The goal of the Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TLSAMP) program is to increase the enrollment and graduation rate of underrepresented students (Hispanic, African-American, American-Indian, Alaskan Native, and Pacific Islander) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by at least 100% at the end of the five-year period. The objectives to support the goal of the alliance are to:

• Recruit underrepresented students to pursue science or engineering as a career;
• Improve the quality of the learning environment for underrepresented science and engineering students at all schools; and
• Ensure that a larger number of undergraduate students are prepared to enter graduate programs.

The University of Tennessee is one of six colleges and universities to receive a five year grant from TLSAMP, which represents one of forty-one such programs sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF).