Dr. Loren Crabtree was named chancellor of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville by the UT Board of Trustees Thursday.
The board, meeting in Memphis, also approved new tuition rates for the 42,000 students at the university-s three campuses.
UT President John W. Shumaker recommended Crabtree to the board. The appointment is effective July 1.
Crabtree, who has served as provost and vice president at Knoxville since 2001, fills the reestablished position of chancellor that has been vacant for the past two years. The appointment is effective July 1.
Shumaker said Crabtree is a distinguished scholar and administrator.
“Loren shares my commitment to students and faculty, and believes as I do that they are the reason the university exists,” Shumaker said. “He has my full confidence as he accepts this new challenge.
“I am confident he will focus all day, every day on improving the quality of this university.”
Shumaker said he has asked Crabtree to prepare an updated organizational structure for the university at Knoxville and to place a stronger focus on research.
Tennessee residents enrolled as undergraduates at UT campuses will pay approximately 9 percent more in tuition and fees starting in the fall. Graduate students and those in law and some healthcare professions will see tuition hikes ranging from 5 to 22 percent.
Annual tuition and fees for in-state undergraduate students on the Knoxville campus will be $4,450, an increase of $394. At UT-Chattanooga the annual cost will be $3,852, up $302. The figure for UT-Martin is $3,847, a $332 increase.
Tennesseans studying pharmacy at the Health Science Center in Memphis will pay $9,567, up 22 percent. Medical students saw a significant increase last year, and the trustees voted to keep their fees at $16,048.
Money from the tuition increase will be used for program improvements and increases in fixed costs.
The trustees also approved a $929.4 million university system budget for the 2004 fiscal year. The budget is down approximately $5 million from the current year.