Welcome to MTSU

We have a wide variety of nationally recognized academic degree programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. The University has eight undergraduate colleges, offering more than 40 departments and more than 140 degree programs. Our College of Graduate Studies offers more than 100 degree programs.

When we say, “I am True Blue,” it affirms that we are part of a tight-knit community of fellow students, professors, staff, and supporters, all working for your student’s progress and success.

We offer terrific opportunities, exceptional value, and a beautiful campus. Our undergraduates get real-world experiences that other universities offer only to graduate students.

Your student’s classroom may be behind a camera at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, combing an archeological dig site, helping patients on an underwater treadmill, or adjusting a robot just like those used at state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities.

MTSU is the No. 1 choice for our state’s transfer students, the No. 1 provider of graduates to the Greater Nashville economy (second largest producer of graduates in the state), and the No. 1 choice of adults (ages 25 and up) seeking a four-year degree.

We have completed more than $1.5 billion in new construction and improvements on our campus over the last two decades, highlighted by our $147 million state-ofthe-art Science Building, the crown jewel of our three-building Science Corridor of Innovation.

And, in 2022, we opened a cutting-edge, $40.1-million building to house our growing Concrete and Construction Management program. This 54,000 square-foot facility is six times larger than its previous home and will offer high-tech facilities for this innovative and industry-favored program.

All of these investments have provided a remarkable combination of top-notch classroom, research, laboratory, study, and gathering spaces designed to encourage faculty and student interaction.

We are extremely grateful and honored to be entrusted with something as important as the education of your student. On behalf of our university, we are pleased to welcome you as new members of our True Blue community.

Sincerely,

Sidney A. McPhee President

Welcome to the Middle Tennessee State University community! We look forward to your student’s arrival on our campus and will have a variety of activities planned to help ease their transition during the first days and weeks of the term.

Of particular interest to you for 2023–24 will be the events during our opening weekend, August 25 and 26. Parents and family members are welcome to join new students in attending these important activities and getting to know new friends and new campus traditions.

We hope you will join your student in reading our summer book selection, which will be introduced to your student as a part of our CUSTOMS orientation program. Many freshmen classes will use or refer to the summer reading book during the fall term. This year’s selection is Life is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age, by Bruce Feiler. This will be an important read, designed to help students think critically about how the changes that come with their college transition can become an opportunity for growth and transformation.

Food and fun will be available at the President’s Welcome Back Bash held on Friday night in front of the Student Union on the east side of campus. This activity is free, will begin around 6 p.m. and will last until it gets dark. All students and families are welcome, whether the student will be living on campus, off campus or at home. The author of our summer reading book will attend the President’s Bash to sign books for you or your student.

On Saturday your whole family is invited to attend our opening-of-the-year Convocation, held at 2 p.m. in the Murphy Center, where we will celebrate the arrival of our newest students. All new students are expected to attend Convocation to begin their MTSU academic experience. During the Convocation ceremony, students will join in our tradition of taking the True Blue Pledge. Among other things, students affirm that, as Blue Raiders, they will engage in the life of this community and contribute to its progress and success. Our keynote speaker for Convocation will be the author of our summer reading book — for many students, this will be the first time they’ve had the opportunity to read a book and then meet the author! Parents and family members will sit with their students during the ceremony, and at the conclusion, we’ll take the official new student photo on the main floor of the Murphy Center.

At the conclusion of our Saturday activities, most families will then depart campus, and students will have Sunday to settle in and get ready for classes to begin on Monday, August 28.

The Friday and Saturday events are two of our “Connection Point” activities. During the first several weeks of the semester, new students are encouraged to complete a variety of Connection Point activities as we work to integrate them into the out-of-classroom life of the MTSU campus. Events will include everything from football games to movies to a comedy show, as well as events to help introduce students to volunteer opportunities, student organizations, and student employment options.

We know that students who are most successful at MTSU balance hard work in the classroom with an active campus life, whether through athletics, band, living and working on campus, or joining a variety of clubs and organizations. Students will receive weekly email updates of upcoming activities so they have no excuse for being bored or failing to meet other students. All that will be required is for them to leave the comfort of their room or apartment and venture out to some of the planned events. When your student wants to take a break from studying, they can log on to the MTSU Campus Life page (mtsu.edu/campuslife) for information about campus programs and events ranging from service projects to concerts to leadership development workshops. Sports fans will also want to keep an eye on the official website for MTSU Athletics, goblueraiders.com

We’re excited for the arrival of our Blue Raider Class of 2027, and staff throughout the Division of Student Affairs and

Enrollment Services look forward to working with your student. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we may be of assistance in the coming year. New freshmen are encouraged to connect to other freshmen by joining the MTSU Class of 2027 Facebook page, and new transfers may join the MTSU Transfer Facebook page. Parents and other family members may connect to other parents by joining the MTSU Parent and Family Association Facebook page. A handful of dedicated MTSU administrators are active on all of those pages to assist in answering questions and helping connect students and families to campus resources.

The MT One Stop will be your resource for all questions specifically related to fee payment and financial aid/scholarships. You may always get their help with an email to MTOneStop@mtsu.edu or via the Virtual Counter, which will create a one-to-one online meeting with an MT One Stop Enrollment Counselor. Finally, general questions and concerns may be sent to us at stuaff@mtsu.edu We will respond to all questions or concerns quickly, and help you find the help you or your student needs at MTSU.

Welcome to MTSU, and best wishes to you and yours for a safe and productive year.

TRUE BLUE!