In 2011, tuition at the University of Tennessee was upped by 12% while UT Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy Cheek received a hefty pay raise. This year, tuition is going up again, and Jimmy Cheek is once again accepting a raise-- a $22,356 raise. He will be making $394,956 a year.



I am about to start my senior year at UT Knoxville studying electrical engineering. I don't think it's right for Chancellor Cheek to accept yet another pay raise during a tuition hike when so many students are struggling to pay as it is. This is unfair to UT students who work many hours a week (on top of their school work) to pay for school. Even then, many of these students will still be up to their neck in student debt after they graduate. Many current UT students are sharing their stories about how they struggle everyday so that they can keep up with tuition and do their best in their classes. This petition isn’t about changing the tuition increase, and it isn’t the job Cheek has done as chancellor. It’s about the principle that Cheek shouldn’t accept a pay raise during a tuition hike as so many students struggle to keep up with their tuition costs and work load.



This is a matter of principle. The UT Chancellor should not accept a raise during a tuition increase when so many students are struggling to pay already. If you agree, please join me in signing the petition - and if you are a UT student or alum, please do share your story in the comments section!