State Funding Woes To Eliminate Award-Winning Educational Program

KNOXVILLE, TN (May 3, 2002) - State funding for the University of
Tennessee's award-winning educational program for parenting and consumer
education (PACE) is expected to be discontinued as of July 1.

Operated by the UT Agricultural Extension Service, with grant funds through
the Tennessee Department of Human Services, the PACE program employs 13
individuals at several locations across the state. Affected employees have
been informed that their jobs are being eliminated.

PACE program objectives included training government facilitators in
parenting and consumer education skills to help them move Families First
participants toward continual employment. Families First is Tennessee's
welfare reform plan that emphasizes work, training, and personal
responsibility.

Five of the 13 PACE employees will lose their positions, while seven will
be reassigned to other full-time positions within Extension's Department of
Family and Consumer Sciences. The remaining employee will be offered
part-time employment in another departmental assignment.

"All displaced employees will be informed of their opportunities to compete
for vacant positions within the University for which they are qualified,"
said Dr. Charles Norman, UT Dean of Extension.

PACE received the national Extension 2000 Award from the American
Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. The award recognizes
outstanding Extension programming.



Contact: Patricia Clark McDaniels, 865-974-7141
Dean Charles Norman, 865-974-7114