impact summary
Building excellence
Haslam’s Office of Access and Community Connections is a leader in creating opportunities for growth. With the continued support of our campus, community and corporate partners, we facilitate the personal and professional development of our students, faculty, staff and community members.
A letter
from the director
The Office of Access and Community Connections is excited about our continued efforts of building a welcoming and inclusive environment for our faculty, staff and students. With the continued support of our campus, community and corporate partners, we provide opportunities directed towards the personal and professional development of our students.
Our primary focus is placed on the recruitment, retention, education and placement of student populations pursuing business degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. We are delighted to have access to resources that provide scholarships, internships and academic support services for Haslam College of Business students.
With a concentration placed on recruiting talented students, the OACC offers pre-collegiate programs geared towards college readiness and access to developmental programming for prospective students interested in business related fields of study.
The OACC works alongside our college and departmental leadership to provide an inclusive experience for students, faculty and staff. In addition, we provide training and educational programming that enlighten and enhance our faculty and staff members knowledge of welcoming practices.
Clarence L. Vaughn III
Director, Office of Access and Community Connections
374
Prospective
High School Students
In 2023, 374 prospective High School students were engaged from outreach and recruitment efforts.
impact summary
RETENTION & Recruitment
OACC programs and events are open to the corresponding student, faculty or staff populations regardless of race or gender.
TakeOff Program
The Takeoff Program is a one-year experience geared towards helping first-year students transition to college and expose them to different facets of the business world. Students participate in professional development workshops and a business pitch competition and visit a business in the Knoxville area. Participants also network with peers and mentors and engage with working professionals in their fields of interest. In 2023, the Takeoff Program had a total of 21 students.
Community Advancement Program (CAP)
The Community Advancement Program (CAP) is a selective program providing students with opportunities to develop leadership and interpersonal skills while expanding their personal network. CAP Advocates represent the office at college fairs, school and corporate visits and community events. They also facilitate dialogues promoting community in the business world through workshops that simulate a business setting.
Pre-Collegiate Summer Programs
The OACC’s summer programs introduce talented high school students to college life and the business world. Students partake in various enrichment activities, receive mentorship from current college students, network with business leaders and more.
Women in Business, Entrepreneurship, & Leadership Summit
The annual Women in Business, Entrepreneurship and Leadership Summit is a half-day, interactive learning and professional development event designed to empower UT students, faculty and staff. In 2024, the keynote speaker was Clarice Phelps, an American nuclear chemist researching the processing of radioactive transuranic elements at the UT Battelle – Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Phelps is recognized as the first African American woman involved in discovering a chemical element.
Inclusion and Engagement Summit
The annual Inclusion and Engagement Summit focuses on acknowledging efforts towards sustaining a welcoming environment in Haslam. The Inclusion and Engagement Summit, sponsored by the Haslam College of Business and its Office of Access and Community Connections, is open to all Haslam administrators, faculty, staff and students.
High School & Community Outreach
OACC team members attended college fairs and recruitment events, resulting in 33 official visits, fairs and events with FBLA, DECA, academic academies, students and community members.
Corporate Partner Proponents
2008 – 2024: More than $1 million in gifts to support the Haslam College of Business
- The Boeing Company
- Caterpillar, Inc.
- Deloitte
- Enterprise Holdings
- Dixon Hughes Goodman
- Ernst & Young LLC
- Target
- Crowe LLP
- Truist Bank
- Ryder
- Bush Brothers and Company
- KPMG
- LBMC
- McCormick & Co.
- PricewaterhouseCoopers
- PepsiCo
- Scripps Networks Interactive
- Regions Bank
- Pilot Company
- First Horizon Bank
- Bank of America
- Tractor Supply
- E&J Gallo Winery
CORPORATE ADVOCATES, 2023-2024:
- Knoxville Area Urban League
- Girl Talk Incorporated
- Knoxville Chamber of Commerce
- Knoxville Utilities Board
- PGA Tour
- Jacksonville Sharks
- Jacksonville Icemen
- Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
- Leadership Knoxville
- Insight Global
- Sherwin Williams
- JB Hunt
- Cintas
- Trust Company
- Jewelry Television
- Clayton Homes
- Partners Development
- Outlier’s Advantage
- Cruze Farms
- New Horizons Center for Experiential Learning
- 865 Academies
office of access & community connections
awards
2024 Inspiring Programs in Business Award Recipient
Haslam’s Office of Accessibility and Community Connections (OACC) received Insight into Diversity magazine’s Inspiring Programs in Business Award, which recognizes academic programs and iinitiatives that support a welcoming environment in business-related areas. Insight Into Diversity, founded in 1974, established the award to emphasize the importance of leadership role models and to honor exemplary institutions.
2024 Inaugural Inclusive Leadership Award Recipient
Amelia Hart
Amelia Hart, associate professor of practice in the Department of Accounting and Information Management at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville‘s Haslam College of Business, received the first Haslam’s Inclusive Leadership Award. Presented by OACC, with the support of Haslam Corporate Partner EY, the award recognizes Haslam faculty and staff who have made outstanding contributions to advancing welcoming practices in their industries and communities.