The City of Knoxville is now accepting applications for students interested in serving on the Mayor's University of Tennessee Student Advisory Board.

The Student Advisory Board, originally initiated by Mayor Bill Haslam, is headed into its fifth year. 
 
"UT students are a vital constituency of the city and I look forward to hearing their suggestions on how city government can better serve their needs," Haslam said. "I'm also eager to hear how we can work to make Knoxville the city of choice for them after they graduate." 
 
Members of the Student Advisory Board will meet monthly in the Mayor's conference room. The board benefits both students serving on it and the city. It allows the students to learn about the operations of city government, while providing them with a forum to voice ideas or concerns about how the university and the city might work in a collaborative effort.

Cathy Chesney, a member of the mayor's staff, serves as Mayor Haslam's representative for the board. Chesney coordinates and convenes the board meetings, which feature a different speaker each month from the mayor's staff.

Chesney said that Mayor Haslam will attend the first meeting to outline plans for the group and discuss their interests. Several other speakers from city government are tentatively slated to appear, including the Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project Director, Senior Director of Policy and Communications, Director of Special Events, and the Police Chief among others.

Katie Linley, a former board member as well as liaison to the City of Knoxville for the SGA, is excited about the opportunity for the university to work in such a way with city officials.

"Being a member of the board allowed me to have a behind the scenes look into Knoxville," she said. "It is a great opportunity for students to promote ideas and concerns, but also gain knowledge about the city. UT students are a significant part of the Knoxville community so our voices are vital to the city and its leaders."

Applications are due by September 10th.