead of his departure.
- Capital projects and financial update: Trustees approved two disclosed projects, including a new baseball hitting and pitching
facility and a renovation of one of the College of Agriculture’s greenhouses. Claire
Stinson, vice president for planning and finance, also briefed trustees on the outcome
of the Tennessee General Assembly's special legislative session, which included $30
million in grants for security funding at higher education institutions across the
state. Stinson shared that the university is still learning how these dollars will
be allocated, but that Tech intends to seek its full share of funding for safety enhancements
to campus.
- President’s compensation: Trustees unanimously approved a 4% pay increase for Tech President Phil Oldham, retroactive
to July 1. Trustee Tom Jones remarked that the pay increase is “well earned,” adding
in comments to President Oldham, “I hope everyone recognizes the job that you’re doing.
We truly appreciate it.” Likewise, Trustee Rhedona Rose remarked that “We are very,
very blessed and fortunate to have him leading this university.”
Materials from today’s meeting and video of the full board meeting will be available at the board’s website, www.tntech.edu/board.
The board’s next meeting is November 30, 2023.