ut knoxville campus visits

UT Campus Historic Walking Tour

KHP’s Walking and Driving Tours provide opportunities to discover and appreciate the many historical gems found throughout Knoxville that you can see on foot, from a car, or from the comfort of your armchair. We hope that you may stop for a visit anywhere along the routes and explore or return at a later date.

Simply click on the link below to download the PDF   to a tablet or print off and follow along a route:

UT Campus Walking Tour

The Hill/Cumberland Avenue/Volunteer Boulevard/Stadiums/Ag Campus 

This historic tour starts on the Hill, taking in Ayres Hall and other impressive buildings (highlighting notable architects and developments over of the years), including the oldest existing building, South College, as well Alumni Hall with its fascinating history of performers. From the relatively new architecture of the Min Kao Engineering Building at the foot of Cumberland Avenue, the campus tour takes in a series of remarkable buildings in quick succession, including Hoskins Library, the old Cowan Gardener’s Cottage, and the remnants of Sophronia Strong Hall. Volunteer Boulevard also teems with a rich medley of structures, highlighting the modern “Ziggurat” that is Hodges Library alongside the Victorian Tyson House, and a series of classic statues, including “Europa and the Bull” at McClung Tower, and the ever-present “Volunteer” at Circle Park.  A roundup of sports and entertainment stadiums, includes Neyland Stadium, Thompson Boling Arena, and the Pat Head Summitt memorial statue to name just a few. An optional leg takes in the soccer and softball stadiums off Neyland Drive before culminating (after a short drive or bike ride), over on the Agricultural campus with grand Morgan Hall, the enigmatic UT Indian Mound, and charming UT Gardens.

This walking tour has been funded by a contribution of 202 Funds

by City of Knoxville Councilmember,  Lynne Fugate

and supported in part by federal award number 21.027 awarded to the City of Knoxville

by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Arts & Culture Alliance,

an American Rescue Plan Renewal grant from the U.S. Department of the Treasury,

Curious to find more historical landmarks in Knoxville?

Check out khp’s other walking and driving tours here . .

Summer College Tours: Who to Meet and What to Do

Summer allows for longer college visits, but some parts of campus may be closed and some people unavailable.

Summer College Tours Checklist

Getty Images

Whether students are set on a major or still exploring, one of the top priorities should be asking to visit a building where they might spend a lot of their time.

Key takeaways:

• Summer visits allow you to spend more time on campus.
• Professors and others may be unavailable and some buildings may be closed.
• Plan visits when you can meet in person with someone.

While many students and families take college visits during the school year, the summer is still a busy time for college admissions offices to coordinate campus visits. With students not bound by a school schedule or single-day campus tours during the school year, the summer offers more flexibility for students and parents to spend a longer time or multiple days on campus.

“The summer really is an ideal time for that exploration," says Kent Barnds, vice president of admissions, financial aid, and communication and marketing at Augustana College in Illinois. "There’s a little greater flexibility on a college campus then to accommodate visits. Summer is sometimes an ideal time for a student and a family that is at the beginning of the college search and may be a little uncertain about what they want."

Summer visits often allow students and families to explore campus more freely and find parking more easily, says Kelly Nolin, director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Montana .

A less-crowded campus can also be good for students who may feel anxious about the college experience and can be a less-intimidating way for them to acclimate to a campus environment, she adds.

But it also means students won't get a sense of what the campus feels like when everyone is there, Nolin says. Families should also be aware that some professors may not be available and some offices or buildings may be closed or inaccessible during the summer.

But experts say that with some planning and coordination, families can still schedule effective campus visits. Here are some tips for planning summer college tours.

Be Intentional When Planning a Visit

While it's less frequent than during the academic year, some colleges hold formal visit days during the summer to ensure people from certain offices are present, such as financial aid, academic advising , counseling, residence life and career services. Augustana does this each summer, Barnds says, and he encourages families to plan their visits on those days if possible.

An alternative would be to coordinate with a person or office your student sees as a priority, such as a coach for a prospective athlete or a professor in their field of interest, and schedule an in-person meeting with them – then plan the rest of the visit around that. Families who show up unannounced hoping to see certain people or buildings may not have much luck, Barnds says.

“It never hurts to ask if that meeting might be available, but I do think that students and families have to temper their expectations about who may be available on any given day," he says. "That’s one of the reasons why one of the formal days might be better visit opportunities, because usually college campuses might be mobilizing more resources."

Employees on 12-month contracts, such as those in career services , financial aid and residence life , will likely be on campus, Barnds says, but Nolin says it's still best to plan a meeting ahead of time, preferably at least two weeks in advance. Admissions counselors can often help with this.

"Counselors are a great resource for not just the time on campus but for what families might want to do in the area," she says. "They can recommend other things to check out. They can also set realistic expectations for who is and who isn’t on campus."

Who to Meet and What to See on Campus Visits

A crucial part of an effective college visit is getting questions answered and having conversations about important parts of the college experience, such as available courses, extracurricular activities , residence life, joining a Greek organization and what's available through student support services.

Visiting certain buildings and offices and meeting with specific campus personnel can also help students make informed college decisions. Here's who and what should be on that list, experts say.

Speak With Tour Guides

Barnds, who is also Augustana's executive vice president for strategy and innovation, says the most important resource during summer visits is often the student tour guide.

"That experience of going on a campus tour with a current student, having the ability to ask that current student questions, that’s the most important part of that summer visit experience," he says.

If possible, students should elect to take a guided rather than self-guided tour so that someone is there to answer questions or provide access to buildings that might otherwise be closed, he says.

Visit Primary Study Buildings and Meet With Faculty

College tours sometimes take students through campus without entering buildings. Whether students are set on a major or still exploring, one of the top priorities should be asking to visit a building where they might spend a lot of their time, Barnds says.

For example, a prospective biology major should ask to see a lab, while a prospective journalism student should ask to see the journalism building or student publications office.

Nolin adds that students should also visit the campus library and university center, and meet with faculty or other academic representatives in their prospective major.

"This might not be a faculty member since many professors are not on campus during the summer," Nolin says. "However, they may be able to talk with a departmental adviser or recruiter."

Though some professors are off campus or out of town conducting research during the summer, some may still be local and available to meet in person either in their office or at an off-campus location such as a coffee shop. Others may be open to meeting virtually, Barnds says.

Eat at the Campus Dining Center

Some schools require residential students, especially first-year students , to purchase a meal plan , which can cost between $3,000 and $5,500, or much more in some cases. Because of that, and the number of meals students will likely eat on campus , experts say visiting students should eat at least one meal on campus. Some schools provide at least one complimentary meal as part of the visit.

"Summer is a good time to try out the dining center because it’s a lot less crowded, although choices may be limited," Nolin says. "It’s most important for students with allergies or food intolerances to try a meal while visiting so they can make sure their nutritional needs will be met."

If the dining center is closed, Barnds encourages students to ask current students or campus employees to recommend several local restaurants where students often enjoy eating. This allows prospective students to get a taste of what’s available in town and experience the atmosphere off campus.

Tour a Residence Hall

Some schools require first-year students to live on campus , but some students may choose to do so for convenience or other reasons even as upperclassmen. Experts say visiting students should ask to see a residence hall building and a dorm room while on their visit if it's not part of the tour.

These visits can typically be set up through the school's residence life office, and some schools have a model dorm room for students to tour while visiting.

Meet With Student Services and Other Support Personnel

Some students may need additional support while in college, whether for academic tutoring, mental health counseling, physical or learning disability accommodations or special health needs and accommodations. Others may want to meet with people in the diversity office, a campus religious ministry or the health center.

Scheduling those meetings over the summer may allow for more meetings and in-depth conversations with the appropriate people, experts say. Knowing where those offices are located, who to contact and what services are available is important to ask about on a summer campus tour, Barnds says.

"Those are sometimes the facilities people don’t see on their campus tours but are the most important facilities once they actually get to a campus," he says.

Searching for a college? Get our  complete rankings  of Best Colleges.

14 Tips for an Effective College Visit

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The University of Tennessee Medical Center Awarded on Newsweek’s America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2024 List

Knoxville, Tennessee, June 3, 2024 – The University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) has been awarded on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2024. The award list was announced earlier this month and can be viewed on Newsweek.com

The University of Tennessee Medical Center Leads in Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TILs) Cell Therapy

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UTMC Earns Distinction as TeamBirth Recognized Site

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The Cancer Institute offers the broadest spectrum of cancer specialists and services to care for adults.

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As the region's Level I Trauma Center for adults and children, we have the staff and expertise to handle any crisis.

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The Primary Care Collaborative is made up of experts in internal medicine and family medicine who provide comprehensive primary care to people of all ages. With more than 20 practices around the Knoxville area, primary care physicians provide superior patient care that aids in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of health issues. 

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University of Tennessee students uncover Civil War trench during construction on campus

The students also found an area where the soldiers had built a small fire likely for warmth and a minie ball, a lead bullet commonly used during the civil war..

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Several University of Tennessee students uncovered history on campus last week during construction.

Dr. Kandi Hollenbach, an associate curator for paleontology at the McClung Museum and an assistant professor at UT’s Department of Anthropology, led a team of students to survey the ground beneath a former parking lot during construction on campus.

After removing the asphalt, the group uncovered a section of a previously known Civil War trench next to the museum.

The students also found an area where the soldiers had built a small fire, likely for warmth, and a mini ball, a lead bullet commonly used during the Civil War.

Several Civil War battles were fought in Knoxville in the fall of 1863 as part of the Knoxville Campaign.

Below are additional photos of the group of students and their discoveries:

Copyright 2024 WVLT. All rights reserved.

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UT Knoxville unveils intersectional Taylor Swift course for fall

A public university in knoxville, tennessee recently unveiled a new taylor swift-centered course, focused on exploring 'girlhood' along with 'race, sexuality, and feminism.', a university of south florida course on taylor swift will also be available for the upcoming fall semester, focusing on intersectionality as well..

By  Adam   Sabes  

By  Patrick   McDonald   '26

By  Haika   Mrema   '24

A public university in Knoxville, Tennessee recently unveiled a new Taylor Swift-centered course, focused on exploring “girlhood” along with “race, sexuality, and feminism.’

This fall, University of Tennessee, Knoxville students can enroll in “Gender, Culture, and Media (Taylor’s Version)” to fulfill a 400-level cinema studies degree requirement. The course draws its name from various re-recordings of Swift’s older songs, titled “Taylor’s Version.”

[RELATED: MARSCHALL: Before Taylor Swift college courses existed, there was Lady Gaga and Man at NYU]

“Taylor Swift’s cultural and economic impact is undeniable,” a course description reads. “In our semester-long study of Taylor Swift, we will explore fan culture, celebrity culture, girlhood, music industry ethics, marketing and promotional strategies, and social media theory, along with race, sexuality, and feminism.”

“We’ll study her songs, online activities, music videos, and documentaries as well as how she is understood and discussed by fans, anti-fans, and the media,” it continues. “So make your friendship bracelets and enroll!”

The course was designed and will be led by cinema studies lecturer , Darcey Morris.

“What sparked my initial interest in teaching about Taylor Swift is truthfully my own fandom,” Morris told Campus Reform . “I think anything that generates that much attention and media coverage and that much economic activity is worth a closer look.”

The fall semester course is currently at maximum enrollment capacity and has a waitlist of approximately 40 students.

Deugray Robinson, a UTK senior, told Campus Reform he thinks the course is “ridiculous”.

Robinson said he believes the class may be “polarizing to the student body and the Knoxville community as a whole” given the controversy surrounding identity politics.

Robinson also noted that the university is misplacing priorities, since the school already has courses that center on such intersectional themes. “Everyone that attends UTK knows the biggest issues on campus are: parking, housing, and very expensive tuition,” he said.

[RELATED: Columbia University professor allegedly cancels final, gives everyone an A]

UT Knoxville is not the only university offering a class on Taylor Swift and intersectionality.  The University of South Florida will also be offering a similar course on Taylor Swift in the upcoming fall semester. The English course will focus on “values/ethics, race, ethnicity and gender; thinking and writing skills,” centering on Swift.

Campus Reform has contacted the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.

Emma Arns '26

Emma Arns is a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is studying both Business and Political Science. Emma is involved with various conservative groups on campus such as College Republicans, Network of Enlightened Women, and serves as secretary of her school's TPUSA chapter.

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