Impact Summary Building Excellence Through Inclusion
Haslam’s Office of Access and Community Connections is a leader in fostering inclusion and creating opportunities for growth. With the continued support of our campus, community and corporate partners, we facilitate the personal and professional development of our students, faculty, staff and community members.
A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
The Office of Access and Community Connections is excited about our continued efforts of building a welcoming and inclusive environment for our faculty, staff and students. With the continued support of our campus, community and corporate partners, we provide opportunities directed towards the personal and professional development of our students.
Our primary focus is placed on the recruitment, retention, education and placement of diverse student populations pursuing business degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. We are delighted to have access to resources that provide scholarships, internships and academic support services for Haslam College of Business students.
With a concentration placed on recruiting talented and diverse students, the OACC offers pre-collegiate programs geared towards college readiness and access to developmental programming for prospective students interested in business related fields of study.
We are committed to ensuring that a significant focus is placed on diversity, equity and inclusion throughout Haslam. The OACC works alongside our college and departmental leadership to provide an equitable and inclusive experience for students, faculty and staff. In addition, we provide training and educational programming that enlighten and enhance our faculty and staff members knowledge of diversity and inclusion practices.
Clarence L. Vaughn III
Director, Office of Access and Community Connections
ENROLLMENT IMPACT
Take-oFF Program
In 2023, the Takeoff Program had a total of 21 students
57%
Female
43%
Male
70%
White
10%
Asian American
10%
Black or African American
10%
Two or More Races
By The Numbers
OACC Impact Stats, 2023
47
Collaborations with Community Partners
331
Inclusion & Engagement Summit and Women in Business, Entrepreneurship, & Leadership Summit attendees
27
Campus Visits and Prospective Student Outreach Activities
BETS Program
2023 Program Demographics
65%
BETS completers matriculated to UT
100%
Retention Rate of BETS 2022 Cohort
82%
Applied to UT
3.9
Average GPA
22
Average ACT Score
54%
Male
46%
Female
60%
Black or African American
10%
Asian American
10%
Hispanic
10%
White
10%
Two or More Races
AIM ACADEMY
2023 Program Demographics
3.4
Average GPA
80%
Male
20%
Female
60%
Black or African American
20%
Hispanic
10%
Asian American
10%
White
WEB Institute
2023 Program Demographics
3.73
Average GPA
43%
Black or African American
21%
Asian American
14%
Two or More Races
10%
White
8%
Hispanic
SCM CAmp
2023 Program Demographics
3.5
Average GPA
53%
Female
47%
Male
67%
Black or African American
27%
Asian American
6%
Hispanic
Professional Development
Demographics of Fall 2023 Professional Development Trip (Business Side of Sports)
33%
Identified as female
24%
Identified as Black or African American
16%
Identified as Asian
12%
Identified as Hispanic
Demographics of Inclusive Leadership Development Program (Spring 2023)
44%
Identified as female
3.25
Average GPA
38%
Juniors
31%
Management Majors
374
Prospective High School Students
In 2023, 374 prospective High School students were engaged from outreach and recruitment efforts.
Retention & Recruitment
TakeOff Program
The Takeoff Program is a one-year experience geared towards helping first-year students transition to college and expose them to different facets of the business world. Students participate in professional development workshops and a business pitch competition and visit a business in the Knoxville area. Participants also network with peers and mentors and engage with working professionals in their fields of interest. In 2023, the Takeoff Program had a total of 21 students.
Diversity Advancement Program (DAP)
The Diversity Advancement Program (DAP) is a selective program providing students with opportunities to develop leadership and interpersonal skills while expanding their personal network and advancing diversity initiatives. DAP Advocates represent the office at college fairs, school and corporate visits and community events. They also facilitate dialogues promoting diversity and inclusion in the business world through workshops that simulate a business setting.
Pre-Collegiate Summer Programs
The OACC’s summer programs introduce under-represented high school students to college life and the business world. Students partake in various enrichment activities, receive mentorship from current college students, network with business leaders and more.
Women in Business, Entrepreneurship, & Leadership Summit
The annual Women in Business, Entrepreneurship and Leadership Summit is a half-day, interactive learning and professional development event designed to empower UT students, faculty and staff who identify as female. In 2024, the keynote speaker was Clarice Phelps, an American nuclear chemist researching the processing of radioactive transuranic elements at the UT Battelle – Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Phelps is recognized as the first African American woman involved in discovering a chemical element.
Inclusion and Engagement Summit
The annual Inclusion and Engagement Summit focuses on acknowledging efforts towards sustaining an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment in Haslam. 2023 Inclusion and Engagement Summit, sponsored by the Haslam College of Business and its Office of Access and Community Connections, is open to all Haslam administrators, faculty, staff and students. In 2024, under the theme, “Defining Purpose through Inclusive Leadership,” attendees engaged in meaningful conversations and explored defining pathways toward inclusive and collaborative leadership. Nzinga (Zing) Shaw, one of the country’s preeminent leaders in the increasingly important discussion around inclusive leadership and collaboration, was the keynote speaker.
High School & Community Outreach
OACC team members attended college fairs and recruitment events, resulting in 33 official visits, fairs and events with FBLA, DECA, academic academies, students and community members.
OFFICE OF ACCESS & COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS AWARDS
2024 Inspiring Programs in Business Award Recipient
Haslam’s Office of Accessibility and Community Connections (OACC) received Insight into Diversity magazine’s Inspiring Programs in Business Award, which recognizes academic programs and initiatives that that support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in business-related areas. Insight Into Diversity, founded in 1974 and now the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education, established the award to emphasize the importance of DEI leadership role models and to honor institutions whose DEI efforts are exemplary.
2023 Haslam Diversity and Inclusion Award Recipient Lauren Cunningham
Lauren Cunningham, Keith Stanga Professor of Accounting and Cheryl Massingale Faculty Research Fellow at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville‘s Haslam College of Business, received the 2023 Haslam Diversity and Inclusion Award.
2024 Inaugural Inclusive Leadership Award Recipient Amelia Hart
Amelia Hart, associate professor of practice in the Department of Accounting and Information Management at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville‘s Haslam College of Business, received the first Haslam’s Inclusive Leadership Award. Presented by OACC, with the support of Haslam Corporate Partner EY, the award recognizes Haslam faculty and staff who have made outstanding contributions to advancing inclusive practices in their industries and communities.