JANUARY 14, 2019 | mtsu.edu Admissions Several bold admissions initiatives NEWS have been key to our ongoing efforts & to both sustain our operations and information fuel our plans for growth. Fall is the busiest season for recruiting FROM THE high school seniors. We have eight recruiters in the Office of PRESIDENT Undergraduate Recruitment who cover Tennessee and the greater Dr. Sidney A. McPhee geographical area served by the Regional Scholars program. In addition to working Preview Days and the True Blue Tour, these recruiters staffed tables at 128 recruitment fairs across their Welcome to the territories and made hundreds of visits to high schools where they met with students and parents, presented Spring 2019 Semester! the benefits of an MTSU degree, and As always, I appreciate all you do to support the goals and worked with high school teachers objectives of this great university. and guidance counselors to spread the True Blue word. In this newsletter, I want to highlight just a few achievements In the Fall 2018 semester, we from this past year and provide some information on some of added a True Blue Tour date to our plans for the future. serve the students here in Rutherford County. In 14 tour I welcome your feedback and comments. Please contact me at stops across Tennessee, Georgia, [email protected]. Alabama, and Kentucky, we met with 1,352 students and I also invite you to check out The President’s Post for updates an additional 1,890 family and information from my office at mtsu.edu/President, or look members. That’s a 13 percent growth in student attendance. for them on the MTSU home page. You can also follow me on Our on-campus recruitment events Twitter: @PresidentMcPhee. are our Preview Days, where students get an extended tour and True Blue! continued on page 2 ➤ DR. SIDNEY A. McPHEE Academic Charitable Constructions Information Student Affairs Giving Updates Technology Success 6 9 11 14 4 Academic and College of Creating Walking the Advancement Graduate Impact MT Athletics Walk 9 16 18 12 Studies 5 Budget and Student Life Salary Overview MTSU Arts 3 10 13 0119-6139 / 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 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; [email protected]; or 615-898-2185. The MTSU policy on non-discrimination can be found at www.mtsu.edu/iec. Here are some photos of me informing high school seniors and others who qualify that they will receive the new Presidential Scholarship, now guaranteeing $4,500 per year and $18,000 for four years. It was part of the MTSU True Blue Tour stops in Memphis (left) and Franklin. meet with advisors, faculty, and the qualifying applicants graduating from a Scholarship provided by the state, it dean. This fall we had three Preview high school in a county within 250 will substantially reduce the cost of Days where we hosted 691 students— miles of MTSU in any direction were tuition for these high-ability students again, a 13 percent increase. eligible to receive almost half off of to attend MTSU. In addition to Preview Days, their out-of-state tuition costs. This The Presidential Scholarship previously Admissions provides two tours of geography, which still applies, includes only paid $4,000 a year to students with campus each weekday, as well as portions of Illinois, Indiana, South ACT scores of 28 and 29. The expanded regularly scheduled Saturday tours Carolina, and Ohio (Cincinnati). The award now replaces two of MTSU’s throughout the semester (and board’s recent vote expanded the previous guaranteed scholarships: additional housing tours for students out-of-state discount program to ALSO True Blue, which paid $3,000 a year to interested in seeing on-campus include qualifying students from students scoring 26 or 27 on the ACT, housing options). We also schedule anywhere in each of the eight states that and Provost, which paid out $2,000 a special tours upon request. This past touch Tennessee (even sharing a small year to students with an ACT score of fall, our Blue Elite tour guides walked border like Missouri). 25. approximately 1,010 miles while Major Scholarship MTSU will continue to offer students providing tours of our beautiful Enhancement making an ACT score of 30 and above, campus to more than 7,000 guests! along with at least a 3.5 high school All of this hard work has resulted in Finally, last October, I GPA, our guaranteed Trustees increases in applications. We have announced that MTSU Scholarship, which pays $20,000 in made scholarship offers to 2,054 would substantially increase the four annual installments of $5,000. value and broaden eligibility of its students who had at least a 25 ACT Students scoring at least 29 on the ACT and 3.5 high school GPA. That’s more Presidential Scholarship, a move that will more than double the amount and with a high school GPA at 3.5 and than a 17 percent increase over offers above can apply for MTSU’s highest we made by this point last year. awarded to some high-ability freshmen who enroll for this fall. academic award, the Buchanan This spring, we will turn our attention to Fellowship, a competitive and selective converting those admitted students into The Presidential Scholarship will full-tuition scholarship through the enrolled students and will be visiting increase to $18,000 in total value, University Honors College. high schools with a particular focus on paid out to eligible incoming freshmen at $4,500 a year for four years. This expanded Presidential Scholarship meeting with high school juniors with award will begin with freshmen entering the objective of making them our Students must have a 3.5 high school in the Fall 2019 semester. entering freshmen in 2020. Transfer GPA and score between 25 and 29 recruiters will be working with on the ACT to qualify for the We feel strongly that MTSU, as a major community college partners to enroll expanded award. comprehensive university with a broad more transfer students than any other array of top-notch majors, is the best MTSU guarantees the scholarship to institution in Tennessee. choice for these high-ability students. all students who apply to the University Enhancing this scholarship will make it A Campus before Dec. 1 each year and meet the even more practical and affordable for eligibility criteria. without Borders them to pursue their higher education With these enhancements, the goals on our beautiful campus. Next, MTSU’s Presidential Scholarship becomes independent governing The University reallocated existing the largest guaranteed academic funds in our budget to pay for the board voted in December to expand award given by any public university our regional scholarship plan that offers scholarship enhancements. MTSU in Tennessee to students with is also exploring additional changes qualifying out-of-state scholars with these credentials. a discounted tuition rate. Previously that could be in place as soon as the under the “radius 250” or “R250” plan, For Tennessee residents, when Fall 2020 semester. MTSU combined with the Hope Lottery 2 NEWS &information FROM THE PRESIDENT | MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY | mtsu.com Student Life Students need to connect academically in the classroom and socially around campus to feel like they belong at MTSU. That’s why all our students, especially freshmen, are being asked to attend a variety of events and activities during the first six weeks of the semester. The Connection Point program continues to be an effective initiative to engage our first-semester freshman students with exciting out-of-classroom involvement activities. Fall 2018 marked the beginning of the program’s sixth year! Large numbers of upper-class students also attended many of the events. Signature programs included our annual University Convocation and President’s Picnic, Dinner and a Movie, Fraternity and Sorority Life Open House, and Night of Comedy featuring a finalist from the hit television show America’s Got Talent. More than 80 percent of our first-semester freshmen participated in the program during Fall 2018, demonstrating its continued success. Connection Point for Spring 2019 will kick off on Jan. 17 at the men’s basketball game vs. the University of Texas–San Antonio for the annual Mardi Gras game. Upcoming events include free movies, sporting events, a free concert for students, Meet-n-Greet hosted by the Student Government Association, and much more! Go to mtsu.edu/connection for a complete list of activities. In other student life highlights: • We will kick off the year with a • Women’s History Month will be Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration celebrated throughout the month of and Vigil on Monday, Jan. 21, at 6–8 March. The month of activities always p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom, includes a well-known keynote an event sponsored by Intercultural speaker who inspires audience and Diversity Affairs. Musical members to support worthwhile performances and a video highlighting causes. An events calendar will MLK’s civil rights achievements are be available by mid-February at featured during the evening, mtsu.edu/jac. concluding with a candlelight vigil. • MT After Dark: Come out and enjoy • The Student Organization Fair will FREE first-run movies at this annual provide students with an opportunity event, which takes place at the to meet many of our 250-plus student Premiere 6 movie theater in organizations and learn how to get Murfreesboro on March 21.