After a 30-year absence, UTM now has a provost, Dr. Tom Rakes, who has served the past year in that position.

The provost position was reinstated by Chancellor Dunagan in January 2005. Rakes is primarily responsible for the direction and coordination of Academic Affairs. Any grants or awards received at UTM fall under the Division of Academic Affairs. Dr. Rakes is responsible for the maintenance of these awards and for helping recipients find more financial resources. As provost, he is second in command to the chancellor. He helps decide our campus' priorities and goals, and helps with the distribution of funds.

The biggest challenge that Rakes has had as provost is doing what needs to be done with resources for the betterment of the students, he says. He says that he would like to see UTM become a laptop campus, but we can't do this until student fees stop going up, he says. Currently, 75 percent of the faculty has laptops and students getting laptops will be the next step.

"My job is to match the needs of the students with the personnel and resources on campus," Rakes says.

Rakes' first goal is to place more emphasis on research for the faculty and students.\r\nAcademic Affairs plans to do this by giving strategic support to colleges to aid in the support of target research, continue support with grants and contracts through the Office of Research and establish more private research support through the development of private research projects in specific areas of discipline.

The second goal of Academic Affairs is to help with the aid of more student travel along with the Center for Global Studies. Some of the things that the Center for Global Studies plans to sponsor include an international lecture series, study-abroad programs in several different countries and student scholarships for travel-study programs.

The third goal that the division is to accomplish more technology initiatives. Academic Affairs constantly strives to keep up with the most current technology by updating software and with the use of Banner and Oracle. Another focus of this goal is to have the best computer security available. Lastly, Academic Affairs strives to make UTM up-to-date with technology by encouraging the use of Blackboard with classroom assignments and activities.