Beginning on January 1, 2026, the university officially launched its new College of Nursing, elevating its longstanding and successful nursing program to its own College of Nursing.
The University of Tennessee Chattanooga has officially launched a College of Nursing, with the designation going into effect on January 1, 2026. The University established its nursing program in 1973 and has produced qualified nurses who have become the backbone of the region’s nursing workforce. The College of Nursing is the university’s fifth academic College.
According to an article on the University of Tennessee Chattanooga’s website, Lori Bruce, the chancellor of the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, was quoted as saying of the elevation to academic college status, “Elevating the nursing program to a college reflects the impact this program has had—and will continue to have—on our region and our state. UTC nurses show up every day in hospitals, clinics and communities across Tennessee, and this designation recognizes the importance of that work. With nearly 1,000 students preparing for nursing careers, becoming a college strengthens our ability to educate, attract and retain the next generation of health care professionals. It sends a clear signal about our commitment to meeting Tennessee’s most pressing workforce needs.”
The University of Tennessee Chattanooga has had a wide portfolio of nursing program offerings, all of which will now fall under the new College of Nursing, which will have approximately 1,000 students studying within it. The College of Nursing offers a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, an accelerated BSN program, an RN-to-BSN program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program with nurse practitioner concentrations, a DNP in Nursing Administration Systems program, a a post-master’s DNP program for advanced practice registered nurses, and a nurse anesthesia program.
Some administrative changes have been made to facilitate the new College of Nursing designation, including the naming of Dr. Brooke Epperson to associate dean and undergraduate program director, and the naming of Dr. Christi Denton to the assistant dean for graduate education. Denton will continue on as the program director for the adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner program. The program coordinators of the other existing nursing programs have been retitled to program directors. As the College of Nursing continues to grow, more staff and faculty members will be added.
Dr. Chris Smith has led the nursing program as director since 2014 and has been tapped as the inaugural Dean of the College of Nursing. Smith noted of the changes that will come along with the new designation, “The most important thing for us is that people in the general public will understand that UTC has an excellent nursing program—and the elevation to a college will give us more visibility. We will continue to have the excellent programming that we have always had and we will continue to support the excellent faculty that we have always had. I will rely more on Doctors Epperson and Denton for the day-to-day operation. That will allow me to spend time helping support some of those programs like the MobileMOC. The recognition by the Board of Trustees at UT and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission—recognizing the excellence of the program and that it is worthy of being its own college—is icing on the cake. We’re going to continue to do what we do.”
Smith also noted that among the initiatives for the future of the College of Nursing is a new Center of Excellence for Health, which will allow for the collaboration of nursing, social work, nutrition, physical therapy, occupational therapy for research, education, and engagement.
“The purpose of the center is to catalyze collaboration across UTC’s academic programs. It is intended to serve as a hub for community-focused collaboration, particularly in areas related to aging populations and integrated health care delivery, while also supporting interprofessional education required by nursing accrediting bodies,” said Smith.
Alongside the new designation of College of Nursing, another change at the university is underway: the new Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building is expected to open in the Fall 2027 semester. The new facility is 90,000 square feet and will provide space for clinical training and simulation, as well as interprofessional learning. The additional classroom space will allow for a significant 152% enrollment increase in health sciences programs.
For more information about the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, visit the school’s website.