Life After Competition

UT Martin Assistant Professor Dexter Davis, center, helps former Chinese athletes move on to the next phase after competition.

Photo: UT Martin Assistant Professor Dexter Davis, center, helps former Chinese athletes move on to the next phase after competition.

Dexter Davis is accustomed to taking his sport management students to major sporting events to gain real-world experience. In August, the UT Martin faculty member made a trip of his own to Shanghai, China, as he taught in a program at the Shanghai Institute of Sport designed to help Chinese athletes transition to life after competition. His students were former regional, national or Olympic team members who seek roles as coaches or administrators within their respective sports. “It is a part of the whole ‘a job for everyone’ approach that is common in communist or socialist countries,” he says. His class covered the role of leadership in coaching and athletic administration.

Ace the Test

UT Martin nursing graduates in the class of 2014 achieved a 100-percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. The NCLEX-RN measures the competencies needed for individuals to perform safely and effectively as newly licensed, entry-level nurses. “We’ve taken significant steps to better prepare students for the test, and it has paid off,” says Mary Radford, chair of nursing. UT Martin’s four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is distinctive in offering three years of clinical nursing courses in a variety of health-care settings.

Erica Glisson
Erica Glisson, nursing major and Miss UT Martin, hopes to inspire others by being a nurse.

Nursing Wing Opens in Parsons

UT President Joe DiPietro, UT Martin Chancellor Tom Rakes, Jim and Janet Ayers of the Ayers Foundation, local and state elected officials and others gathered in August to officially open the new West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation Nursing Wing at the UT Martin Parsons Center. In addition to state funding, the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation also committed funds to build the 10,000-square-foot addition. The new space includes classrooms, a skills laboratory and a high-fidelity computerized simulation laboratory. The Parsons Center will have openings for up to 30 students annually for the program.

students sitting outside of Parsons Center Nursing entrance
The UT Martin Parsons Center nursing wing has its own entrance.

Bookstore and Dining Upgrades

UT Martin Skyhawk Bookstore
New surroundings, expanded choices and cool places to spend time. All were officially unveiled this fall as the university celebrated the grand reopening of two widely used areas on the main campus. A ceremony in the Boling University Center showcased the newly upgraded Barnes & Noble College Bookstore and Sodexo Skyhawk Dining Hall. Barnes & Noble committed $350,000 to the bookstore’s relocation to the university center’s first floor, while Sodexo made a $3.25 million investment in the dining services area. Across the hall from the bookstore is the renovated dining hall and new coffee shop, The Hangar, which serves Starbucks Coffee.