Yancy Freeman Confirmed as Next Chancellor of UT Martin

KNOXVILLE – The University of Tennessee at Martin has a new chancellor after a special meeting of the UT Board of Trustees held 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, and he will replace Keith Carver, who moved to senior vice chancellor/senior vice president of the UT Institute of Agriculture earlier in the year. Freeman’s compensation and terms were also approved.

“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 currently 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 also a 2020 graduate of the UT System’s Executive Leadership Institute.

In other board business, the board approved the appointment of a managerial group for U.S. contracts. The board also approved a resolution regarding the joint Bachelor of Science program in nursing at the UT Health Science Center and UT Southern.