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Veteran Resources

UT Knoxville has been consistently recognized as a military-friendly school. Our veteran students, faculty, and staff are valued for their service, experience, and leadership skills that they bring to our campus. 

Veteran employees have benefits, support, and connection opportunities available to them while working for UT: 

If you are a veteran looking for employment or career advancement opportunities within the university, please reach out to Jay Haley. Jay is our veteran recruiter for the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. 

Jay Haley  
University Staff Recruiter & UT HR Veterans Representative
105 Student Services Building 
Knoxville, TN 37996           
Phone: (865) 974-5516 
jhaley9@utk.edu   

 Veterans Sick Leave 

  • University employees who are veterans with a 30% or more service-connected disability are authorized 36 hours of leave each year to attend appointments related to the service-connected disability. 
  • To notify the University of your veteran or disability status: 
    1. Visit IRIS Web Employee Self Service to update veteran status information. Self-identification process instructions are available at: Equal Employment Opportunity Self-Identification – Inclusion, Diversity and Engagement (tennessee.edu) Information submitted will be maintained confidentially and will be used for federal reporting and record-keeping purposes only.   
    2. Send a copy of the Veterans Administration letter showing disability status to HR. Copies may be sent to the address listed below or via email to hr@utk.edu 
    3. HR will review the letter and ensure qualifying individuals have 30% or greater permanent disability status recorded in IRIS. 
    4. HR will notify qualifying employees of the status recording.
    5. Record service-connected disability leave using IRIS Web Employee Self Service (ESS) in Working Time using the SLV time type.

Purple Heart Parking (Visitors and Faculty/Staff) 

    1. UT Knoxville would like to honor our faculty, staff, and student veterans who have been awarded a Purple Heart. The Purple Heart parking permit allows parking in any unreserved space on campus. (https://parking.utk.edu/permits/purple-heart-parking/) 
    2. Visitors with a Purple Heart designation may contact the Veterans Success Center at 865-974-5420 for a free daily Purple Heart parking pass. 
    3. Faculty and Staff may purchase academic year Purple Heart Permits. Contact the Veterans Success Center to request approval. Permit sales are open year-round. 

Veterans Success Center (VSC) is here to assist you! The transition from soldier to student, from combat to campus, is often a difficult one. At UT, our goal is to create an environment where student veterans can thrive in areas of academia, leadership, and connectedness. By facilitating this intentional support, VSC extends learning beyond the classroom, builds community, and provides transformative experiences.

The Veterans Success Center (VSC) offers assistance and guidance to:

  • Active duty service members
  • Veterans
  • Reservists
  • Guardsmen, and family members using their VA educational benefits.

Connect with the VSC for more details.