The University of Tennessee intends to be the preeminent public research and teaching university linking the people of Tennessee to the nation and the world. As the state's flagship comprehensive research institution, the University of Tennessee's primary purpose is to move forward the frontiers of human knowledge and enrich and elevate society.

The Knoxville campus serves the state, nation, and international community through a broad spectrum of undergraduate and graduate studies, research and creative activity, and public service and outreach. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, welcomes and honors people of all races, creeds, cultures, and sexual orientations, and values intellectual curiosity, pursuit of knowledge, and academic freedom and integrity.

Faculty members are skilled teachers and scholars who encourage full student participation in the intellectual life that such a faculty makes possible. The total campus enrollment of about 25,000 is an appropriate mix of undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students.

Undergraduate students are admitted competitively, and each first-year class comprises the best-prepared students from Tennessee and around the world. Articulation agreements with Tennessee community colleges insure that transfer students enroll properly. All undergraduate curricula encourage creative thought, ethical behavior, respect for diversity, and intellectual development.

The campus environment promotes student success: advisement and academic support enhance student development; student government, leadership, and cultural programming encourage extracurricular growth. Students and faculty have access to the most current library and information technology resources.