Business View Magazine | April 2021

157 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE APRIL 2021 vibrancy of downtown Knoxville. “We have wonderful walking trails with lots of green space and recreational space,” says Smith. “In the springtime, it’s just gorgeous with everything blooming. I don’t mean to brag, but it really is a beautiful physical campus. As our admissions staff likes to say, ‘If we can get somebody on campus, we know we’re close to getting them as a student.’” Still, there’s more to the makeup of JUTN’s uncommon community than its idyllic setting and rich tradition. What truly sets the university apart is its affordability and accessibility. “That dates back to the institution’s very beginning,” Smith explains. “Our founders wanted to create a school for students who had limited opportunity to attend college. And so, they established a strong work program so students could work in exchange for tuition. The college was a working farm up until the 1960s.” In 1903, Johnson sold his Jersey cows and invested the proceeds in a small herd of 15 Holstein cattle. This livestock became a vital part of the school’s financial stability and a means for students to “work off” their tuition. “What that has translated to now is a really strong scholarship program,” Smith says. We are one of the least expensive private colleges in the state. JOHNSON UNI VERS I TY