2023 President's Report

The President’s Report

DR.

SIDNEY A. MCPHEE

University President

WILLIAM J. BALES

Vice President for University Advancement

MARK BYRNES

University Provost

YVETTE CLARK

Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer

KIMBERLY S. EDGAR

Executive Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff

ANDREW OPPMANN

Vice President for Marketing and Communications

SARAH SUDAK

Interim Vice President for Student Affiars

ALAN THOMAS

Vice President for Business and Finance

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

STEPHEN B. SMITH, CHAIR

Chair, Haury and Smith Contractors

J.B. BAKER

Owner and CEO, Sprint Logistics

TOM BOYD

Investment Advisor Representative, Decker Wealth Management

PETE DELAY

Principal, Lynwood Ventures LLC

CHRISTINE KARBOWIAK VANEK, VICE CHAIR

Retired Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, and Chief Risk Officer, Bridgestone Americas

WILLIAM S. “BILL” JONES

Area Executive, Pinnacle Financial Partners

MICHAEL J. WADE, Agency Sales Leader, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

PAMELA J. WRIGHT

President and Managing Partner, Wright Development

MARY MARTIN, FACULTY TRUSTEE

Professor of Mathematics

MOLLY MIHM, STUDENT TRUSTEE

Candidate Master of Education in Administration and Supervision degree

Good Governance: The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) approved a substantive change in governance for MTSU in 2017. The substantive change was required when Tennessee’s FOCUS Act established an independent Board of Trustees to govern MTSU—a major milestone for the University. The commission reviewed all aspects of governance, from board duties and responsibilities to policy processes and revisions, in making its decision to approve compliance with SACSCOC governance standards.

A UNIVERSITY OF OPPORTUNITIES

Founded Sept. 11, 1911, at the geographic center of Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) is a comprehensive university, proud of a century-plus commitment to academic excellence and student success. MTSU houses a wide variety of nationally recognized academic degree programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, specialist, and doctoral levels. The University’s eight undergraduate colleges offer nearly 200 majors and concentrations across 39 departments/schools. The College of Graduate Studies offers more than 90 master’s and specialist programs and nine doctoral degrees.

With a total enrollment of approximately 20,000 students, MTSU is the No. 1 provider of college graduates to the greater Nashville economy and the second-largest producer of graduates in the state among public universities. It is also a top producer of low-income (Pell Grant-eligible) graduates in Tennessee (in all, 36% of MTSU’s degreeseeking undergraduates are eligible for Pell aid). MTSU’s standing as a destination of choice for first-generation students is well established, as is its long success in helping low-income students who meet admission standards overcome obstacles often posed by tuition and fees. MTSU’s full-time undergraduate tuition and fees annually remain the lowest of the state’s three largest universities. MTSU is also a top choice of transfer students.

MTSU was founded as a school for teachers and today remains a top provider of educators in Tennessee. Throughout the 112-plus years of service, MTSU’s academic offerings have grown in quantity and quality to better serve the needs of the middle Tennessee region and support the state’s economic growth and development. MTSU produces more graduates than any other local university (approximately 5,000 each year). More than 60% of its alumni live within an hour’s drive of Murfreesboro, and more than 75% of its alumni reside in Tennessee.

An economic engine in the state, MTSU not only adds educational and cultural value to Tennessee but also stimulates a vibrant business environment for the region. A study by the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at MTSU estimates the University’s annual economic impact on Tennessee to be 11,400-plus jobs, resulting in more than $1.4 billion in revenue. Another study determined that MTSU alumni and their employees generate $9 billion annually in business revenue within the state. One in every six college-educated individuals in the greater Nashville area holds an MTSU degree, according to BERC.

Designated a Carnegie R2 doctoral university with high research activity, MTSU is overseen by a 10-member Board of Trustees. As a community of scholars, we enthusiastically embrace our past, celebrate our present accomplishments, and effectively plan for the future.

EXTERNAL VALIDATION

Middle Tennessee State University can look back at 2023 with pride as evidenced by top rankings from several national organizations for institutional excellence. What are they saying about us?

The Princeton Review—one of the nation’s leading education services companies—included MTSU in its 32nd annual Best Colleges rankings for 2024, the fifth consecutive year that the institution has been recognized. Unlike college rankings derived solely from institutional data and college administrator peer reviews, The Princeton Review rankings, tallied in multiple categories, are derived from student reports of their experiences at the schools. In other words, our customers elevated us to this high rank—not institutional data collectors and college administrator peer reviews.

Meanwhile, U.S. News and World Report ranked MTSU at No. 84 in the nation for Social Mobility for 2024. It is the second consecutive year that MTSU, a top choice for first-generation college students, was recognized by the magazine in this category, which measures how successful colleges are at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants. The University also was included on U.S. News and World Report’s lists for Top Public Schools, National Universities, Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (at schools where doctorates are not offered), Computer Science, Nursing, and Psychology. Also, Newsweek ranked MTSU No. 134 among 200 institutions singled out among America’s Top Online Colleges. The list was curated from a survey of over 9,000 online learners, as well as its research about the institutions.

And MTSU was included on the 2023–24 edition of the annual Colleges of Distinction list. In addition to overall recognition, the University was listed among the organization’s lists for best nursing colleges, best business colleges, best affordable colleges, best military support colleges, best education colleges, and best career development colleges.

Rankings such as these elevate MTSU’s profile across the nation and around the world. But what truly matters is what such rankings reveal: our unrelenting commitment to the individual success of each and every student in our True Blue family.

Now in my 23rd year as president of this great University, I consider it a blessing to have presided over one of the most remarkable periods of growth and progress for our institution. Thanks to our individual and collaborative endeavors, the University has grown significantly in both student numbers and physical facilities.

Thank you for taking the time to read about our progress in this annual president’s report to shareholders. The report features a month-by-month glance at representative examples of the good news occurring daily on the MTSU campus, as well as updates on many of the most important strategic and missionfocused initiatives of our great University. True Blue!

Dr. Sidney A. McPhee President

TRUE BLUE

HERE ARE SOME OF THE TOP HEADLINES FOR THE BLUE RAIDER CAMPUS IN 2023—PRESENTED IN MONTH-BY-MONTH FASHION— ALONGSIDE 12 FEATURE STORIES HIGHLIGHTING IMPORTANT STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AT MTSU.

FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE!

Once again we demonstrated that MTSU is a destination for A-list artists seeking performance venues that can be custom fit to their needs and that our academic strengths in music business and television production make our campus an attractive location. Two months after hosting Wynonna’s madefor-TV final concert event for The Judds in Murphy Center, MTSU leaders made things happen for Peter Frampton when his team sought out an MTSU venue through his connection with songwriting Assistant Professor Odie Blackmon. Hundreds lined up for hours in front of Tucker Theatre—some from as far away as Massachusetts, California, and Canada—to see the Grammywinning rocker play a free show Jan. 22 for airing later on British television. After announcing his retirement from extensive touring following a diagnosis of inclusion body myositis, the 72-year-old Frampton belted out such fan favorites as “Show Me the Way,” “Baby, I Love Your Way,” and “Do You Feel Like We Do” for the new Greatest Albums Live series.

MTSU PROMISE

The transfer admissions team met with prospective students at nine Tennessee community colleges across the state, from Knoxville to Jackson and from Dyersburg to Chattanooga, on the annual MTSU Promise Tour. Each year the University promotes the Feb. 15 admissions deadline for the guaranteed transfer scholarship—$3,000 per year for qualifiers—one of many factors that make MTSU a top transfer destination in Tennessee. Waiving summer and fall 2023 application fees for new transfer students, the tour also offered giveaways and scholarship drawings at each stop. The MTSU Promise is one of the University’s commitments to making the transfer process as smooth as possible and, in some cases, signing special agreements with the community colleges to ensure clear pathways. MTSU transfer enrollment coordinators work with all 13 of Tennessee’s community colleges to assist students in the enrollment process.

A DREAM TO REALITY

Assistant History Professor Aaron Treadwell gave a rousing tribute to slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. at MTSU’s traditional MLK Celebration and Candlelight Vigil. Treadwell challenged attendees to insert themselves into uncomfortable spaces as the Nobel Peace Prize winner and his wife did to make equality and justice for all a reality in a nation that continues to wrestle with racial inequality. Like King, Treadwell is a pastor and an Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brother. He put a twist on the saying of “go where you’re celebrated, not where you’re tolerated,” arguing that doing only this robs “ourselves [of] blessings and opportunities” for personal growth and societal change. Joining MTSU alumni Chuncey Vinson and Montrell Dobbins as speakers from the fraternity’s Omicron Sigma Lambda community chapter, Eric Murry also challenged the audience to mentor a student “to help them achieve their dream of earning a college degree.”

MTSU’s commitment is making sure our students succeed.

The University’s Quest for Student Success initiative, launched in 2013, was designed to improve retention and graduation rates. It set in motion numerous novel ways to provide even more support systems to students. This is our mission.

The results of these efforts are clearly reflected in recent outcome measures. Retention rates for first-time freshmen have grown from 74.1% in fall 2021 to 77.29% percent in fall 2023—a significant increase. The six-year graduation rate is 58.4%, representing a continued increase over the past several years. These are significant and sustained achievements that reflect the exceptional work of everyone on campus!

Although the six-year graduation rate is the primary outcome measure at MTSU, it is worth noting that four-year graduation rates continue to increase significantly as well. More students are completing their degrees in a shorter amount of time.

Such increases have drawn a great deal of attention to our University. But there is always more that can be done. Critical to students’ future successes—and thus the University’s—is continuing and expanding our commitment to students.

To that end, our updated Quest for Student Success 2025 plan is designed to help students learn to succeed personally and professionally while making sure they graduate workforce ready. Quest 2025 focuses on student success marked by a deeper and broader academic and student life experience that extends learning beyond graduation.

Quest 2025 is divided into five strategic priorities: invest in a comprehensive faculty development program that includes the

integration of high impact practices in key curricula; eliminate achievement gaps by using analytics, refining and expanding student support programs, and increasing faculty diversity; increase online, hybrid, and off-site offerings, adaptive scheduling, and curricular flexibility; create a culture of service across campus; and invest in a campuswide environment that fosters living-learning opportunities.

Here are some recent updates regarding just a few of our many student success efforts:

• Adult degree completion programs: After 16 years, MTSU’s award-winning Prior Learning Assessment program has an outstanding 89.3% completion rate, with more than 1,200 enrolled students earning an average of 24 credit hours.

• Dual enrollment program: In fall 2023, a record 1,452 high school students participated in MTSU dual enrollment courses. Students were served in 127 course sections at 16 partner schools. Most of the course sections (65%) were instructed by MTSU faculty. Dual enrollment students now account for more than 8% of MTSU’s total undergraduate population!

• University Studies Department: Our Master of Professional Studies program experienced a more than 8% increase in enrollment compared to fall 2022.

• Tutoring: The persistence rate of students who go for tutoring is 91%, exceeding the University rate of 89.5%.

first-time freshmen

77.3% RETENTION RATE

adult-degree program

89.3% COMPLETION RATE

dual enrollment

1,452 STUDENTS

from

16 SCHOOLS

STUDENT SUCCESS

accessing

127 COURSES

FINEST OF THE ARTS

Broadway star Laura Osnes, a two-time Tony Award nominee for Bonnie & Clyde and Cinderella musicals, took a turn as host and performer at Tucker Theatre during the inaugural MTSU Arts Celebration Concert. The evening event showcased the 11th anniversary season of fine arts under the MTSU Arts umbrella. Theatre students previewed their spring musical, Cabaret, and MTSU Dance presented a special choreographed piece. School of Music ensembles included the MTSU Chamber Orchestra, MTSU Singers, Schola Cantorum, MTSU Steel Drum Ensemble, and members of the MTSU Opera. Dual major Ashley Barrientos also presented a spoken word performance. Osnes, who has enjoyed TV roles and sung on stages from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center, also gave a masterclass for MTSU students who aspire to her level of acclaim and achievement. MTSU Arts was established in 2011 as a singular brand to deliver hundreds of fine arts offerings, including performances, exhibitions, and concerts, to the region each year.

GENIUS IDEAS

Throughout the year, the MTSU campus plays host to a number of events not directly affiliated with the University that benefit local families, serve the community, and boost commerce. In fact, some of these events serve as the first introduction school-age children have to a college campus and may spark the dream of earning their own degrees one day, possibly at MTSU.

MTSU welcomed budding scientists and inventors to campus in two separate annual educational events to tap into K–12 students’ talents and build their STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills. The yearly hive of creativity at the 30th annual Invention Convention on Feb. 16 featured 801 young inventors from the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades across 41 Midstate schools— and the poster-board-sized displays for their 401 gadgets, games, business innovations, and fascinating contraptions. This year’s big winners included Walter J. Baird Middle School sixth graders Ady Ruis, Nataliyah Dowell, and Livi Edwards of Lebanon and Jack Burgess, a fourth grader at Middle Tennessee Christian School. Two days later, at the 28th Regional Science Olympiad at MTSU for middle and high school students, 200 teenagers collaborated as teammates to find solutions, answer test questions, and create and build gadgets. Williamson County’s Ravenwood High School earned first-place honors, and Rutherford County’s Central Magnet placed first among middle schools.

BLACK HISTORY

Author, activist, and educator Ilyasah Shabazz, famed philosopher Cornel West, and South to America author and scholar Imani Perry all spoke on the MTSU campus during a February filled with opportunities to learn during Black History Month 2023. Shabazz, daughter of the late Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, provided the keynote address during the monthlong slate of free public events that included films, awards, fashion, music, panel discussions, and talks. Memphis attorney and councilman JB Smiley Jr. spoke at one of MTSU’s most beloved traditions, the 27th annual Unity Luncheon, which again celebrated the “unsung heroes” of middle Tennessee who have given remarkable service to their fellow citizens. Chandra Russell Story, a professor in MTSU’s Department of Health and Human Performance, received the 2023 John Pleas Faculty Recognition Award during another event.

GRAMMY FACTORY

Two pairs of the music industry’s best “ears,” trained in MTSU’s internationally recognized Department of Recording Industry, added more Grammys to their collections for engineering two spectacular albums. Brandon Bell earned the best Americana album award for engineering Brandi Carlile’s In These Silent Days, which had seven nods including album of the year. Tony Castle grabbed his third Grammy for perfecting yet another project for country icon Willie Nelson, A Beautiful Time. With the Feb. 5, 2023, awards, MTSU counted 39 Grammys won by alumni, former or current students, and faculty the last couple of decades. MTSU once again took a contingent of College of Media and Entertainment students, faculty, and administrators to Los Angeles for a long weekend of gathering with local alumni and attending backstage and pre-show Grammy events.

Cornel West

Ilyasah Shabazz

Students enrolled at MTSU today represent the future workforce for the regional economy.

MTSU produces more graduates than any other local university (approximately 5,000 each year).

Freshmen who entered the MTSU community in the Fall 2023 semester numbered 3,088, reflecting more than an 11% increase over the previous fall. This remarkable achievement established MTSU as the leading institution in Tennessee for the percentage growth of the freshman class

Not resting on our laurels, MTSU’s Admissions recruitment team hit the road on our annual True Blue Tour in late 2023, taking advisors, faculty members, and deans to 14 cities in four states and attracting more than 1,000 prospective students, up slightly over the previous year’s total.

Tour stops typically include a luncheon for local high school and community college counselors, many of whom are our own alumni thanks to our world-class College of Education. For many years a highlight at the counselor luncheon was a drawing for a coveted scholarship for a counselor to award to a deserving student of their choice.

In 2023, we took the scholarship award program to a new level, expanding the counselor-to-student scholarship initiative to award $2,500 in scholarships to every high school and community college sending a representative to a True Blue Tour counselor luncheon! This strategic addition to the tour was planned not only to increase

enrolled students in 2024, but also as a longer-term initiative by opening new high schools and communities to MTSU.

Through this effort, we drew 543 high school and community college counselors (63% more than last year’s 331) representing 305 different institutions. And of those 305 institutions, 99 are high schools from which MTSU currently does not have a single student enrolled. We look forward to tracking the ongoing impact of this innovative scholarship program, confident that MTSU’s future remains exceptionally promising.

Early results of these fall 2023 recruitment efforts are evidenced in application and admit numbers, which are encouragingly strong. As of Dec. 1, 2023, the freshman guaranteed scholarship deadline (a primary indicator of progress toward our enrollment goals), freshman applications were up 4.1%, while freshman admits from that applicant pool were up 10.3% over the same point last year (above our very good numbers from last year). Transfer applications were also up 3.3% over last year.

We continue to work extremely hard to ensure that we are attracting the best and the brightest new undergraduate students from across the state of Tennessee and the region. And when I get a chance to personally meet these prospective students, I am confident in telling them that if they come to MTSU, they will get the attention of faculty and staff that they will need to be successful in college.

DEANS’ LIST

Two new deans were named to lead award-winning colleges starting in 2023–24, joining MTSU’s academic leadership team following national searches. The new College of Education dean, Neporcha Cone, most recently Kennesaw State University professor of science education, believes MTSU’s gold-standard teacher preparation program is well positioned to produce great educational leaders. Cone started her career in the classroom as a middle school science teacher in a predominantly Hispanic community. “Educators are the backbone of our democracy,” she said. “They create spaces that foster 21st century skills such as curiosity, creativity, and innovation.”

DIAMONDS IN THE SKY

MTSU’s highly acclaimed Aerospace Department added eight new Diamond Aircraft DA40 XLTs to its fleet in early 2023, accepting the first of the single-engine planes March 29 at the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida. Student pilots flew the aircraft back to Tennessee at the end of the show, one of the largest annual aviation gatherings. Signifying the success of its program, MTSU’s growth and expansion now includes a training fleet of 45 aircraft, including 39 Diamond DA40s. The Aerospace program also purchased two more twin-engine Piper Seminoles in late 2022, bringing that number to five for multi-engine training. The newer fleet gives students training experiences in technologically advanced aircraft, enhancing their career prospects.

Joyce Heames, new dean of MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones College of Business, views Jones College as poised to build on its reputation as a regional leader in business education and a strong pipeline for workforce development. Previously dean of Berry College’s Campbell School of Business, she also served as associate dean of innovation, outreach, and engagement at West Virginia University. “It excites me to think about the connections that we can make with a lot of the new businesses coming into the area,” Heames said.

EMPOWERING WOMEN

With a theme of “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,” National Women’s History Month at MTSU honored four individuals for their efforts to uplift women. The 2023 Trailblazer Awards were presented March 1 to Christina Cobb, University Studies assistant professor lauded for a digital platform focusing on women’s empowerment through workshops and mentoring; Katie Foss, Journalism and Strategic Media director, an author of numerous books who emerged as an expert on the media’s handling of the COVID19 pandemic; and Lori Huertas, Risk Management and Insurance program coordinator, who is a bilingual Army mom pursuing her doctoral degree and the advisor to MTSU’s Gamma Iota Sigma insurance fraternity. A Future Trailblazer award went to senior Hayden “Gracie” Sizemore, an Interdisciplinary Media major and Film Studies minor, who worked to improve campus programs including weekly film screenings and the annual student film festival.

Trailblazer Award recipients Christina Cobb, left, Lori Huertas, Gracie Sizemore, and Katie Foss.

Adding and expanding facilities on a college campus is about more than just growth; it represents expansion into areas of study in which MTSU particularly excels.

Expansion to solve complex problems that improve the social good. And expansion to develop the cutting-edge knowledge needed to supply a skilled regional workforce.

As middle Tennessee grows and expands, so too does MTSU. Here are just three recent capital projects I would like to highlight:

• Our largest capital project now in development is the construction of a brand-new, 89,000-square-foot, $74.8 million Applied Engineering Building to house Engineering Technology and Mechatronics Engineering programs, as well as provide space for future engineering programs. The building will serve as a companion piece to the recently opened School of Concrete and Construction Management Building, sharing a common working yard to be used for student projects. Estimated completion is summer 2025.

• MTSU’s Build Blue campaign to boost athletics facilities had a banner year of fundraising in 2023. A $66 million Student-Athlete Performance Center— a 75,500-squarefoot center to include training spaces, strength and conditioning rooms, locker rooms, meeting space, and athletics offices that serve MTSU Athletics and studentathletes—is scheduled for completion in summer 2025. We also constructed a new Outdoor Tennis Complex

throughout 2023, with eight new tennis courts, spectator seating, site improvements, and a small support building with restrooms, storage, locker rooms, and coaches’ offices.

• On Sept. 21, 2023, Gov. Bill Lee announced that the MTSU Department of Aerospace would relocate its Flight Operations Center and Maintenance Management program to the Shelbyville Airport as part of a $62 million-plus project that promises significant economic benefit for Shelbyville and Bedford County. MTSU will build on roughly 20 acres of land at the Shelbyville airport. A combined $62.2 million in funding—$57.2 million from the state and $5 million from the University—paved the way for the move from Murfreesboro’s airport. Full relocation to Shelbyville is expected by fall 2026.

• Renovations to Kirksey Old Main and Rutledge Hall were funded by the Tennessee General Assembly in 2023. The $54.3 million project—to be completed in summer 2026—includes demolition of E.W. Midgett building and renovations to both Kirksey Old Main and Rutledge Hall (which will be converted from a residence hall into an office/classroom building to house University College/ University Studies).

CAMPUS TRANSFORMATION

MTSU Athletic Director Chris Massaro and I at the new $8 million Outdoor Tennis Complex.

TAKING THE LEAP

The new field of quantum information science has been growing across the U.S. and around the globe, and now MTSU has a unique opportunity to position itself as a hub for quantum science and education in the region. With the mtsu.edu/quantum website launched in April, the Department of Physics and Astronomy introduced the MTSU Quantum Science Initiative taking shape, promoting faculty efforts in research, education, and workforce development. To help prepare MTSU students for 21st century jobs, computational quantum physics expert Hanna Terletska piloted a new interdisciplinary undergraduate course on quantum computing. Quantum information science has enormous potential to transform areas such as computing, national security, financing, energy research, new materials, health care, and information technology. Terletska’s National Science Foundation funding in the field totals about $635,000, and she has applied for NSF awards for $1 million and $800,000 and a U.S. Department of Energy grant for $500,000.

PILOT PROGRAM

Aspiring pilots at MTSU have a pathway to a first officer role at Southwest Airlines after the Aerospace Department became one of the newest partners in the airline’s unique Destination 225° program on April 26. On a compass rose, 225° is the southwest heading. Designed to meet future aviators at their current experience level, the Destination 225° recruiting and development program creates opportunities to take them to the right seat in a Southwest aircraft. Southwest, with a robust presence at Nashville International Airport, currently partners with 11 other collegiate aviation programs, including Arizona State University, Auburn University, and the University of Oklahoma. With 1,225 Aerospace majors—900 of them Professional Pilot students—MTSU also partners with Delta Air Lines' Propel program for pilots.

GRABBING THE GOLD

An Honors student and Forensic Science major at MTSU, Elizabeth Kowalczyk likes to bring a form of closure by solving the mystery of “Who done it?” In this case, Kowalczyk was one of only eight students from Tennessee who earned the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship in 2023. Among 400 students selected from over 5,000 applicants nationally, Kowalczyk plans to conduct forensic microbiology research while earning her doctorate. The award provides $7,500 per year to cover the cost of tuition after other scholarships. Kowalczyk interned at the Washington, D.C., Department of Forensic Sciences in 2022 and has worked on MTSU’s Forensic Anthropology Search and Recovery (FASR) team, which assists law enforcement with recovery and documentation of human remains from crime scenes. Thomas Holland, director of MTSU’s Forensic Institute for Research and Education, now supervises the team after 30 years running a large, accredited crime laboratory for the U.S. Department of Defense.

submitted photo

Each of the colleges and academic units at MTSU maintains a high level of activity and produced news worth crowing about in 2023.

It is very difficult to select just a few highlights from across the colleges! Here I mention two faculty members and a key University program that well characterize MTSU’s culture of achievement.

Two assistant professors in MTSU’s Department of Biology were awarded National Science Foundation CAREER Awards, which are among the most well-known and highly sought-after grants for pre-tenured faculty across the country. That alone is newsworthy. But the personal stories behind these two professors speak even more profoundly to MTSU’s brand and mission.

Liz Barnes and Donny Walker each started from humble beginnings to become highly successful scientists. These prestigious grants for early career research faculty provide approximately $1 million over a five-year project period. Getting two such awards in a single year is a feat that is typical only for top-tier research institutions.

Barnes comes from a low-income background—her mother, a single teenager when Barnes was born, developed an addiction to powerful prescription painkillers. At 16, Barnes moved out of her house, got a job as a full-time waitress, and dropped out of high school. She eventually enrolled in her local community college, spending several years there before transferring to Arizona State University.

Walker comes from a working-class, blue-collar family, wherein no one had ever been to college. Growing up

as a lover of the outdoors, he envisioned becoming a park ranger before he decided to pursue further education at his local community college, eventually transferring to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in New York.

Similarly, MTSU’s current student population is made up of 31% first-generation and 34% low socioeconomic status students. The success of Barnes and Walker serves as a reallife testament to the dreams of many of their students!

Now equipped with CAREER grants, Barnes and Walker plan to use them not only to further their research but to offer MTSU students, many with stories similar to their own, research positions and opportunities on their projects.

Many of the brightest students Barnes and Walker get to work with at MTSU are enrolled in the University’s Honors College, which is celebrating its 50-year anniversary in the 2023–24 academic year. Founded as an Honors program in 1973, the college fosters the academic excellence and nurturing environment of a small, select liberal arts college within the setting and with the resources of a major university. Since 2008, Honors students at MTSU have won numerous Fulbright and Goldwater scholarships. The college especially supports students who want to study abroad, as well as those who want to present their scholarly research. Last year, more than 80 students wrote theses and graduated with honors.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Donnie Walker

Liz Barnes

WE’RE NO. 1!

In a down-to-the-wire finish, MTSU’s equestrian team took home a national title at the 2023 Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Championship at Kentucky Horse Park in May. Jordan Martin’s second place in the last class of the day gave MTSU the Western national championship by just one point. Taking six horses to the event, the MTSU riders also captured the team championship in Beginner Western Horsemanship by Sadio Barnes and the team reserve championship in Open Western Horsemanship by Martin. Jessie Kauffman, Mackenzie Latimer, and Audrey Ferrie all had high finishes

in other team events, while the IHSA presented coach/ equestrian director Ariel Higgins and predecessor Anne Brzezicki with the coaches’ Sportsmanship and Volunteer Service awards, respectively.

With virtually a new team of riders, MTSU’s defending national champion stock horse team finished the season as reserve national champion at the American Stock Horse Association competition in Sweetwater, Texas. JoBeth Scarlett, Kara Brown, and Ferrie claimed individual national all-around championship honors in different divisions.

BACK TO SCHOOL

MTSU launched a partnership with Nashville ABC television affiliate WKRN News 2 to showcase the success of students and graduates from its MTSU Online programs and College of Education. Alumna Tracey Rogers, former station vice president and general manager, helped announce the collaboration on WKRN’s Local on 2 program May 10. (Rogers has since been promoted to senior vice president and regional manager for Nexstar Media Groups broadcasting division based in Texas.) Throughout the summer, the show featured live interviews with MTSU students who reached their educational goals through MTSU Online’s Adult Degree Completion Program, flexible Integrated Studies degree, online specialty concentrations such as the new Public Safety program, and graduate credentials. One segment focused on MTSU’s Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center.

Photo by Cait Russell Photography

Photo by Danielle Dunn

Photo by Cait Russell Photography

RECOGNIZING FIRST RESPONDERS

MTSU honored five officers of the Metro Nashville Police Department at a spring Commencement ceremony for their “precision, duty, and selflessness” in response to the deadly Covenant School shooting. Honorary professorships of public safety— a first-ever honor extended by the University—were conferred upon detective Ryan Cagle, detective Zachary Plese, Sgt. Jeffrey Mathes, detective Michael Collazo, and officer Rex Engelbert. The special honor recognized not only their individual heroism and duty but also, through them, the high standards and actions of the Metro Nashville Police Department. Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake was also on hand to award special certificates at the second of four May graduation ceremonies. Credited for their decisive and immediate reactions to neutralize the shooter at the scene, the officers were among the hundreds of law enforcement personnel who responded to the March shooting, which killed six, including three children.

Rex Engelbert

More than half of MTSU’s currently enrolled students are taking one or more online courses. Almost 60% of MTSU’s summer school enrollment is entirely online.

Remote learning—especially since the pandemic—has soared in popularity. Today, most students take at least a few of their classes online. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public colleges enrolled about 8.5 million online students in 2021.

MTSU Online has a long and proud history of supporting our faculty and serving students through the creation, design, and delivery of effective and engaging online and blended learning environments.

Enrollment in online courses at MTSU is at an all-time high.

Here are some recent highlights:

• MTSU offers 55 online degrees and concentrations, up from 29 online programs in 2020.

• 52% of MTSU students took at least one online course this fall, which represents 10,493 students.

• 2,720 MTSU students were fully online, which is over 13% of the total student headcount.

• 26% of all MTSU student credit hours in fall 2023 came from online courses.

• 61% of summer credit hours for 2023 came from online courses.

• MTSU Online supports 29 full-time temporary (FTT) instructors in 18 academic departments who focus on high-quality online teaching.

• MTSU Online employs four instructional designers to ensure our students are receiving high-quality instruction.

• MTSU Online offers faculty development, training workshops, and peer mentoring to increase teaching effectiveness.

• MTSU Online courses feature engagement and interaction with faculty, which is proven to increase student retention and degree completion.

• MTSU Online supports key student services such as counseling, tutoring, library services, and writing center tutors.

What’s next? MTSU’s Board of Trustees granted permission in 2023 for the development of five online master’s degree programs that will align with student and workforce demands. Trustees granted the first round of approvals for master’s degrees in Organizational and Professional Communication; Digital Media; Music Business; Project Management; and Tourism and Hospitality Management.

55 ONLINE DEGREES AND CONCENTRATIONS

students taking online classes

52% 10,493 STUDENTS

students fully online

13% 2,720 STUDENTS

A MODERN INSTITUTION

A+ FOR TEACHER PREP

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) recognized MTSU’s Department of Elementary and Special Education with an A+ distinction for using the most effective, research-based methods of reading instruction. The organization assesses teacher preparation programs to support its mission of ensuring every child has effective teachers and that every teacher has the opportunity to be effective. To determine distinctions for the literacy curriculum of teacher preparation programs across the U.S., NCTQ experts evaluated literacy course lecture topics, reading materials, assignments, exams, and more. MTSU’s program was one of only 48 in the U.S. to earn an A+ for its literacy curriculum and one of only two institutions in the state to do so. Literacy faculty also teamed up to update and expand the department’s Reading Methods course into two sequential courses that launched in the fall. Additionally, the department holds literacy night events at local elementary schools that put books into the hands of students and families.

HOUSING DEMAND

Residence halls for the Fall 2023 semester hit capacity for the first time in recent memory, thanks to a combination of rising enrollment of new freshmen and transfer students and changes in the off-campus housing market. Unlike other institutions in the state, MTSU does not require any students to live on campus. Tracking a 4.6% year-over-year increase in first-time freshmen and 7.7% in new transfers, MTSU had to close its waiting list for housing as summer approached. Most of MTSU’s in-person students live off campus, with 3,000 spaces available in 14 residence halls and two on-campus apartment complexes. Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees approved a proposal for the University to pursue partnering with a private developer to reimagine the site of Womack Lane Apartments to meet the rising on-campus housing demand. MTSU will engage with a consulting group to perform a feasibility study and assist with bidding and an operating agreement.

SUPPORTING THE ARTS

Three hundred budding young artists traveled from across Tennessee to the 39th annual Governor’s School for the Arts at MTSU in June. Immersed nearly 24/7 with working musicians, set designers, sculptors, film editors, choreographers, and painters to draw, dance, shoot photos, parse Shakespeare, and play instruments for more than three weeks, the high school juniors and seniors also squeezed in a feel for college life. In 1984, Tennessee established summer programs for young people in the arts, engineering and math, and international studies—one for each of the state’s three grand divisions. Since then, MTSU’s Governor’s School for the Arts has served public, private, and home-schooled high school juniors and seniors in music, theater, visual arts, dance, and filmmaking. Students apply or are nominated by their teachers, then audition or present portfolios of their work. When they’re accepted, they come to MTSU to work with faculty and Governor’s School alumni-turned-counselors from across the country.

TRUE BLUE HULU

MTSU students and faculty handled live television production duties for 25 performances at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in nearby Manchester that were featured on Hulu. As the centerpiece of the University’s longtime partnership with the iconic four-day music event, the assignment meant students captured images and sound from 35% of the concerts at this year’s music fest. Some of the performances occurred at the same time on two different stages, while paid professionals handled video production on the other three stages. Students from MTSU’s School of Journalism and Strategic Media also filed daily content and photographed the event for studentrun Sidelines, the Seigenthaler News Service available to professional outlets, and the MTSU Student Voice. The MTSU-Bonnaroo partnership began in 2014 and expanded in 2015 with use of the College of Media and Entertainment’s almost $2 million Mobile Production Lab, known as “The Truck.”

College is about more than academics. It’s about broadening horizons, exploring cultures, and gaining perspective.

The Open Doors Report for 2023, published by the Institute of International Education, revealed that the United States hosted more than 1 million international students in the 2022–23 academic year. The numbers mark an almost 12% jump from the previous year—the fastest growth rate in more than 40 years.

MTSU has a rich history of welcoming international students to study on campus. Currently, students from 73 different countries call MTSU home. These students enrich the campus, and their distinctiveness adds to our own.

For fall 2023, MTSU had 449 undergraduates and another 185 graduate students, for a total of 634 international students. This is an increase of more than 100 students since the Fall 2022 semester. Chinese student numbers have decreased, but Indian, sub-Saharan African, and Southeast Asian enrollment is increasing.

Welcoming these students from diverse cultures, religions, and backgrounds results in wonderful social benefits for our domestic students. It just so happens that it also results in tremendous economic benefits for the University.

NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, found that international students studying at U.S. colleges and

universities contributed $40.1 billion to the U.S. economy and supported 368,333 jobs during the 2022–23 academic year. Tennessee alone attracted 9,206 international students who contributed $332.7 million to the state economy and supported 3,190 jobs. This data confirms that international students don’t just provide social and cultural benefits to our campus; they also help our University economy remain healthy and sound.

To compete for international students, MTSU International Affairs in 2023 instituted a new comprehensive international student recruitment plan with a worldwide approach to recruiting. Through virtual fairs, on-site college fairs, international school visits, a network of international agents, webinars, institutional partnerships, and social media, MTSU reached nearly 100,000 prospective students.

The Blue Raider image is present throughout the world on nearly every continent. Our product is popular and attractive. We are determined to remain a top destination for international students in the U.S. We have a welcoming, friendly international student atmosphere where all students are respected, valued, and appreciated. Given these factors, we can expect to see continued growth in our international student numbers for years to come.

A GLOBAL APPROACH

THE FUTURE OF FARMING

MTSU School of Agriculture faculty are part of a group collectively awarded $18.1 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to educate and develop tomorrow’s agricultural leaders from all communities. MTSU faculty will receive nearly $901,400 from the USDA’s overall $262.5 million earmarked for higher education institutions to foster the next generation of diverse agricultural professionals nationwide, with MTSU using the funds to develop educational programs and opportunities for high schools and middle schools in the Metro Nashville area and across the state.

RURAL SUPPORT

The Tennessee Department of Education brought on Tiffany Wilson, Professional School Counseling coordinator for MTSU’s College of Education, as the school counseling consultant for its just under $14 million grant project to retain and recruit mental health professionals into high-needs, rural school districts across the state. The Rural Access to Interventions in School Environments project (Project RAISE) uses the federally provided funds to increase school-based mental health personnel in 40 underserved Tennessee school districts by recruiting future school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers into its internship program. Interns make a two-year commitment in exchange for a stipend of up to $40,000.

GRAND EXPERIENCE

Four MTSU Concrete Industry Management (CIM) students completed a special NASA program, then learned how a racetrack is prepared for the annual NTT IndyCar Series race in downtown Nashville. Twins Claire and Carlie Mullins of Fayetteville, Arie Milam of Clarksville, and Ashlyne Roeger of Murfreesboro made presentations in July at NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project in Huntsville, Alabama. Three days later, they met with Tony Cotman, track designer for the Aug. 4–6 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix , spending time with workers erecting suites and setting barriers along pit road. The CEO and driving force behind the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix IndyCar race is MTSU alum Matt Crews (’91). Exposure from IndyCar’s many broadcast partners in 100-plus countries shines a bright light on Nashville and MTSU, which Crews has said he’s thrilled to see. MTSU was instrumental in the race’s birth and continues to be a crucial partner wwith race officials. CIM developed the barricade system that has become the gold standard used across motorsports. Meanwhile, MTSU’s Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center has maintained a steady presence at race weekend activities. The College of Media and Entertainment’s Audio Production students also participate in Grand Prix activities.

Matt Crews and Dr. Sidney A. McPhee

Partnerships with private-sector entities demonstrate MTSU’s ability to be responsive to the economic and educational needs of our state, further enhancing our value as a major contributor to Tennessee’s growing economy.

University partnerships and public service initiatives also support our educational efforts and provide students with the breadth and relevance of experience needed to be successful both in college and eventually in the professional workplace. MTSU prepares careerready graduates who become engaged citizens.

Here is a look at some of MTSU’s top transformative partnerships in 2023:

• MTSU’s Department of Aerospace is relocating its Flight Operations Center and Maintenance Management program to the Shelbyville Airport as part of a $62 million-plus project that promises significant economic benefit for Shelbyville and Bedford County. MTSU will build on roughly 20 acres of land at the Shelbyville airport. A combined $62.2 million in funding—$57.2 million from the state and $5 million from the University—paved the way for the move from Murfreesboro’s airport. Full relocation to Shelbyville will occur by fall 2026. MTSU’s Department of Aerospace also joined Southwest Airlines’ Destination 225° program, becoming one of the newest partners in the airline’s unique first officer

development and recruitment program. Destination 225° builds pathways for aspiring pilots from university aviation programs across the country to first officer roles at Southwest Airlines.

• MTSU finalized a significant corporate educational partnership with Barrett Firearms, providing tuition assistance to eligible Barrett employees. The Barrett Firearms agreement brings the number of MTSU’s corporate education partnerships to 15. For the Fall 2023 semester, there were 132 students enrolled through these partnerships, and 26 corporate students have earned degrees since the creation of the initiative.

• A team of around 50 Recording Industry, Media Arts, and Journalism students again helped produce content at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival under the guidance of MTSU faculty and staff. The Live Production and Audio Production students worked on 25 performances that aired on the streaming service Hulu, which constituted 35% of the concerts at Bonnaroo in 2023.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

TRUE BLUE WHITE COATS

MTSU’s first cohort of Physician Assistant Studies students and their families gathered Aug. 11 to celebrate a milestone with the inaugural “white coat” ceremony that symbolizes the next step in their academic careers. Following the ceremony, students traded in their gray scrubs for white coats as they shifted from the classroom to clinical rotations over the coming year in preparation for an in-demand profession—with a growth rate of 42% in the Midstate and with one-third of all PA positions in Tennessee located in the Metro Nashville area. The class of 28 students was initially chosen from a pool of more than 500 applicants. Students spent the first 15 months of the program learning in the classroom, which includes working with human cadavers under supervision—a total of 77 credit hours of a very hard medical curriculum. The complete, 27-month program will culminate in August 2024 with each student earning a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. Physician assistants are licensed to diagnose and treat illness and disease, prescribe medication, and perform procedures. They work in collaboration with licensed physicians in a variety of settings including hospitals and clinics.

PURSUING A DREAM

New MTSU students (the Class of 2027) were urged to make their dreams come true at the annual MTSU Convocation. Author and television personality Bruce Feiler, a New York Times bestselling author, who wrote Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age, spoke to incoming freshmen Aug. 26 during the 22nd annual event, held in Murphy Center. Convocation, which kicks off each new fall semester, brings new freshmen and transfer students together with faculty and administrators wearing academic regalia in a formal program. Each annual Convocation represents, to me, the beginning of new, significant relationships between students that will truly change their lives.

GOOD MANAGEMENT

With almost four decades of teaching experience to reflect upon, MTSU Management Professor Jill Austin accepted the University’s highest faculty honor—the 2023 Career Achievement Award —at the annual Fall Faculty Meeting held in Tucker Theatre in August. Austin, who began her career at MTSU in 1985 as an assistant professor, was one of the first MTSU professors to adopt videoconferencing technology and developed 10 different asynchronous online courses that allow students to learn in their own time frames. She also led the committee that developed the Experiential Learning (EXL) Scholars program, which takes students beyond the traditional classroom to learn in hands-on settings. And she served as chair of the Department of Management and president of the Faculty Senate. During the Fall Faculty Meeting, 11 other professors were recognized with special awards and stipends for their contributions and accomplishments in teaching, research, and service.

Over the past decade-plus, MTSU has aggressively transitioned from a primarily undergraduate institution to a doctoral research university with significant research activity.

The College of Graduate Studies at Middle Tennessee State University is one of the fastest-growing graduate schools in Tennessee. We offer diverse graduate programs at the certificate, master’s, specialist, and doctoral levels so that almost anyone can find their right fit. Our programs are designed to help students develop the skills and knowledge to be successful in their careers.

Meanwhile, buoyed by graduate students’ working hand in hand with top faculty, MTSU is producing relevant, measurable research on a daily basis on the MTSU campus.

Here is just one example from 2023:

There’s a concrete True Blue connection to NASA’s plan to return to the moon and establish a human settlement by 2035.

NASA selected the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, to lead the federal agency’s lunar habitat project, a series of increasingly complex missions that will culminate in rocket flights from the moon to Mars.

Marshall in turn aligned with an elite group of commercial and academic partners nationwide to accomplish the mission—arguably the most ambitious construction project in human history.

Among them is MTSU’s renowned Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program, the oldest and biggest of its kind at a higher education institution in the nation.

CIM is taking the lead on the development of construction materials made from moon soil to build needed infrastructure, including habitats, landing pads, roadways, berms, and blast shields.

Said another way, MTSU’s concrete program is developing “moon beams” to build in outer space.

Ferrying loads of construction materials to the moon is financially and environmentally dubious. All the raw materials needed for construction will be mined from the surface of the moon.

Enter MTSU. The good folks in Huntsville may be rocket scientists, but experts in concrete chemistry they are not. They smartly reached out to MTSU’s CIM program for help.

MTSU is now busily testing terrestrially manufactured “lunar” construction material, called regolith, created by the Colorado School of Mines. (The Apollo mission more than 50 years ago gave scientists a clear sense of the makeup of lunar soil.)

CIM’s goal? Perfect the use of regolith to build fail-proof “concrete” for lunar construction.

CIM has already produced “moon beams” in campus labs using the simulate soil, which is the exact composition chemically and in particle size as lunar soil.

The quest continues. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on 2035.

RELEVANT RESEARCH

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

Great weather, parade food, a tailgating atmosphere, and more were all a part of festivities surrounding MTSU’s 2023 Homecoming events. With the theme of “Once in a Blue Moon,” the MTSU Alumni Association and Student Government Association collaborated on numerous special events leading up to Homecoming Day, when students, alumni, staff, and friends of the University gather to reminisce and enjoy the fun activities available to all ages. The weekend began with MTSU Golden Raiders, Alumni Awards, and Black Alumni Society events on Sept. 22 and wrapped up Sept. 23 with an outstanding parade, tailgating, children’s activities, Mixer on Middle Parade Watching Party alumni lunch catered by Slick Pig, hours of fun leading up to the 6 p.m. kickoff of a football game against Colorado State, and the crowning of Homecoming king and queen at halftime.

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY

The 2023–24 academic year marks the 50-year anniversary of Honors at MTSU. Founded in 1973, the Honors Program developed into the University Honors College with an Honors minor and its very own building. The Honors College fosters the academic excellence and nurturing environment of a small, select liberal arts college within the setting and with the resources of a major university. The annual fall Honors Lecture Series paid tribute to the college’s history with a series that began on Sept. 11 with Honors College Dean John Vile presenting “Fifty Years of Honors at MTSU.” The Honors Lecture Series began in the early 1980s and has been a staple for the last 40 years. June Hall McCash, founding director of the Honors Program, provided the second lecture on Sept. 25, discussing “Why Honors? Perspectives and Retrospectives.”

GOOD CONSTITUTION

Former Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper and former Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Corker spoke to hundreds of students who filled Tucker Theatre for a Sept. 18 panel discussion called “Common Sense Civics: Can We Work Together Again to Solve America’s Problems?” It was the featured event for the American Democracy Project’s 20th annual Constitution Week commemoration at MTSU. Viewed widely as among the more moderate members of their respective political parties, Cooper and Corker are known for their willingness to work within their parties and across party lines for the common good. MTSU observes the U.S. Constitution’s 1787 signing annually with volunteers reading the document in its entirety in several locations on campus.

Constitution Day Panel with Mary Evins, Senator Bob Corker, Congressman Jim Cooper, Alandra McMillan, and Paul Singer

Making a monetary gift to MTSU doesn’t just pay the bills or maintain the status quo. It builds dreams.

Private donor support for public higher education institutions has grown in importance as state funds have tightened over the years.

Our alumni base and friends always answer the rallying call for our Blue Raider family to invest in the people and programs that define the character of MTSU.

Donors are encouraged to find an aspect of the University that they’re passionate about and give accordingly. And they do: Contributions are most commonly directed toward donors’ favorite colleges, departments, or programs, showcasing a commitment to the growth and success of our great University.

The transformative impact of these contributions elevates programs, supports students, and propels the MTSU community toward new heights. No gift to the University is too small.

MTSU followed up a record year of fundraising in 2022 with growing donor support in 2023, securing a new record of more than $18.2 million in private donations to support the University’s educational mission.

That total represented an increase of $1 million from the previous year, a feat made more impressive by the economic uncertainties surrounding inflationary worries throughout the past year.

In addition to the $18.2 million in “real dollars” donated in 2023, another $16.5 million was pledged in longer-term gifts through such methods as wills and estate planning, plus another $1.5 million worth of nondeductible gifts from private industry for software use or technology access.

Last year, we were extremely fortunate that our Build Blue campaign for athletics created a lot of excitement and gave us a record-breaking year. In 2023, exciting new opportunities in some of our academic programs created a lot of energy. A number of our academic programs had record fundraising years.

That MTSU has experienced back-to-back years of record-breaking fundraising says a lot about how our alumni perceive this institution, and what they see is the value we’re providing to our students and to the community at large.

I continue to be amazed and greatly appreciative of the continued financial support for our institution from our thousands of alumni around the world, our host of community and industry partners, and the many friends of the University who value our contributions to this great community. They epitomize what it means to be True Blue, and their generosity is critical to the success of the generations of Blue Raider scholars to come.

DUAL PURPOSE

MTSU’s Dual Enrollment program experienced record enrollment because of strengthening partnerships with Rutherford County Schools, as well as expansion into Sumner and Wilson counties.

With dual enrollment, high school students can get a head start by taking MTSU courses for college credit at little to no cost. Currently, MTSU partners with 16 area high schools and had more than 1,450 dual enrollment students for the Fall 2023 semester, marking the program’s highest-ever enrollment and 250 more students than the previous record. Many of these new students came from Beech High School and Merrol Hyde Magnet School in Sumner County. Those schools both reached out to MTSU’s University College because of the success they had seen in other high schools that had partnered with MTSU Dual Enrollment for several years.

La Vergne High students in Early College will benefit from MTSU’s “Fast Lane” initiative.

HIGH TECH

MTSU’s Information Technology Division received the Classroom Installation Gold Award from the Higher Ed AV Conference for its 2023 classroom upgrade project. ITD installed more than 250 ceiling microphones across campus to streamline its hybrid classroom technology while maximizing audio quality for students and faculty. All classes are now recorded and streamed for remote and hybrid participants via Zoom and shared via the Panopto video management system. ITD has also been recognized by vendors for implementation of technology improvements. Extron spotlighted MTSU ITD for the installation of self-help user interfaces in classrooms to assist users with troubleshooting technical problems with audiovisual equipment without overloading the ITD Help Desk or technicians with requests. In all, ITD provides support for a campus of 20,000 students and 55 buildings housing more than 420 AV-equipped classrooms, conference rooms, and event spaces, plus more than 1,000 University-owned PCs.

FINDING THEIR VOICE

MTSU’s Albert Gore Research Center was awarded a $213,000 federal grant to fund the Brown v. Board of Education Oral History Project. Funded by the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Park in Topeka, Kansas, the 30-month research project will allow Gore Center staff to conduct extensive oral history interviews documenting the impact of the 1954 Supreme Court decision to end school segregation. Five cases were considered together in the decision. In addition to Topeka, the consolidated plaintiffs were from Summerton, South Carolina; Farmville, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, Claymont, and Hockessin, Delaware. Oral historian Jason R. McGowan will travel over the next 2½ years to collect stories from around 100 residents in these communities involved in the Brown case.

Prospective students—the lifeblood of any university—rely heavily on university websites to learn about all the opportunities that exist for them at a particular school.

Especially for out-of-state and international students, visiting our beautiful campus in person isn’t always feasible during their college search process.

A web search and positive online experience is often the initial gateway to eventual enrollment.

That means standing out in the virtual space is vital for every university

Through a robust partnership between Academic Affairs, our Information Technology Division (ITD), and our Marketing and Communications Division, the MTSU homepage and the majors and concentrations pages for mtsu.edu were successfully transitioned in 2023 from one content management system to another.

By adopting WordPress as our new content management system, we now have much better ability to raise the University’s profile via search engine optimization (SEO).

Also, MTSU webpages load faster, and information displays dynamically across electronic devices.

There are several exciting features of the new majors and concentrations pages that will help keep them fresh:

• When a news release or story is posted about an academic program on mtsunews.com, those articles will automatically flow into the corresponding majors and concentrations pages.

• Editors within each department or school will be able to directly edit content in the Information and Careers sections and update the top banner image.

• Importantly, the new design allows us to insert banners to promote University-wide endeavors, such as True Blue Preview Days, and program-level messages such as special events.

This mighty task would not have been possible without the active participation of all our deans, department chairs, school directors, and faculty who helped revamp these pages as an essential part of our recruitment and yield strategies.

While the number of people involved in the project is extensive, much deserved special recognition goes to Provost Mark Byrnes, Vice Provost Amy Aldridge Sanford, Matthew Hibdon, Vice President Yvette Clark, Alecia Heidt, Charlie Cantrell, Isaac Callison, Albert Whittenberg, Vice President Andrew Oppmann, Betsy Allgood, David Foster, DeAnn Hays, and Kara Hooper for their dedication, collaboration, and hard work in launching this initiative.

ITD partnered with HelixSEO Inc. staff Jim Pepe and Zaid Helix to achieve the design and implementation of the new site.

A GREAT PRESENTATION

A GIVING COMMUNITY

The ongoing generosity of MTSU employees was again on display in 2023 as another record pledge amount was raised during the 2023–24 Employee Charitable Giving Campaign. The monthlong campaign ended with $158,278.74 in pledges from 755 participants to support area nonprofit organizations—easily surpassing the goal of $147,500. It’s a tremendous outpouring from our faculty and staff to financially support the nonprofits that tackle challenges throughout the community and provide vital services to our neighbors in need. Clearly, it

remains a priority of our True Blue family to share the blessing of being part of such a thriving institution by giving back through this annual effort. The Provost’s Cup—for the 11th straight year—went to the Jennings A. Jones College of Business as the college with the highest percentage rate of participation in the campaign, this year at 72%.

PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

MTSU and Barrett Firearms Manufacturing Inc. met Nov. 6 to formalize their partnership that provides tuition assistance to eligible Barrett employees. Under the agreement, eligible employees will be able to take MTSU classes each year in any topic at a substantial tuition discount. The company also will utilize the Applied Leadership certificate program offered by MTSU’s University College as part of a program the firm is calling Barrett University. Known for its distinctive shoulder-fired, .50-caliber rifle, the company earlier this year became part of the NIOA Group, a family-owned global munitions company based in Australia. MTSU has benefitted from the longstanding support of Barrett Firearms and of founder Ronnie Barrett and wife Donna, an MTSU alumna and former state representative. MTSU’s partnership with Barrett marked the 15th such agreement with local companies that choose to provide an educational discount to their employees.

A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE

Thousands of students from Murfreesboro City Schools descended on Murphy Center for the 10th annual Education Day basketball game —and were treated to a top-notch performance by the Lady Raiders, who defeated the visiting Florida A&M Rattlers 93-48 on Nov. 9. The annual Education Day event is a way for MTSU to partner with Murfreesboro City Schools to bring excited fourth through sixth graders to campus for a Division I college basketball game and to get a

small sample of college life. The Murfreesboro City Schools Administrator of the Year and Teacher of the Year were recognized as they delivered the game ball to the officials to start the game. This year, MTSU Athletics honored Black Fox Elementary with a check for $10,000 that can be used for mental health initiatives. The funding was provided by the College Football Playoff Foundation.

Obtaining a degree after years of hard work in the classroom is impressive. But to succeed in life, MTSU students will need more than a degree.

They will also need passion, a competitive spirit, a love of teamwork, a strong will to persevere through difficulties, and, ultimately, a willingness to give it all they have and win.

Our MTSU Athletics teams and student-athletes well represent the grit and determination we want our entire student body to possess.

The hiring of a new head football coach in 2023 is exemplary of our commitment to excellence. In December, I named Derek Mason to become the 15th coach in Blue Raider football history. Mason, who spent the 2023 season working as a television analyst, has 29 years of collegiate coaching experience, including seven years as a head coach at nearby Vanderbilt University. He most recently coached in 2022 at Oklahoma State as the defensive coordinator and helped the Cowboys to a spot in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

We selected a coach who wants to be a Blue Raider, who wants to be part of elevating our football team to the top of our conference and winning championships, and who wants to make MTSU and our Blue Raiders a nationally recognized brand. He has a great understanding of who we are and an exciting vision for what we can become.

The young men Mason will lead at MTSU aren’t just athletes. They are also students, whose effort in the classroom must match the effort in sport. All athletes

at MTSU are held to that same standard. And their collective classroom statistics show that they are winners off the field as well as on the field.

MTSU’s Graduation Success Rate for 2022–23 set a new school record at 95%, as announced by the NCAA national office. It’s the 10th straight year MTSU Athletics as a whole has either equaled or set a new school record.

The Graduation Success Rate (GSR) is a measure of freshmen and athletic transfer students who entered MTSU as freshmen in 2016–17. This marks the 11th straight year that MTSU Athletics has scored above 80%. The last 11 GSR scores have been 95, 94, 93, 93, 92, 89, 88, 87, 87, 87, and 82.

The Blue Raiders also ranked No. 1 out of the nine teams in Conference USA.

MTSU had eight programs score a perfect 100% GSR score: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s tennis, men’s and women’s cross country and track, women’s golf, softball, and soccer. Football was next in line with an impressive score of 95%.

The Blue Raiders’ score of 95% in football tied for eighth nationally and easily led the way in Conference USA. Among the four Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) schools in the state of Tennessee, the Blue Raiders tied for first with Vanderbilt.

BEST OF MUSIC CITY

MTSU was named Best College or University in the 2023 Best of Music City Community’s Choice Awards, sponsored by The Tennessean newspaper and USA Today Network. Organizers said the awards recognize more than 570 businesses and organizations each year. The process starts with public nominations, with five vote-getters being nominees in more than 190 categories. Another voting round selects the finalists and winners.

Tennessee State University and Tennessee Tech University also were finalists in the category won by MTSU. The Dec. 8 awards ceremony was held at the Sheraton Grand Nashville Downtown.

TAKE A TITAN 2 SCHOOL

Nearly 60 alumni from MTSU’s College of Education were honored at WKRN-TV’s Take a Titan 2 School visit at Stewarts Creek Elementary in Smyrna Dec. 5. The alums were greeted by Dean Neporcha Cone and other members of the College of Education and received a certificate and a fleece blanket with the college’s logo. Cone said it was important for her to hand-deliver the certificates and blankets so she could say thank you to the teachers shaping future generations. The College of Education partnered with WKRN-TV News 2 in 2023 for the station’s successful Take a Titan 2 School campaign. From August through December, Titans players visited schools in middle Tennessee. At Stewarts Creek Elementary, Titans rookie John Ojukwu was greeted by the entire school of around 1,300 students, and cheerleaders and the pep band from the nearby middle and high schools. The offensive lineman participated in a few games, including “Are You Smarter than a Fourth Grader” and “Elimination,” where each team raced to empty a whole tissue box in 60 seconds. He also spent time doing a Q&A, showed off his victory dance moves, and signed autographs for students.

Tennessean photo

BLUE RAIDER HEROES

Nearly 80 MTSU student veterans garnered degrees at MTSU’s fall commencement ceremonies on Dec. 16. A few days earlier, 41 graduating veterans attended the Graduating Veterans Stole Ceremony in the Miller Education Center’s second-floor atrium, with Amazon Military the presenting sponsor. Stole ceremonies have become a tradition for the host Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center. The center serves 1,200-plus militaryconnected students and their families with a one-stop shop of academic and support services and is one of the largest and most comprehensive facilities of its kind on an academic campus in the nation. Student veterans receive special red stoles—a symbol of their military service—to wear at the graduation ceremonies. Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith M. Huber, MTSU senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives, told the graduates and the dozens of family, friends, and University supporters in attendance that MTSU allows so many opportunities for veterans to graduate and that the support of this University is tremendous.

Universities exist to serve the public good. A bachelor’s degree increases the life trajectory of not only those who earn them, but also their families.

That is why we are proud to be the leader of an unprecedented message, delivered loud and clear by many of the state’s leading public universities, of the great value, tremendous worth, and tangible benefits of a four-year college degree.

The “Four the Future” campaign is a multiyear, coordinated effort that will engage community and business leaders, prospective students, and Tennesseans in all 95 counties around the value of higher education from a four-year public institution. MTSU joined nine other state universities to launch the campaign.

Four the Future will include a mix of advertising, digital media, earned media, and community meetings to raise awareness.

Among the key messages is that a four-year degree at a state university isn’t just good for prospective students— it’s good for all Tennesseans:

• Workforce development: Public universities educate students in areas of need in Tennessee, including nurses, doctors, engineers, educators, and other professionals. (Association of Public and Land-grant Universities)

• Training: More than 70% of Tennessee business leaders agree there is an insufficient supply of appropriately trained workers. (Boyd Center)

• Economic growth: If the U.S. had increased its bachelor’s degree attainment during the 2010s by just 1 percentage point, this would have added $130.5 billion to the nation’s economic growth. (American Action Forum)

• Investing in all of us: People with a bachelor’s degree contribute $381,000 more in taxes than they use in government services and programs. (Association of Public and Land-grant Universities)

Our goal at MTSU is to prepare our students not only for their first jobs, but for careers that might not yet exist. We produce career-ready graduates who also can reflect, analyze, compare, and understand much more and, in doing so, become engaged citizens of our state. We offer unique academic programs that align well with our state’s workforce needs.

It’s appropriate for MTSU to help lead this awareness campaign, since in so many ways, MTSU is Tennessee’s university, providing life-changing opportunities to a student body that best reflects the diversity of our state’s population.

We are proud to be Greater Nashville’s No. 1 choice for undergraduates, as well a leading choice for adult learners, military-connected students, and first-generation college students. More than 70% of our graduates remain in Tennessee, building our state’s economy and communities.

MAKING THE CASE

BOUNDLESS FUTURES

More than 1,760 MTSU graduates transferred the tassels on their mortarboards to the left following Commencement ceremonies Dec. 16. Of the 1,767 fall graduates, 1,463 were undergraduates and 304 were graduate students, including 261 master’s candidates, 23 education specialist recipients, and 20 doctoral candidates. In addition, seven students received graduate certificates, and eight students received undergraduate certificates.

And as president of this great University, I can promise you that I always get goosebumps while watching students cross that stage and embark on their bright futures ahead.

As a University, we never stop working to become better. Each new wave of freshman recruits deserves our best efforts. A new Strategic Plan and Mission Statement Update now underway and focused on the pillars of Academic Quality, Student Success, Engagement, and Innovation promises even better outcomes for future students.

Work also has begun on reaffirmation of the University’s accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The commission has approved MTSU for its Differentiated Review Process, for which we will demonstrate compliance with selected accreditation standards and develop a new Quality Enhancement Plan. Key individuals across campus are writing narratives and collecting evidence for the compliance certification report that MTSU must submit in September 2025 as the first step toward a site visit in spring 2026 and the commission’s reaffirmation decision in December 2026.

The University is producing unprecedented results. Momentum and confidence is high. As I conclude this shareholder’s report, I can state unequivocally that the state of the University is strong and that it is positioned to become an even brighter light on the middle Tennessee landscape. True Blue!

Behavioral

Basic and Applied Sciences

Basic and Applied Sciences

Behavioral and Health Sciences

Behavioral and Health Sciences

Business Education

Business Education Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts

Media and Entertainment

University College

SNAPSHOT OF FALL 2023 STUDENT BODY

SNAPSHOT OF FALL 2023 STUDENT BODY

SNAPSHOT OF FALL 2023 STUDENT BODY

SNAPSHOT OF FALL 2023 STUDENT BODY

Total Headcount: 20,183

SNAPSHOT OF FALL 2023 STUDENT BODY

Total Headcount: 20,183

Total Headcount: 20,183

Total Headcount: 20,183

Total Headcount: 20,183

Editors

Drew Ruble and Jimmy Hart

Contributing Editors

Nancy Broden and Carol Stuart

Senior Director of Marketing

Kara Hooper

Art Director

Keith Dotson

University Photographers

Andy Heidt, J. Intintoli, James Cessna, Cat Curtis Murphy Designer

Sherry Wiser George

200 Copies Printed at Blue Print

1123-2600 / Middle Tennessee State University does not discriminate against students, employees, or applicants for admission or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, age, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or any other legally protected class with respect to all employment, programs, and activities sponsored by MTSU. The Interim Assistant to the President for Institutional Equity and Compliance has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and can be reached at Cope Administration Building 116, 1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37132; Christy.Sigler@mtsu.edu;

615-898-2185. The MTSU policy on non-discrimination can be found at mtsu.edu/iec.