Early in 1976 Knox County Prison Farm escapee Larry Burt Garrison, who had been serving time for drug violations, was arrested in Hess Hall, where he had been living with ground floor residents. Following the capture of Garrison, UT Security searched six rooms, and drugs—marijuana and pills—were confiscated from four rooms. A few days later, … Continued

Electronic readers that required residents to swipe their UT IDs to gain access to residence halls were first installed in 1994. Readers were installed at the side entrances and elevators in the Apartment Residence Hall, Clement and Massey Halls, and next to the elevators in Greve. Other halls were brought onto the system in the … Continued

In spring 1971 cleaning of student residence hall rooms was eliminated (although cleaning of bathrooms once a week was continued). The positions of approximately 40 maids were affected in the housekeeping staff reduction. A temporary “freeze” was placed on filling jobs in UT Knoxville Food Services and UT hospital housekeeping to allow placement of personnel … Continued

In summer 1996 all residence halls were equipped with video cameras at each entrance door, alarm systems, and a reception desk with 24-hour surveillance.

For fall 2014 UT offered 12-month housing contracts to both undergraduate and graduate students. The contracts, for apartment-style living in Laurel Hall, also allowed students to stay in their rented space during Thanksgiving, winter, and spring breaks. Previously, contracts had been available for the nine-month academic year, with a separate contract arrangement required for the … Continued

When UT could not accommodate all the students who requested housing in fall 1980, the Department of Residence Halls arranged with the Haven House Inn (formerly Camelot Inn) in Alcoa to contract with students for fall quarter housing, assuring the students by a letter from the director that commercial transportation would be available to the … Continued

All residence halls have resident assistants who are upper-division or graduate students and who live in the residence halls. The “RAs” serve as the first point of contact for students for leadership training, conduct matters, building a sense of community, and introduction to the various services available at UT. They serve as peer mentors and … Continued

Four resident assistants were killed in February 1988 when their rented Beechcraft 23 single-engine plane crashed into the south bank of the French Broad River in rural Sevier County. Killed were Donald W. Smith, age 20, a junior from Morristown; Kerry E. Poole, age 22, a senior from Sale Creek in Hamilton County; Shaun Fields, … Continued

In January 1979 the UT Knoxville Faculty Fringe Benefits Committee suggested the formation of a retirees association. In February a resolution prepared by the committee was adopted by the Faculty Senate and sent forward to Chancellor Jack Reese, who endorsed the concept. In November the first meeting of the association was held, and in January … Continued

The UT retirement system implemented in 1941 first established age 65 as that at which people could retire on a pension. Federal law now precludes mandatory retirement ages.