University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a university located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The university, often referred to as UTC or simply "Chattanooga" (especially in reference to collegiate athletics), is one of four universities in the University of Tennessee System.
UTC was founded in 1886 as the formerly-private Chattanooga University. In 1907, the university changed its name to the University of Chattanooga. In 1969, the university merged with Chattanooga City College to form the modern UTC campus as part of the University of Tennessee System.
UTC's colors are blue and gold and their nickname is the Mocs. Chattanooga athletics teams compete in NCAA Division I (I-AA for football) in the Southern Conference.
University Mascot
Chattanooga, on its official athletics site, makes it clear that its nickname of Mocs does not mean moccasin or mockingbird. The school's nickname was Moccasins until 1996, a nickname taken from Moccasin Bend, a sharp bend in the Tennessee River near Chattanooga. For several decades, a moccasin (the footwear, not the snake) was actually used as the school's logo.
In 1996, due in large part to concerns over ethnic sensitivity, the Moccasins name was dropped, and the Mocs nickname adopted. The main athletics logo features the school's mascot, "Scrappy" (an anthropomorphized mockingbird), riding a train (a reference to Chattanooga's history as a major railroad hub, and to the song "Chattanooga Choo Choo"). The mascot takes its name from former football coach A.C. "Scrappy" Moore.
Administration
Currently, UTC uses the semester system, with three optional "mini-terms" in the summer. The leadership of the campus rests upon the chancellor, who answers to the University President. The most recent Chancellor was Bill W. Stacy, who resigned in the summer of 2004 to become headmaster of the Baylor School. The interim Chancellor is Dr. Frederick Obear, who previously served as chancellor in the 1970s and 1980s.
About the Campus
UTC is best known for its Engineering, Nursing, History, Chemistry and Education departments. The Lupton Memorial Library, located at the center of the campus, houses 1.9 million items, including microfilm, microfiche, bound periodicals and over 600,000 circulating items. Prospective resident students can choose from five different dormitory complexes, each with different room configurations to choose from.