A Lesson in Leadership and Innovation with Chancellor Donde Plowman

In Episode 23 of At Scale, Chancellor Donde Plowman of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville joins tnAchieves for a candid conversation about leadership, institutional momentum, and what it takes to improve outcomes at scale. Leading a flagship, land-grant university requires balancing complexity with clarity, and throughout the episode, Chancellor Plowman makes one thing clear: student success must remain the north star.

The conversation explores how strong alignment across leadership, faculty, and staff creates measurable progress. When priorities are clear and consistently reinforced, institutions can move from scattered initiatives to focused execution. Chancellor Plowman discusses the importance of building trust, setting expectations, and fostering a culture where excellence in undergraduate education and research can thrive together.

Innovation also plays a central role in the discussion, but not as a headline. At UT, innovation is about strengthening systems, leveraging technology responsibly, and removing friction from the student experience. It is about ensuring that scale does not compromise support, and that growth is matched with intentional strategy.

For Tennessee, this leadership matters. Public universities serve as economic engines and talent pipelines for the entire state. Episode 23 offers a thoughtful look at how culture, clarity, and innovation can work together to improve outcomes for thousands of students each year and strengthen the future of our workforce.