UTC statement on President Trump visit

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – UTC has issued a statement on President Trump’s rally in Chattanooga.

They explain their involvement in the political event at McKenzie Arena.

Here is the statement:

A public institution like UTC plays a significant role in helping communities engage in civic discourse, debate, and dialogue. We open our doors to the public and must be willing to allow all speakers who meet our policies the use of our facilities. The use does not indicate an endorsement from the university. We have historically been a location for political speakers such as President Reagan and Vice President Biden who used our campus facilities to speak directly with our local community and the American people.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump and the Republican Party will be renting McKenzie Arena for a mid-term election rally. This event may be quite exciting for some students and alienating for other students. Many of our students have never known a temperate political climate or witnessed civil debate.  This is an opportunity for our students to demonstrate the possibility of healthy democratic discourse.

This learning moment provides an opportunity to discuss with our students the importance of elections and the significance of voter turnout, regardless of who will ultimately be victorious. It is worth considering why there is such a large gap in student registration to vote and student turnout at the polls. For example, 40 percent of UTC students voted in the 2016 presidential election, despite a much higher voter registration rate. We can discuss why college students are often not part of policy discussions and how their personal engagement helps change political perceptions. A lot of current activities on campus focus on Moc the Vote: https://blog.utc.edu/news/2018/10/moc-the-vote-this-election-season

We can use this occasion to encourage our campus participation in the democratic process.