The Institute for Public Service

The University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service (IPS) takes the expertise of a statewide university to the communities of Tennessee by helping leaders in government, business and law enforcement solve real-world problems every day.

 

MISSION STATEMENT VISION STATEMENT VALUES STATEMENT
We serve business and government to improve the lives of Tennesseans. We envision Tennessee as a global leader with thriving business and industry, efficient and effective government, and vibrant communities. At the Institute for Public Service we value people, diversity, relationships, integrity, and excellence.

MEET OUR AGENCIES

CIS
CTAS
LEIC
MTAS
Naifeh Center

Center for Industrial Services (CIS) County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC) Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership

Leadership Lessons

Can We Make Civility a Norm? By Dr. Herb Byrd III Coming home from the UT Board of Trustees meeting, I listened to an interview of the current governor of Utah, Spencer Cox. One reason for the interview was that he and his opponent in the election pledged to run

Unless We Use Respect, It’s Wasted

Innovation, Honesty, Engagement, Accountability, & Respect – I HEAR By Lynn Reed, CIS Our global population was estimated to have reached eight billion people as of November 15th, 2022, and grew by another eighty-three million in 2023. The people of our world speak many different languages (seven thousand in all

Extreme Ownership and BE ONE UT

By Kelley McNeal, CTAS Jocko Willink and Leif Babin draw powerful leadership principles from their experiences as U.S. Navy SEALs in “Extreme Ownership.”  Each chapter describes a leadership lesson learned during their combat or training experience. The chapter explains the leadership principle and the principle’s application to business. As I

One Foot in Front of the Other

By Eric Spencer, MTAS I’m an outdoors guy and an avid backpacker.  I love spending time on the trail.  As spring approaches, my wife and I are already planning which backpacking trips we are going to tackle this year.  As we are considering parks to visit and routes to take,

Good Leadership Makes A Difference!

By Dr. Herb Byrd III Last month’s LEAD! article was inspired by a visit Resa and I made between Christmas and New Year’s Day to the Little White House in Key West, Fla.  I’d like to revisit (figuratively) the Little White House one more time to make another observation. That

Fifth Cohort Selected for UT Executive Leadership Institute

Twenty-four executives from campuses and institutes across the University of Tennessee System were chosen to make up the 2024 class of the Executive Leadership Institute. The institute, which is operated by the UT Institute for Public Service’s Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership, develops executive leaders for the needs of the

SMART Partners with Gibson Gives

The Substance Misuse and Addiction Resource of Tennessee (SMART), a program of the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service (IPS), has partnered with Gibson Gives–the charitable foundation for Gibson, the iconic and leading global instrument brand–to place ONEbox™ opioid emergency response kits in Knoxville music venues. Since January, the

LEIC Helps State Facilitate Violent Crime Intervention Grants

Tennessee’s violent crime rate ranks as one of the highest in the nation.  Fortunately, Governor Bill Lee is taking action, in part by releasing $100 million for violent crime intervention. “As Americans face rising crime nationwide, Tennessee is equipping law enforcement with the tools needed to keep every community safe,”

TLC Offers Video Interpreting to Clients

Video remote interpreting, or VRI, is becoming increasingly popular due to its multiple benefits. VRI allows the interpreter to interact with participants via a secure web-based platform on any device or computer. The Tennessee Language Center (TLC) offers this service to its clients, along with traditional in-person interpreting and over-the-phone

CIS Delivers Skills for Success Training for Tennessee Inmates

Inmates in several West Tennessee correctional facilities now have skills for a productive life outside of prison, thanks in part to the UT Center for Industrial Services (CIS) and its Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Partnership (TMEP) organization The Skills for Success – Manufacturing program was made available in Tennessee by the