BusinessTN

A major campus expansion project poised to secure UT-Knoxville's academic prominence has stoked a decades-long debate among the powers-that-be about what powers should be.

The UT-Knoxville build-out of Cherokee Farm, a 200-acre property along Alcoa Highway, will create a technology-oriented research campus for UT System entities, including UT-Chattanooga, UT-Martin and the Health Science Center in Memphis.

At first glance, the purpose of Cherokee Farm exemplifies the new "Mission of the University"—a mission that UT System president John Petersen was charged by the UT Board of Trustees to define and that is meant to delineate how each component will operate as a statewide corporate body. But as with any attempt to unify a large entity, there are dissenters. The UT-Knoxville Faculty Senate Committee claimed its members had no input into the mission statement and took issue that oversight of Cherokee Farm would fall under the UT System, not under the campus administration led by Chancellor Loren Crabtree.

The long-brewing Petersen-Crabtree drama is seen by some as an all-out battle for control of the university's future. Critics accuse Petersen of treading on the chancellor's turf, and considering that Petersen actually physically occupies the same turf—both administrations operate from the UT-Knoxville campus—that's to be expected.

The UT System, born in 1968 as a unified political front for its campuses, operates like a holding company, with each campus and institute acting as an independent firm led by a chancellor or CEO. Andrea Loughry, the UT Board of Trustees vice chair, refers to the system as an enterprise. In reality, the numerous intersections of higher education and business have caused confusion, and sometimes, bruised egos.

In an attempt to clarify respective roles, Petersen has spent his first three years as system president laying out a plan to get everyone on the same page. "Due to the complexity, there must be a [system] overlooking our statewide initiatives," Loughry says.

Those most critical of the UT System feel its reach has exceeded its grasp, pulling fundraising, alumni and athletics into its domain. Still, there's no denying the Capitol Hill clout of the UT System. Last June, it secured $32 million in state funding for infrastructure at Cherokee Farm.

To satisfy all parties, Petersen and Crabtree announced a new, four-person Cherokee Farm planning committee comprised of Crabtree, UT System executive vice president David Millhorn, UT Institute of Agriculture vice president Joseph A. DiPietro and a representative from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

But deeper issues remain. The ultimate solution could be as simple as Petersen stepping back or Crabtree and Petersen switching places, says Warren Neel, executive director of the Corporate Governance Center at UT-Knoxville. Allowing campus chancellors to own their destiny "will not only strengthen the system but will also remove the perceived conflict between" system and campus, he adds.