Yancy Freeman Confirmed as UT Martin Chancellor

KNOXVILLE (July 14) — The University of Tennessee at Martin has a new chancellor after a special UT Board of Trustees meeting on Friday morning.
Trustees approved UT System President Randy Boyd’s recommendation that Yancy Freeman be appointed as the next chancellor of UT Martin. Freeman’s appointment is effective Aug. 9, 2023. He replaces Keith Carver, who moved to senior vice chancellor/senior vice president of the UT Institute of Agriculture earlier in the year.

“Dr. Freeman is the right person at the right time to lead UT Martin. His student-centric focus is just what UT Martin needs, and I believe he will be enthusiastically welcomed by all students,” UT System President Randy Boyd said. “Dr. Freeman has proven to be a great listener, collaborator and team builder, and with the leadership already in place, I think the sky is the limit!”
Freeman has served at UT Chattanooga for the past 25 years in various admissions, recruitment and enrollment roles. A first-generation college graduate, Freeman completed an undergraduate degree in political science, a master’s degree in public administration, and a doctorate in learning and leadership from UT Chattanooga. He serves on the boards of the Public Education Foundation in Chattanooga, The River City Company, and Chattanooga 2.0. Freeman was named a 2018 Top 30 Influential Leader in Chattanooga by City Scope Magazine, and he holds active memberships within several honor societies, including Golden Key, Alpha Society and Phi Eta Sigma. Freeman is a 2020 graduate of the UT System’s Executive Leadership Institute.
The UT Martin chancellor is the chief executive officer of the campus and serves on the UT System leadership team, reporting directly to the UT System president. The chancellor’s primary responsibilities are to promote academic excellence and to provide leadership and administration of the Martin campus. The chancellor is also expected to provide visionary leadership in strategic initiatives to enhance the standing of the University, budget planning and accountability, shared governance, enhancement of diversity and resources, engagement of the University with the wider community and other elements of administrative policy.