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In 1984, the General Assembly and the
Governor of Tennessee together announced the creation of a new
"Centers of Excellence" program for Tennessee public higher
education. The Centers, to be selected through a statewide
competitive process, would build on the research strengths of six
Tennessee Board of Regents universities and the campuses of the
University of Tennessee. Their purpose would be to focus the
capabilities of public higher education on service to the people of
Tennessee by expanding the state's research base, thereby
increasing its national and international stature and its economic
competitiveness. Now, at the end of the program's first decade,
there are 26 Centers of Excellence: 16 at the Tennessee Board of
Regents universities and 10 on the campuses of the University of
Tennessee.
By 1995, the TBR Centers of Excellence had accumulated a
substantial and enviable record of acheivement in response to the
original goals of the Governor and General Assembly. The TBR
Centers have served a broad cross-section of citizens, communities,
state and federal agencies, and industries, and they have
contributed greatly to the enhancement of art, technology,
education, the environment, and quality of life in Tennessee. In
reviewing their accomplishments, there is no doubt that they have
acheived their primary purpose. This report attempts to highlight
those accomplishments and to depict, in broad strokes, the story of
the 16 centers of the Tennessee Board of Regents Universities. And
what a story it is!
This report is organized by each sponsoring campus and center in
alphabetical order. Each center's entry presents a statement of its
particular mission, its major accomplishments and plans for the
future. The report was prepared by the commemorative Committee
apointed from the directors of the TBR Centers of Excellence. It
was prepared for printing and produced by Tennessee Technological
University under the able guidance of April Olberding, Helen Knott,
and Binney Stumpf. The logo featured on the back cover was designed
by David W. Johnson for a student design competition, sponsored by
the Austin Peay Center for the Creative Arts. This publication is
one of several activities planned by the centers to mark both the
10th anniversary of the Centers of Excellence program and the 200th
anniversary of the State of Tennessee.
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