The Weakley County Examiner

Bud Grimes

Office of University Relations

Dr. Laurie Couch will be the final candidate to interview for the provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs position at the University of Tennessee at Martin. She will visit the university Nov. 20-21 to talk with faculty, staff, students and community members, including a public forum starting at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, in Watkins Auditorium. The auditorium is located in the Ed and Carolyn Boling University Center, with parking available in the university center parking lot.

Couch is provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Salisbury State University in Maryland. Her duties include overseeing faculty and student success, curriculum, enrollment management, strategic planning and research. She is also responsible for instructional design and delivery, student academic support, policy oversight, experiential learning, program review and budget management.

Couch was previously associate provost for undergraduate education and student success at Morehead State University in Kentucky, where she also was a psychology faculty member for 26 years.

Couch earned her doctorate and master’s degree in experimental psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mississippi State University.

The public forums for all three provost candidates will be recorded and offered online following the conclusion of Couch’s interview. Feedback opportunities for each candidate will be provided. The position is expected to be filled by the end of 2025.

UT Martin’s chief academic officer position was previously held by Dr. Philip Cavalier who in July became president of Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. Dr. Stephanie Kolitch is the university’s transitional provost until the position is filled.

UT Martin is a primary regional campus in the University of Tennessee System offering 23 undergraduate degree programs that include 142 specialized concentrations and eight graduate degrees featuring 30 specialized concentrations.

In addition to the main campus, the university has six regional centers in Jackson, Parsons, Selmer, Ripley, Somerville and Springfield. UT Martin Online offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees, including the online Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree for working adults.

The university’s 2025 fall enrollment is 8,101 students, including 1,329 first-year students, the highest at UT Martin in 15 years. Coming to the main campus is a new residence hall set for completion in fall 2028 and a new state-of-the-art Business Administration Building expected to be completed in 2030. 

For information about the search and UT Martin, contact the Office of University Relations at 731-881-7615.

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