Randy Boyd, interim president of the University of Tennessee system, is hitting the road.
The UT Board of Trustees announced a series of town hall meetings Monday to take place across the system’s campuses to gather feedback on whether to appoint Boyd to officially lead the UT system.
The meetings will be held from March 4-11, beginning at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga at 3 p.m. on March 4.
Last week at its annual winter meeting at UTC, after board trustees gave Boyd rave reviews in his annual performance review, board Chairman John Compton announced that it was the board’s goal not to conduct a search for a new leader but rather begin exploring how to lock their interim leader down for a five-year term to begin in November.
The board unanimously appointed Boyd to the interim role in September 2018, after former President Joe DiPietro announced his retirement. Boyd, a Knoxville businessman and former gubernatorial candidate, took over as leader of the system in November 2018, agreeing to a 24-month term.
But Boyd has hinted his interest in serving in the role more permanently, Compton told the board at its meeting on Feb. 19.
Instead of a search, the system plans to “put Randy on the road” in the upcoming weeks for a series of campus visits to seek feedback from chancellors, faculty and students on the appointment.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Interim President Randy Boyd, right, and Chairman John Compton look at each other as Compton discusses Boyd’s future as President during a University of Tennessee Board of Trustees meeting in the Tennessee Room at the University Center on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. After a discussion of Boyd’s annual performance evaluation at the board’s winter meeting in Chattanooga, Compton suggested the board not search for a new candidate but instead explore appointing Boyd to a five-year term starting in November.“I ask that you go campus by campus and state your case,” Compton said to Boyd on Feb. 19.
The town hall meetings will be held during the following dates and are open to students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community:
– Wednesday, March 4 at 3 p.m. at UTC’s University Center Auditorium, 615 McCallie Ave.
– Thursday, March 5 at 11:30 a.m. at the UT Health Science Center’s Student Alumni Center
– Monday, March 9 at 3 p.m. in UT Knoxville’s Student Union
– Tuesday, March 10 at 3 p.m. in UT Martin’s Boling University Center
– Wednesday, March 11 at 1 p.m. at the UT Polk Avenue Building in Nashville
During the town hall meetings, Boyd will articulate his vision for moving the university forward and respond to questions from campus constituents, according to a news release.
“Naming the president of the University of Tennessee System is one of our most important decisions that we will undertake as trustees, and I just want to make sure that we are as considerate and comprehensive as possible to all key stakeholders,” Compton said in a statement.
MORE INFO
For more information, visit https://trustees.tennessee.edu/ut-president-town-hall/.
Campus security protocols will be in effect for all meetings, and a sign language interpreter will be available at each town hall meeting, according to the release.
Questions can be submitted in advance of the meetings online. To submit a question, visit: https://presidenttownhall.questionpro.com/.
Contact Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.