- A key element to moving UT Knoxville from a Top 50 public research university to the ranks of the Top 25 involves the resources and facilities to support first-rate academic and research programs, along with student services.
- Looking ahead, the master plan assumes only limited growth of its undergraduate population but projects significant growth of graduate students, another key element in achieving Top 25 status.
- The campus must work to optimize its limited space and develop a more pedestrian-friendly campus with more green space at the center.
Other governing principles are to:
- Promote energy and environmental responsibility
- Expand and improve the east–west spine with better linkages north–south
- Provide convenient parking structures
- Continue to develop the campus transit system
- Encourage preservation of historic and cultural resources
- Recommend refinements to various campus design guideline documents
- Maximize connections to surrounding communities
- Coordinate with the Cherokee Farm master plan, which is overseen by the UT system