Mission and Vision . . .

The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and UT Extension, collectively known as the Institute of Agriculture, provide instruction, research, and public service in agriculture and related areas to students, producers, and consumers in Tennessee and secondarily to the region, nation, and world. The Institute contributes to improving the quality of life, increasing agricultural productivity and income, protecting the environment, promoting the economic well-being of families, and conserving natural resources for all Tennesseans. The clientele served includes students, farmers, homemakers, 4-H and other youth, agribusiness, state and federal governmental agencies, consumers, and the general public. The Institute fulfills its responsibilities through the following:

• Providing comprehensive high-quality undergraduate, graduate, and veterinary medicine degree programs that will qualify its graduates to compete for employment at the national level.
• Attracting and maintaining a uniquely qualified and nationally recognized teaching and research faculty.
• Providing up-to-date curricula and teaching methods appropriate to meet student and societal needs and consistent with the goals of life-long learning, ethics, and leadership.
• Maintaining a strong basic and applied research program to support all segments of agriculture and placing additional emphases upon critical issues including water quality, food safety, environmental concerns, and animal reproduction programs.
• Providing the resources to maintain and enhance the specialized teaching, primary research, and clinical opportunities of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
• Providing a state-of-the-art campus educational program using basic and applied research in agriculture, home economics, resource development and 4-H programs in all 95 counties.

As it pursues all activities in support of its mission, the University is committed to Affirmative Action and other programs which contribute to cultural and ethnic diversity of the Institute.