© 2024 WUOT

WUOT
209 Communications Building
1345 Circle Park Drive
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-0322
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

UT's DiPietro Plans for Retirement

Sam Thomas, University of Tennessee

Saying the time was right for a change, University of Tennessee system president Joe DiPietro announced his retirement Monday.

The retirement, which takes effect the day before Thanksgiving, was widely expected. DiPietro sold his Knoxville home this summer, and planned not to extend his contract past its June 2019 end date.

DiPietro has been president of the university system since 2011. At a Monday afternoon press conference, DiPietro said he would use saved-up vacation days until his official retirement date, February 14.

DiPietro leaves a legacy of balancing tricky budgets. He oversaw years of record-low tuition increases. This year’s increase was zero dollars. Although the state predicted a $377 million shortfall by 2025, DiPietro said at a Monday press conference he didn’t want to leave the shortfall for his successor. DiPietro formed the Budget Advisory Group and successfully eliminated the shortfall through cutting costs and reallocation of funds.

“The University is well positioned for success—we are coming off a record-breaking year in research funding as well as private fundraising, and we have a committed group of chancellors and system administrators to move the University forward," DiPietro said.

His remarks acknowledged the difficulty in working with a sometimes-combative Tennessee General Assembly. But he also pointed out that state funding for UT improved over the course of his eight-year tenure.

Before he leaves office, DiPietro wants to continue pushing for changes to faculty performance reviews. Changes announced earlier this year imposed the reviews on all faculty, including those with tenure. The changes stoked opposition from some faculty members who said the policy would hurt recruitment and retention. DiPietro says his goal is improving accountability.

A closer look at tenure and promotion is also on DiPietro's agenda.

“I feel it’s important that we put together a task force to look at how we do that across the whole system," DiPietro told WUOT News. "And we’re not about getting rid of tenure. It’s all about making sure we’re doing it the right way.”

That wasn't the only recent controversy DiPietro faced. The termination letter he wrote to former Knoxville campus chancellor Beverly Davenport in May was considered blunt at best; his critique included strongly-worded disappointment in Davenport's professionalism, ability to work with university leadership and communication skills. 

The University of Tennessee's board of trustees plans to meet soon to discuss finding a new president. DiPietro says he's willing to work with whoever they choose so there will be a smooth transition. While DiPietro says he plans to begin retirement with a six-month break, he does plan to return to the university on occasion to lecture.

This story was researched and reported by News Director Brandon Hollingsworth and WUOT News intern Levi Johnson.