What is the Cherokee Farm campus?
Located on 188 acres of UT's former dairy farm, the Cherokee Farm campus is envisioned as a state-of-the-art interactive research and innovation campus. The campus will be a University of Tennessee resource to leverage the complementary research activity at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and other public and private partners. Through scientific investigation and innovation, we hope to reinvigorate economic activity to deliver local jobs.
How will this benefit UT?
Cherokee Farm will position the University and the state as one of the world's most competitive areas for collaborative research in neutron science, materials science, computational science and energy independence and sustainability. The science produced will help extend and improve the quality of life for Tennesseans and address some of the world’s most complex issues.
What kind of access will students have?
Undergraduate and graduate students will have the chance to conduct research with world-renowned scientists and public and private partners. The best resources will be made available in this interdisciplinary and collaborative setting.
How is it funded?
UT received $32 million for infrastructure funding from the state in 2007. The first building planned for the campus, the Joint Institute for Advanced Materials, will be built with $20 million in federal funds and $10 million in state funds that were approved specifically for the project. The rest of the campus will be built out using a combination of public and private funds.
Why can't the money be used to offset budget reductions?
The money from the state for the Cherokee Farm campus was allocated to UT as one-time expenditure funding in 2005 and 2007. The funding is restricted from being used for other purposes. Beginning the project now will help stimulate the economy by adding jobs and growth.
When will construction at the site begin and where did the dairy farm go?
Demolition of the old dairy farm facilities was completed in 2009. Work is currently underway to stabilize the shoreline. The infrastructure work will begin in late Spring 2010 with construction of the first building, the UT-ORNL Joint Institute for Advanced Materials to begin in 2010. The dairy herd, consisting of approximately 100 Holstein cows, was moved in May 2008 to the UT Middle Tennessee Research and Education Center in Spring Hill, another UT site in the state, and is still accessible to UT faculty and students for further study.
Who has been involved in the planning?
The Cherokee Farm Campus Steering Committee and the Cherokee Farm Campus Advisory Committee are made up of community members, faculty representatives, private industry representatives, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and UT Medical Center staff, and UT officials. The two groups have given their input on the design principles, master planning, sustainability and access issues. Their input will continue to be sought as the design, plan and campus take shape.
Will there be a conference center on site?
UT plans to conduct a feasibility study to determine if the campus could support a conference center/hotel. A conference center could allow additional space for research by concentrating large meeting rooms in one area and reducing the duplication of other support functions on the Cherokee Farm campus.
Why do this project now?
The Cherokee Farm campus is more important than ever because of the promise it holds for stimulating the economy through scientific investigation and innovation. Funding was secured in 2005 and 2007, and by moving forward now, we can begin to fulfill the campus’ promise. It is a step toward the vision of future investment in science and technology that Tennessee needs. The campus strengthens the partnership between UT and ORNL and positions the University and state as one of the most competitive areas for collaborative research in the world