Established in 1973, the Office of Diversity Programs works to increase the number of underrepresented engineering students who graduate from the college with a B.S., M.S. or Ph.D. in engineering by:

• Providing academic preparation and exposure to career possibilities in the area of engineering to pre-college students, thereby increasing the pool of qualified students who enter the college.
• Recruiting students and providing services and resources to ensure their success.
• Working with faculty, staff and students to create an invigorating and supportive environment.
• Assisting in the preparation of students for graduate studies and engineering careers.

The goal is to enable the successful recruitment, retention and graduation of underrepresented (African American, Hispanic, Native American, Alaskan Native, Pacific Islanders, and women) students.

During the last three decades, over 900 underrepresented students have graduated from the University of Tennessee's College of Engineering (COE). Since 1978, COE has consistently ranked among the top 50 universities and colleges in the nation to annually graduate 20 or more African-American engineering students.