[066] MTSU Center for Popular Music Adds to Collection

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 31, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACTS:

Paul F. Wells, 615-898-2449 or pfwells@mtsu.edu;

Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385 or gfann@mtsu.edu

MTSU CENTER FOR POPULAR MUSIC ADDS TO COLLECTION
Family Donates Memorabilia of Country Radio Great Charlie Walker

(MURFREESBORO)— He spent decades on the air and on the road, the consummate disc jockey-turned-country star with hits like “Pick Me Up on Your Way Down” and “Wild as a Wildcat.”

Now the personal papers, records and memorabilia of a honky-tonking Texan with more than 50 years in entertainment are being catalogued at the Center for Popular Music at Middle Tennessee State University, awaiting the moment when visitors can once again hear announcer Grant Turner’s classic Grand Ole Opry intro: “Ladies and gentlemen, Mister … Charlie … Walker!”

“This was seven months of work and a lot of therapy,” Walker’s widow, Connie, explained as she pointed to dozens of repurposed Tony Lama boot boxes filled with scrapbooks, political fliers, photos, fan mail, 78s, videos, original recording contracts and reel-to-reel tapes in the CPM’s climate-controlled, secure storage room in the university’s Bragg Mass Communication Building.

The Opry and Country Radio DJ Hall of Fame member with the distinctive baritone died in September 2008 in Hendersonville, Tenn., at age 81. In addition to his radio and music career, the strapping, Stetson-wearing Copeville, Texas, native tried his hand at acting, portraying the doomed Hawkshaw Hawkins in the 1985 film biography of Patsy Cline, “Sweet Dreams.”

Walker rose to popularity in Texas through his performances with Bill Boyd and his Cowboy Ramblers, then became a popular disc jockey. When he was stationed in Japan after World War II, Walker worked with the Armed Forces Radio Network. His band was one of the first American groups to perform live on the radio in Japan and helped popularize country music there.

He returned to Texas after the war, and in the early 1950s built a big following on Radio KMAC in San Antonio, where he also ran a club, The Barn. He continued to perform and record; his best-known record was 1958’s “Pick Me Up on Your Way Down.” After a move to Nashville in 1967, Walker became a member of the Grand Ole Opry and enjoyed a career in music until his death.

“He kept just about everything,” Connie Walker continued, pointing to her late husband’s November 1952 contract with Commodore Records, complete with the original envelope.

“When a very close friend of mine, a librarian at Hunter College in New York City, found out I was looking for a place for Charlie’s stuff, she started contacting folks around the country for me. She said, ‘Hey, MTSU has an archive!’ and that was the first I’d heard of it. Charlie’s kids wanted to find something close to home.”

Mrs. Walker got in touch with CPM Librarian Grover Baker who told her, “Yes, this is just the sort of thing we want to have.” Baker and CPM Director Paul Wells trekked to Hendersonville to meet with Mrs. Walker and inspect the collection.

“We saw the scrapbooks she had assembled, and looked at what was in the boxes and said, ‘Yes, ma’am,’ immediately,” Wells said. “This sort of collection is invaluable to researchers, particularly those looking into the business of country music.”

Baker and Wells returned two days later with a van to pick it all up, bring it to MTSU and begin poring—and exclaiming—over it.

“Another thing that sold me on MTSU was the audio restoration facilities (at the center),” Mrs. Walker added. “I wanted a place that could digitize the reel-to-reel tapes and archive them, too.”

The Center for Popular Music was established in 1985 as one of 16 Centers of Excellence across the Tennessee Board of Regents university system. The archive and research center is devoted to the study of American popular music from the prerevolutionary era to the present with a mission to promote research and scholarship in American vernacular music. Its collections support research in all musical genres and specialize in rock and roll and its roots, the various forms of vernacular religious music, and the music of Tennessee and the Southeast.

Cataloging the Walker collection will take quite some time. “Because of the extent of the collection, it will be many months before we have it fully processed and available for researchers,” Wells explained. “We’re making it a high-priority project and will have it accessible as soon as possible.”
Mrs. Walker also has hopes that her husband’s collection will prompt others to relay more information to his family.

“We’d love to find some eyewitness accounts of shows at his club in San Antonio, The Barn, in the ’50s during his radio days at KMAC,” she said. “He was the first DJ to have a five-hour country music show on the station.”

Her chief goal, though, is to make these treasures available to students and researchers.

“I’ll be helping the archivists out as I can, coming down and answering questions and helping make notes,” she explained. “We just want people to know it’s here and make sure the students know about it, so they can use it.”

For more information about the Center for Popular Music at MTSU and its collections, visit its Web site at http://popmusic.mtsu.edu. For MTSU news anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

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IN BRIEF: The personal papers, records and memorabilia of a honky-tonking Texan with more than 50 years in entertainment are being catalogued at MTSU’s Center for Popular Music, thanks to a donation from his family. The strapping, Stetson-wearing, Charlie Walker, the consummate disc jockey turned country star with hits like “Pick Me Up on Your Way Down” and “Wild as a Wildcat,” died in September 2008, and his widow, Connie, chose the MTSU center as the repository for a collection that archivists are calling “ invaluable to researchers, particularly those looking into the business of country music.”

For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color JPEGs of Mrs. Connie Walker and the Center for Popular Music staff reviewing the Charlie Walker Collection, Charlie Walker, and the Center for Popular Music logo, please contact Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385.

Thanks!

[065] MTSU Collegiate Scholars Chapter Earns STAR Status

Release date: Aug. 28, 2009

News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919

MTSU COLLEGIATE SCHOLARS CHAPTER EARNS STAR STATUS

MURFREESBORO—The Middle Tennessee State University chapter of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars was awarded silver STAR status at NSCS’ annual Convention Honor Gala on Saturday, Aug. 15, in Washington, D.C.

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars is an honors organization for high-achieving freshmen and sophomores with more than 240 student-run chapters at universities across the country. The MTSU NSCS chapter was founded in 2002.

STAR status is determined by chapter program success, community service, member engagement and on-campus involvement. Chapters are also required to hold an induction ceremony for new members each term.

NSCS chapters can attain one of four STAR status levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Each level is determined by the quantity and quality of events a chapter holds.

The MTSU chapter’s officers traveled to Washington, D.C., to represent the chapter and receive the award along with a $100 Chapter Scholarship to go toward funding chapter programs for the next academic year and the silver STAR award.

For the NSCS chapter on the Middle Tennessee State University campus, the reward of attaining silver status is second only to the impact it has had on the community and the bonds it has strengthened between members.

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies and is the nation’s only interdisciplinary honors organization to invite first- and second-year college students. NSCS has more than 625,000 members and 235 chapters in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

For MTSU news anytime, go to mtsunews.com.

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[64] Middle Tennessee State University Recognized as Phi Kappa Phi Chapter of Merit

Release Date: Aug. 28, 2009

Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY RECOGNIZED AS PHI KAPPA PHI CHAPTER OF MERIT

MURFREESBORO—The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi recently recognized the campus chapter at Middle Tennessee State University as a Chapter of Merit. This award is given to chapters that not only comply with the Society’s national standards but also demonstrate an active commitment to excellence.

By receiving the Chapter of Merit distinction, Middle Tennessee State University’s Phi Kappa Phi chapter is being recognized as a thriving organization that meets frequently, holds annual initiations and applies frequently for Phi Kappa Phi’s select scholarships, grants, and fellowships.

“The MTSU Phi Kappa Phi Chapter’s distinction as a Chapter of Merit speaks to the academic quality of our faculty and students and their leadership in scholarly excellence and service,” said Dr. Diane Miller, MTSU interim executive vice president and provost. “This award also recognizes our students who have competed nationally and received PKP fellowships and scholarships.”

“This award is a testament to the fine leadership we have had under our past president Lucy Langworthy [adviser in the College of Liberal Arts] and our current president Dr. Bill Badley [assistant vice provost], added Dr. John Vile, dean of MTSU’s Honors College. “Perhaps as importantly, it is a testament to MTSU’s own rising star as recognized in the recent Forbes magazine ratings.” (Forbes recently ranked MTSU among the top 100 public universities in the nation in its “America’s Best Colleges” rankings.)

Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest and most selective all-discipline honor society.

For MTSU news, go to mtsunews.com.

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MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee State of the University Address

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee State of the University Address

Middle Tennessee State University
Fall Faculty Meeting
Aug. 28, 2009
10 a.m., Tucker Theatre
Dr. Sidney A. McPhee

Good morning. As always, I am delighted to welcome each of you to our annual fall faculty meeting. This is a time of year that always brings a tremendous amount of excitement to me in that it signifies the beginning of yet another milestone for our institution.

This gathering, along with our University Convocation, which is only a couple of days away, gives me the opportunity to join you in helping to set the tone for this new academic year. Additionally, this occasion allows me the pleasure of being among the first to welcome our returning faculty back and to extend warm greetings to our newest faculty members and to share why Middle Tennessee State University is such a wonderful place to work.

I am proud to say to you this morning that this marks the beginning of my ninth year as President of MTSU and every fall of my tenure here, I have been able to say to you that “these are exciting times” for our university.

Having just recently completed a year filled with discussions of budgets cuts and institutional streamlining, the development of extensive reports and proposals, and protests on the President’s Lawn -- my opening declaration on the State of the University is slightly different this year. Instead of repeating that these are “exciting times” at MTSU, I will declare, with even greater vigor than I have in the past, that “These are exceptionally exciting times at MTSU.”

But, before I go any further, let me take a few moments to recognize some individuals who are extremely important to this institution and are invaluable to me in working to ensure the successful management and operation of this University.

Let me begin by introducing my executive team, a group of outstanding individuals who serve as my key advisers and are involved in much of the overall decision-making on our campus.

- Mr. John Cothern, Senior Vice President;
- Dr. Diane Miller, Interim Executive Vice President and Provost;
- Mr. Joe Bales, Vice President for Development and University Relations;
- Ms. Lucinda Lea, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer;
- Dr. Deb Sells, vice president for Student Affairs and Vice Provost for Enrollment and Academic Services; and
- Mrs. Kimberly Edgar, Executive Assistant to the President.

These individuals are doing an outstanding job on behalf of our University. Please join me in expressing appreciation to this dedicated team of campus leaders.

I would also like to take a moment to recognize the members of the MTSU President Cabinet. Before I ask the entire group to stand, I would like to give special recognition to two individuals who have been added to our cabinet membership since last year. They include: Dr. Mike Allen, Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the College of Graduate Studies; and Ms. Deborah Belcher, an associate professor in the Department of Human Sciences and the 2009-10 President of the Faculty Senate. Would you please join me in recognizing these individuals, along with other members of the President’s Cabinet who are in the audience today.

We also have some other very special guests with us that I would like to recognize. They are…

• Senator Jim Tracy – 16th District
• Representative Kent Coleman – 49th District
• Representative Joe Carr – 48th District
• Mr. Jim Holland, President, MTSU Foundation

Now, I wish to begin my formal remarks. Each of us in this room views this very complex and diverse institution from many different vantage points. As such, we often see the institution’s successes and challenges in many different ways. But regardless of your point of view, most of us can agree that there are countless reasons to celebrate here at MTSU.

If you didn’t come to this meeting thinking about what an outstanding institution this is, we tried to get you thinking in that direction by sharing with you a brief video about our dynamic new virtual tour. This interactive, online tour showcases our campus, students, faculty and others in ways in which they have not been seen before. This is truly a tool of which we can be extremely proud, and I wish to thank the individuals who worked so diligently on this project for nearly a year, from concept to implementation.

And speaking of outstanding --- just last week the prestigious Forbes’ Magazine published its 2009 rankings of America’s Best Colleges.

- Our university was ranked as the 57th best public institution in America
- and the only public university in the State of Tennessee to be ranked in the top 100.

Additionally, we achieved Forbes’ “Best Buy” ranking at #47 among all colleges and universities in the country, both public and private, joining the likes of institutions such as the University of Florida, the University of California at Berkeley, The Citadel and the College of William and Mary among the top 100 in this category.

As I have said to countless alumni, friends, supporters, and others who have commented on these notable ratings, the fact that we have been recognized among the top 100 public institutions in the United States is a direct result of the dedication of faculty and staff like all of you who are committed to ensuring that we deliver on our promise to provide our students with more than just a quality education but also a nurturing environment that goes beyond the expectation and focuses directly on the needs and success of our students.

Although our long-standing reputation as an exceptional institution of higher learning is built on far more than short-lived rankings like the ones that I have mentioned, they do serve to reaffirm our position of quality among other highly regarded institutions and pay due homage to those faculty and staff members who are serious about the success of our students and our University.

Today, I do want to take the time to recognize some faculty members who have brought significant notoriety to themselves and to the University over the past year.

As I reflect over the many accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students since our last meeting, I realize that our Academic Master Plan continues to be a galvanizing force in our effort to maintain and reinforce our status as Tennessee’s Best. You have rallied behind the three pillars of this plan and committed yourselves to demonstrating the quality of our academic programs, living out our commitment to being a student-centered institution and giving of yourselves and your intellectual resources for the benefit of others.

In terms of academic quality, the success of our efforts in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM disciplines has never been greater. And, you, our faculty, have been hard at work in securing funding for STEM-related programs and research and engaging in the kinds of activities that have been consistently carving out a special niche for MTSU in areas such as science and math education and various fields of technology.

Over the last year, I’m pleased to report that 13 biology faculty received 15 new external grants and contracts as principle or co-principle investigators for a total of more than 5.1 million dollars. Drs. Mary and Anthony Farone and Dr. Kim Sadler, whom I will ask at this time to stand, are Principle Investigators on the largest grant—a 3 million dollar National Science Foundation grant that places cellular and molecular biology students in high school biology classrooms in Rutherford and Davidson counties. Join me in extending congratulations to these individuals and to other faculty members in the sciences who have contributed to our success in this area.

Another major project for which we experienced recent funding success was a 750,000 dollar grant from NASA for which Dr. Paul Craig, Professor of Aerospace, is the Project Director. This project will position MTSU as the first school in the country to conduct research on the viability of the new Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast technology in the general aviation arena. Dr. Craig, please stand and be recognized.

Other outstanding faculty accomplishments include:

• Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, Professor of Chemistry, who was one of only eight people in the nation to receive the 2009 Association for Women in Science Fellows Award. She and Dr. Martha Weller, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, were named to the inaugural class of SENCER Leadership Fellows for their efforts toward improvement of STEM education.

• Dr. Cedric Dent, Professor in the School of Music, and two Master of Arts Students were nominated for 2009 Grammy Awards; and

• Dr. Charles Perry, MTSU Russell Chair of Manufacturing Excellence, has invented a plug-in hybrid retro-fit kit that ultimately could save America 120 million gallons of fuel daily.

I would like for all of these individuals to stand and be recognized.

I could go on for hours, with name after name, of faculty members who have made outstanding accomplishments that have positively impacted our University and our students, but I merely wanted to share a selected few to give you a sense of the caliber of professionals who are sitting among you this morning.

Also speaking to the quality of this institution are several new programs and partnerships that reflect our commitment to the success of MTSU students and to the positive development of the communities that we serve.

• In the Spring of 2009, we established the Middle Tennessee Education Center in Shelbyville in partnership with Motlow State Community College. This is our first true off-campus Center, which houses classrooms as well as administrative and advising offices for both institutions as we seek to serve the needs of people in that area. I want to recognize Dean Mike Boyle for his tireless effort in making this a reality. Dean Boyle….

• We have also established other innovative new programs and partnerships with institutions such as Nashville State Community College and the University of Tennessee Space Institute. While I won’t go into extensive details here, I will say that the programs that have resulted from these partnerships will make it easier for students to achieve the goal of attaining either a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Ms. Michelle Blackwell, Director of Transfer Student Services and Drs. Wayne Dornan and Nate Calendar from the Department of Aerospace were instrumental in these two projects. Would all three of you please stand….

• Another new program is the Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth, which was established at MTSU with grant support of 335,000 dollars from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The purpose of the Center, which is a university-community partnership, is to promote childhood physical activity and improve the physical fitness of youth in middle Tennessee. The Center received a second award of 295,000 dollars to support initiatives for the 2009-2010 school year. I’d like to recognize Dr. Don Morgan, a professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, for his work on this wonderful project. Dr. Morgan – please stand.

Along with recognizing the successes experienced among our faculty and their respective academic programs, I generally take a few moments during this gathering to acknowledge the accomplishments of our Athletics staff and student athletes, both on and off the field of play.

Last year, 55% of all student athletes at MTSU had a GPA of 3.0 or higher; 25 % had a 3.5 or higher; and 17 of our student athletes had a GPA of at least a perfect 4.0. These percentages speak very highly of the intellectual capabilities of our student athletes and the level of support provided to these individuals by our coaches, faculty, and other personnel.

Our athletics program, particularly football, continues to serve as a national model for building academic excellence and for improving retention and graduation rates among student athletes as measured by the NCAA APR guidelines.

Now, let me share with you just a few more achievements in athletics from this past year:

• The Volleyball team won their first ever NCAA at-large tournament berth;

• We earned the distinction of being Sunbelt Champions in Women’s Basketball, Men’s Indoor Track, Men’s Golf, Men’s Tennis and Baseball.

• And…we dedicated several facilities including the Dean Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium; the Reece Smith Baseball Field, and the Jeff Hendrix Golf Performance Center.

I’d like to recognize Athletics Director Chris Massaro and his staff, along with our coaches and Athletic support personnel, for their dedication to ensuring the athletic and academic success of our student athletes. Would you all please stand?

Now - without a doubt, the successes that we experienced as an institution during the last academic year were profound. Unfortunately, our celebration of these great efforts may have been overshadowed by our need to address the severe budget issues and the process of looking toward the future with new plans and strategies.

I am extremely proud to say that even during our most difficult moments of trying to figure out how MTSU would deal with a very real and significant budget crisis, you as a faculty worked in partnership with the administration to outline a series of recommendations and a course of action that would contribute to positioning us for continued growth and success.

Although the budget crisis remains a very critical issue in the State of Tennessee as well as the nation, MTSU is well positioned and set to move into this new academic year with renewed vigor.

With 19.3 million dollars already permanently taken from our budget and replaced by one-time stimulus funding for the next two years, we must continue streamlining and restructuring for us to be prepared for July 1, 2011 when we will not have the luxury of the stimulus funds. Your input has significantly informed our decision-making process, and we have recommendations in place that we feel will, ultimately, make us a better University.

Indeed, this crisis, which has had the attention of every college and university in the country, was just the opportunity that we needed to reexamine what we do, think about how we might improve, and set forth on a new journey, which will result in our next 100 years being phenomenally greater than the last. Ladies and gentlemen, I am excited about this new journey because we are already well on our way.

Now, since I have received a number of inquiries regarding budget issues such as stimulus funding, our voluntary Buyout Program, and tuition increases, I did want to give you a few brief details.

In regard to the stimulus funds, MTSU will be using these funds consistent with the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund Program guidelines. For MTSU, the stimulus funds will allow for a two-year transition on the 19.3 million-dollar state appropriation reduction. We will receive 17.6 million dollars in federal funds each of the next two fiscal years under the program to help offset the reduction.

For the first year (2009-2010), 15.9 million dollars will be used for operating cost, including general costs, scholarships, and the employee voluntary buy-out plan. This replaces the reductions the state made. The balance for this year will be used for capital projects and equipment purchases including desktop computers.

For the second year (2010-2011), approximately 5 million dollars will be used for operating and the balance for projects and purchases consistent with the guidelines.

As I mentioned in the spring, the most important aspect of receiving the stimulus funds rests in the fact that they will allow us to maintain staff and provide for an orderly transition of any personnel reductions that may be needed. We are hoping that our voluntary buy-out program, which I formally announced at the end of July, will help us to avoid a reduction in force.

Based on our estimates, we believe that we can realize approximately 4.7 million dollars through this voluntary program if we receive the level of interest and response that has been outlined in our proposal. Our Human Resources Web site provides extensive details about the plan, including answers to frequently asked questions. The site also provides a list of deadlines and key activities associated with the Plan that you will need to know should you be interested in participating.

In regard to tuition, the Tennessee Board of Regents approved a tuition increase of 6% for MTSU at its June meeting. Any new revenue generated from this increase will first be used to cover rising fixed costs that we annually have for things such as utilities, scholarship increases, faculty promotion, and increased fringe benefits costs. A portion of that revenue may also be used for new initiatives that have been designed to position MTSU for the future.

Any balances that become available from the modest increase that we anticipate as a result of the tuition increase and enrollment growth will be used to mitigate other reductions.

We will continue to work on budget reductions consistent with the Positioning the University for the Future plan and provide regular updates via multiple channels, including e-mail and the Positioning the University for the Future Web site.

As we continue to deal with the current budget issues, we remain extremely grateful for those faculty colleagues who are engaged in competing for external funds. We brought in more than 38 million dollars in externally sponsored research and creative activity last year, which provided a significant boost in helping us to develop and maintain a number of quality programs throughout our campus and within the community.

In terms of private funding, Vice President Joe Bales and his team of development specialists continue to do a good job for MTSU. I am pleased to recognize a new member to our development team, Mr. Nick Perlick, who joined the MTSU family in March as our new Director of Development. Mr. Perlick, will you please stand.

As you might expect, alumni giving on a national level fell significantly over the past year. The good news is, however, MTSU saw a 15% increase in the number of alumni who supported programs and activities across our campus. Like many schools around the country, we did experience a decline in the actual dollar amount raised compared to previous years. However, we are extremely grateful for the financial support of our Blue Raider alumni and friends. I continue to urge our administrators, faculty and others to work cooperatively with our Development Office in order to ensure that we maintain the trust of existing and prospective donors and outline appropriate investment options that will give our donors confidence in our ability to provide wise counsel as it relates to the limited resources that they have to invest in this institution.

Before I conclude my remarks, I do want to take just a moment to outline a few of the major challenges that we will face in the coming year as an institution and how you can help us to effectively address them.

As you might expect, budget reductions will continue to be a serious issue that will impact our efforts to successfully position MTSU for the future. The State Commissioner of Finance remains concerned about financial projections for the State, particularly as tax revenue in Tennessee has continued its downward trend.

Despite the financial challenges ahead of us,

- I want to encourage the entire University community to remain committed to the advancement of our mission

- to focus our attention on reaching beyond our own expectations and moving toward the goals of improving our graduation and retention rates

- to increase our private and external funding

- and to raise program quality to even great heights.

I can assure you that progress will continue - and you will notice it in everything from new partnerships and new areas of strategic focus to the completion of major University facilities.

Speaking of facilities, I hope that you have had an opportunity to see the job-site signs at the southwest corner of the roundabout that show the renderings of our new education building and new student union. Construction has already begun on each of these projects which total more than 100 million dollars.

Other major issues that will be ahead of this year include the discussions on higher education reform in the State and the rising national health concerns related to the spread of the H1N1 virus. The potential impact of both of these issues on MTSU is not yet known, but we have determined the need to prepare ourselves for both, as each situation warrants.

As it relates to education reform, I urge you to be attuned, and take the opportunity, as appropriate, to voice your opinion to uphold MTSU’s position as a leading institution of higher learning in the State. This is an outstanding institution, which plays a pivotal role in the general development of the middle Tennessee Region and the State of Tennessee as a whole. As such, our importance to the future success of this State must remain in the front of the minds of legislators and other policy makers, and that can only be done if we are consistently and effectively communicating our values as a comprehensive University to the people of this great State.

Finally, I want to reassure you that, regardless of the challenges, your institution is poised for the future and ready to move progressively ahead. We have built a solid reputation as “Tennessee’s Best”, but we can only maintain and build on that standing by working together.

Henry Ford is quoted as saying,

“Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.”

We will pursue nothing less than success, but that can only be achieved with your active support and involvement in the lives of our students and in the effective management of this institution. I look forward to working with you and to making this an outstanding year for us all.

[063] ‘How Starbucks Saved My Life’ Author Gill Speaks

Release date: Aug. 28, 2009

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Academic Support Center contact: Dr. Laurie Witherow, 615-898-2339 or lwithero@mtsu.edu


‘How Starbucks Saved My Life’ Author Gill Speaks
Sunday at MTSU’s Annual Fall Convocation


(MURFREESBORO) — Author Michael Gates Gill, who penned “How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Every One Else,” will speak at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, in MTSU’s annual Fall Convocation in Murphy Center.
Gill’s book, which became an instant best-seller, has been the Summer Reading Program project for MTSU’s freshmen class.
The Summer Reading Program, created in 2002, aims to provide a unifying experience for entering freshmen, give them a chance to read and interact with acclaimed authors and affirm the importance of reading for a successful and fulfilling life.
Incoming freshmen are expected to read the book before fall classes start Aug. 29, and all University 1010 classes will discuss the selection.
“All new students are required to read the book prior to their arrival on campus in the fall, so ‘How Starbucks Saved My Life’ may be perfect as the basis for an early writing or other assignment,” said Dr. Laurie Witherow, Academic Support Center director. “The students will be expecting to discuss their summer reading book from a variety of perspectives.”
Faculty members were asked to incorporate the book into their classes when possible, Witherow added.
Nearing retirement, Gill lost it all, according to information in his bio supplied by The Lavin Agency. A Yale-educated ad exec making six figures, Gill was let go from his job (ostensibly for being old), saw his marriage disintegrate and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. At 63, desperate and without health insurance, he found redemption and a new sense of purpose where he least expected: behind the counter of a Starbucks.
As part of Gill’s visit, he will speak at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at Linebaugh Public Library. Tickets are $10 per person. Seating is limited and reservations are required.
For MTSU news and information, go to www.mtsunews.com.

[062] SOUNDS OF SUCCESS IN THE STUDIOS ON “MTSU ON THE RECORD”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 27, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, or WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

SOUNDS OF SUCCESS IN THE STUDIOS ON “MTSU ON THE RECORD”

Dr. Richard Barnet Discusses Recording Industry Curriculum and Business
(MURFREESBORO) - Dr. Richard Barnet, professor of recording industry, will discuss the state of the music business and prospects for careers at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Aug. 30, on “MTSU On the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Barnet will explain many of the technological and economic changes in the profession, which has had to deal with the benefits and the challenges of digital downloading and the de-emphasis on using radio as a tool for promoting recordings. His areas of expertise include concert promotion and touring, recording industry ethics and special events production.
With an enrollment that averages between 1,200 and 1,700 students per semester, MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry is one of the largest programs of its kind in the world. A new concentration in songwriting was added last year.
To hear last week’s interview with Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross and Cacy DeSheles about math and science education for women, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2009.html and click on “August 23, 2009.” For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

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[061] MTSU Projects Fall Enrollment to Top 24K

Release date: Aug. 27, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Enrollment Services contact: Dr. Deb Sells, 615-898-2440 or dsells@mtsu.edu


MTSU Projects Fall Enrollment to Top 24K


(MURFREESBORO) — Enrollment Services officials anticipate MTSU’s combined fall enrollment to reach and surpass 24,000, which will be a record, by the time final totals are submitted to the Tennessee Board of Regents in mid-September.
“Most definitely,” Dr. Deb Sells, vice president for student affairs and vice provost for enrollment and academic services, said Aug. 26, responding to an inquiry about the chances of MTSU reaching and passing this 24K milestone.
“Enrollment continues to look strong,” Sells said in mid-August. “We are hoping to manage an increase in enrollment of somewhere between 2 and 3 percent for this fall.
“Much of that growth is likely to come from new transfer students and from new graduate students. Much across the U.S., numbers of high-school graduates are beginning to level off after a slight ‘boom’ in that group during the past several years, and we therefore expect a leveling off in the growth rate of our new freshman class.”
MTSU’s fall 2008 headcount was 23,872 – or 128 shy of 24,000 combined undergraduate and graduate students. This total was an increase of 626 students from fall 2007.
At one juncture during fall ’08’s registration process, the university did pass 24,000, said Sherian Huddleston, associate vice provost for enrollment services. However, because of students withdrawing and nonpayment of fees, the headcount dropped under 24K.
Sells said MTSU continues “to see an increase in the successful retention of our current students, so we also expect part of our enrollment increase to reflect greater numbers of our already enrolled students continuing their programs without interruption.”
She added that university officials “have significantly increased the amount of financial aid awarded for this year.”
“MTSU added approximately $1 million to our pool of university-funded
scholarships this year,” she said, “and we also have made significant new awards for
students from the federal stimulus money the university received.”
Sells added that this year MTSU has begun participation in the Direct Lending Program, which means the loan proceeds for the students are derived directly from the
federal government.
Previously, loan funds were disbursed to MTSU via one of several banking institutions from which the student selected, she said.
“This will avoid the situation experienced last fall when loans for some students were delayed due to late arrival of funds from the banks,” Sells said.

For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.



Briefly

MTSU Enrollment Services official Dr. Deb Sells projects fall 2009 enrollment will pass the 24,000 milestone, which will be a record. Final headcount totals will be submitted to the Tennessee Board of Regents in mid-September or shortly thereafter. Sells attributes the growth from transfer and graduate students. Nationally, the boom in high-school graduates enrolling as first-time freshmen is leveling off, Sells said.

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Note: For a high-resolution jpeg photo of Dr. Deb Sells, please contact Randy Weiler in MTSU News and Public Affairs by calling 615-898-2919 or 615-898-5616, or e-mail jweiler@mtsu.edu.

[060] Week of Welcome Activities Await Students’ Return to MTSU Campus

Release date: Aug. 26, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919 or jweiler@mtsu.edu


Week of Welcome Activities Await Students’ Return to MTSU Campus


(MURFREESBORO) — All of the increased activity in the Greenland Drive/Rutherford Boulevard/East Main Street/Middle Tennessee Boulevard quadrant can mean only one thing: Students are returning to the MTSU campus for the fall 2009 semester.
School starts Aug. 29 (per Tennessee Board of Regents) for students taking Saturday classes, then Monday, Aug. 31, in earnest for the more than 24,000 undergraduate, graduate and online students taking courses to start the 2009-10 academic year, university officials report.
This week, MTSU Financial Aid and Business Office personnel in the Cope Administration Building have seen sizeable numbers of students trying to confirm their status for the semester.
Starting at 9 a.m. Friday, Aug. 28, the Student Leadership and Service-led We Haul will assist students moving into dormitories. Director Jackie Victory’s crew will perform the same service starting at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Other Week of Welcome activities, which actually become two weeks of welcome, include:
Friday, Aug. 27
6:30 p.m. – Dinner and music, KUC Courtyard
8 p.m. – Outdoor movie, “Dark Knight,” KUC Courtyard
Saturday, Aug. 28
10 a.m.-4 p.m. – Information booths
6 p.m. – Dinner and Street Fair, KUC Courtyard
Sunday, Aug. 30
2 p.m. – University Convocation featuring speaker Michael Gates Gill, Murphy Center
Monday, Aug. 31
Classes begin
Tuesday, Sept. 1
10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Meet Murfreesboro, KUC Courtyard
Wednesday, Sept. 2
10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Meet Murfreesboro, KUC Courtyard
8 p.m. – Comedian Ralphie May, Murphy Center
Thursday, Sept. 3
11 a.m.-1 p.m. – MTSU Department Fair, KUC Courtyard
Noon – Free cookies and lemonade, KUC Courtyard
5:30 p.m. – Blue Raider Bash, KUC Courtyard
Monday, Sept. 7
Labor Day Holiday (no classes; university closed)
Tuesday, Sept. 8
10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Volunteer Fair, KUC Courtyard
Wednesday, Sept. 9
10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Student Organization Fair, KUC Courtyard
Friday, Sept. 11
8 p.m.-midnight – Dance the Night Away, James Union Building Tennessee Room


MTSU Fall 2009 calendar
Aug. 29 – Classes begin
Sept. 7 – Labor Day (no classes; university closed)
Oct. 17-20 – Fall break (no classes)
Nov. 26-28 – Thanksgiving holidays (no classes; university closed)
Dec. 9 – Last day of classes
Dec. 10 – Study day (no classes)
Dec. 11-17 – Final examinations
Dec. 19 – Commencement
Dec. 21 – Deadline for final grades

For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

###

Media welcomed.

Media note: In regard to We Haul Friday and Saturday, Sarah Sudak, executive director of Housing and Residential Life, requests any media videoing or taking digital photos remain outside the dorms. No one is permitted on any residential floor (including exterior access buildings).

[059] MTSU OFFERS NEW MASTER’S PROGRAM FOR AREA K-8 TEACHERS

MTSU OFFERS NEW MASTER’S PROGRAM FOR AREA K-8 TEACHERS
Literacy ‘Cohort’ Study Begins Aug. 29 in Shelbyville

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 24, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACTS: David Foster, 615-898-5033; Dr. Kathy Burriss, 615-898-2323

(MURFREESBORO)—Middle Tennessee State University is pleased to announce a new cohort program in Bedford County leading to a Master of Education degree in curriculum and instruction with an endorsement in reading.
The program aims to help licensed classroom teachers in kindergarten through eighth grades in Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Rutherford and White counties to gain additional specialized skills that are directly related to literacy. It begins Saturday, Aug. 29, and will be completed in spring 2010.
“This program provides qualified K-8 teachers with additional competencies directly related to the classroom and their students,” said Dr. Kathleen Burriss, professor of elementary and special education at MTSU, who’ll be the course instructor.
A cohort is a program of study in which the participants start together and continue throughout the program as a group. This cohort will meet initially in Shelbyville at the Central High School building (401 Eagle Blvd.) until the Middle Tennessee Education Center is remodeled.
“In Tennessee, literacy has been a weak area,” Burriss said. “Students must be able to read well to be successful—it is a basic foundation of education. Any K-8 teacher would do well to consider this program to help them become a better qualified instructor.”
Teachers who complete the program also may be eligible for increased compensation.
“This program is unique in that it meets on weekends, online, and traditionally,” said Dr. Connie Jones, chair of the Department of Elementary and Special Education at MTSU. “This program will enable these teachers to be more effective in working with at-risk children and diverse populations with unique needs.”
The registration meeting will be held on Friday, Aug. 28, at 4 p.m. at Central High School in Shelbyville. Interested teachers should each bring a copy of his/her teaching license, and an official transcript of all prior education must be sent to the Graduate School at MTSU. Representatives will be available to aid in the registration process. Prospective students who may need financial aid should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form at www.fafsa.ed.gov before the registration meeting.
For more information about the program, contact Burriss at 615-898-2323 or kburriss@mtsu.edu.

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IN BRIEF: Middle Tennessee State University is pleased to announce a new cohort program in Bedford County leading to a Master of Education degree in curriculum and instruction with an endorsement in reading. The program aims to help licensed classroom teachers in kindergarten through eighth grades in Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Rutherford and White counties to gain additional specialized skills that are directly related to literacy. It begins Saturday, Aug. 29, and will be completed in spring 2010. “This program provides qualified K-8 teachers with additional competencies directly related to the classroom and their students,” said Dr. Kathleen Burriss, professor of elementary and special education at MTSU, who’ll be the course instructor. A cohort is a program of study in which the participants start together and continue throughout the program as a group. A registration meeting is set this Friday, Aug. 28, at 4 p.m. at Central High School in Shelbyville. For more information about the program, contact Burriss at 615-898-2323 or kburriss@mtsu.edu.

For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[058] RAIDERS FOR CHRIST HELPS INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 21, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

RAIDERS FOR CHRIST HELPS INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT MTSU
Organization Practices “Good Neighbor Policy” in Aiding Students with Adjustment

(MURFREESBORO) – If you never got around to having that yard sale this summer, or if you have things left over from the yard sale you conducted, Raiders for Christ is ready to take those things off your hands.
The MTSU student organization is collecting practical household items through Tuesday, Aug. 25, for international students. Members will distribute the items at the Raiders for Christ building, 1105 E. Bell St. in Murfreesboro, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturday, Aug. 29.
Since international students are limited in the amount of personal items they can bring into the country, many move into dormitory rooms or unfurnished apartments lacking many things they need to make a residence a home.
Sarah Johnson, director of Women’s Outreach for the organization, says donations should be things that people would need to set up housekeeping. Some of the items the group is seeking include furniture, pots and pans, dishes, mattresses, sheets, towels, crockpots, rice cookers, trash cans, shower curtains, umbrellas, and computers.
“Bicycles are really great because some international students don’t have cars,” Johnson adds.
Donations also may be made at the back and side entrances of the Raiders for Christ house after hours. For more information, contact Johnson at 615-896-1529 or sarahfjohnson@yahoo.com.


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[057] SPRING HILL SCHOLAR WINS MTSU’S CHARLES R. RAY SCHOLARSHIP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 21, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

SPRING HILL SCHOLAR WINS MTSU’S CHARLES R. RAY SCHOLARSHIP
Political Science Major Desires Career in Law with Nonprofit Organization

(MURFREESBORO) – The MTSU Department of Political Science is proud to announce that this year’s Charles R. Ray Scholarship is awarded to Danielle Mitchell of Spring Hill, Tenn.
Eighteen-year-old Danielle, daughter of Eliot and Becky Mitchell, is a graduate of Page High School in Franklin. During her high school years, she was active in volleyball, drama and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) and excelled in advance placement classes in calculus, history, English and statistics.
“Both my parents went to MTSU,” says Danielle. “I was worried at first about how big it was, but after I visited the campus, I saw that it had a really good program.
Danielle says she has wanted to be a lawyer since she was 11 years. She says she aspires to perform legal work for a nonprofit organization.
The Charles R. Ray Scholarship is presented annually to a student who intends to major in political science with a concentration in pre-law at MTSU. Ray was a prominent Nashville attorney and MTSU alumnus who personally funded the scholarship. It provides money for college expenses for each successful semester of full-time study (up to eight) provided the recipient maintains a 2.5 GPA or higher and continues in the pre-law program.
For more information, contact the Department of Political Science at 615-898-2708.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: Photos of Danielle Mitchell are available upon request. Contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

[56] MTSU RESEARCHER SAYS ‘GREEN ECONOMY’ INVESTMENT CAN REDUCE POVERTY IN THE REGION & BENEFIT THE ENVIORNMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 21, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins or Gina K. Logue, 615-898-2919

MTSU RESEARCHER SAYS ‘GREEN ECONOMY’ INVESTMENT CAN REDUCE POVERTY IN THE REGION & BENEFIT THE ENVIORNMENT
Prof Builds On National Study to Research Green Investment’s Local Impact

(MURFREESBORO)—A recent report suggests that a $150 billion national investment in a “green economy” could not only boost the employment picture, but also create new pathways out of poverty for many low-income workers—and one Middle Tennessee State University researcher agrees wholeheartedly.
Dr. Sekou Franklin, assistant professor of political science, has utilized the Political Economy Research Institute’s study on green-economy investment to carry out his own research as it relates to Middle Tennessee. Subsequently, among other outcomes, he’s determined that such an investment has the potential to create nearly 15,000 new jobs in his region alone.
A volunteer for a Nashville-based task force on green jobs, Franklin—describing how he came to his “go green-based” conclusions—says, “The PERI Group out of Massachusetts was responsible for doing a 12-stage study on clean-energy investment, and Tennessee was included in that 12-stage study, so we used that broader research and that broader frame to write a proposal that I did research for on a green-jobs program for low-income workers.”
Related to Franklin’s green-jobs proposal, there exists a variety of “clean-energy” jobs that require only a high-school degree or less, including roofers, electricians, insulation workers and sheet-metal workers, among other occupations, he notes.
Moreover, according to the MTSU professor’s Tennessee-related study, mass-transit investment is an area ripe for development when it comes to creating environmentally sound practices. Such green investment, Franklin notes, can lead to far-reaching outcomes that ultimately reduce unemployment and raise the overall standard of living for lower socio-economic households.
Plus, with the aforementioned $150 billion investment in what has been dubbed the “clean-energy economy,” Nashville and its 6th Congressional District has the potential to generate some 15,000 new jobs, per the national report issued by PERI. (Researchers based their figures on the federal stimulus package, the climate bill before the House and reauthorization of the federal transportation bill in the fall.)
Franklin, similarly, agrees with the national study’s findings, asserting that a renewed commitment to mass transit in Middle Tennessee is an area that

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GREENJOBS
Add 1


would provide a significant and sustainable return on any green-economy investment.
“We need a broader public-transportation system that links Nashville to Murfreesboro to Cookeville, so that low-income workers can get to work and also in order to reduce fossil fuels,” he observes.
With such a system, he adds, not only the economy but also the environment would benefit by the reduced number of “people in cars spending money on gas and oil, (and then) having that released into the environment.”



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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: For more information about Franklin’s study or to obtain his comments on green-economy investment and job creations, please contact the researcher by calling 615-904-8232 or via e-mail at franklin@mtsu.edu.
To secure broadcast-quality audio clips of Franklin discussing this research and topic, please contact Lisa L. Rollins or Gina K. Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or through lrollins@mtsu.edu or gklogue@mtsu.edu

[055] MTSU ANNOUNCES DEAN’S LIST FOR SUMMER 2009

MTSU ANNOUNCES DEAN’S LIST FOR SUMMER 2009
County-by-County Listing of Summer Semester Dean’s List Available Online

(MURFREESBORO)—Beginning Friday, Aug. 21, Middle Tennessee State University will release the names and hometowns of those undergraduate students who were named to the Dean’s List during the summer 2009 semester.
 HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR COUNTY’S STUDENT LIST: To obtain a list for editorial use of those students from your county who are included on MTSU’s summer 2009 dean’s list, please access this information on the News and Public Affairs (NPA) Web site at www.mtsunews.com and click on the “Deans Lists” link on the upper, left-hand side of the page.
Next, click on the “Summer 2009” link, which will include an alphabetical, county-by-county listing of those MTSU students included on the summer 2009 semester’s dean’s list.
***Please note that this Web page also contains directions on how to download and save your county’s list for editorial use in your publication.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: If you encounter any problems downloading and saving your county’s dean’s list, please contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at 615-898-2919 for assistance.

[054] WOMEN STUDYING SCIENCE TOPIC OF “MTSU ON THE RECORD”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 20, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081; WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

WOMEN STUDYING SCIENCE TOPIC OF “MTSU ON THE RECORD”
WISTEM Center Brings Together Women in the Lab, in the Field, in the Classroom
(MURFREESBORO) – Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, chemistry professor, and Cacy DeSheles, assistant director of Girls Raised in Tennessee Science (GRITS), will discuss educational opportunities for women interested in math and science careers at 7 a.m. this Sunday, August 23, on “MTSU On the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Iriarte-Gross and DeSheles are key players in the consolidation of campus organizations that promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics for women under one center, WISTEM (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
To hear last week’s interview with MTSU alumnus Greghri Love, who overcame horrific child abuse to become a teacher, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2009.html and click on “August 16, 2009.” For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

[053] MTSU WELCOMES GUESTS FROM JAPANESE EDUCATIONAL PARTNER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 20, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU WELCOMES GUESTS FROM JAPANESE EDUCATIONAL PARTNER
Fukushima University Leaders, MTSU Administrators to Discuss Student Exchange

(MURFREESBORO) – Dignitaries from Fukushima University, led by Vice President Shuji Shimizu, will visit MTSU Aug. 29 through Sept. 3 to explore expanding the universities’ existing relationship through student exchange.
MTSU’s comprehensive academic partnership with the Japanese institution formally began with the signing of an agreement in 1996.
“Fukushima University is one of the oldest international partners of MTSU with much collaborative faculty research in the past, but there has been little student exchange,” says Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, Advisor to the President and the Provost on Asian Affairs and professor emeritus of economics and finance.
On June 3, MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee spoke at Fukushima about the possibility of starting a student exchange centered around Fukushima’s Faculty of Economics and Business and Administration (FEBA) and its MTSU counterpart, the Jennings A. Jones College of Business.
Topics to be considered include which courses Fukushima students can take at MTSU, whether Fukushima students can take regular MTSU courses and some ELS Language Center courses at the same time, and housing for the Fukushima students.
In addition, the educators will discuss ideas for the long-term planning of Fukushima’s FEBA as a follow-up to a presentation made by Kawahito and Dr. Dwight Bullard, associate dean of the College of Business, in spring 2009. Topics for this discussion will include strategic goal formulation, curriculum development, faculty evaluation, faculty education and training and student recruitment.
The Fukushima contingent, in addition to Shimizu, includes Mitsuo Iijima Nomura, FEBA dean; Hiroko Matsuura, FEBA professor and International Committee member; Toshiaki Sogo, FEBA associate professor and Faculty Development Committee member; and Kazuko Takahashi, staff, Campus Planning and International Affairs.

[052] MTSU NAMED TO FORBES TOP 50 IN NATION ‘BEST BUY’ LIST

Aug. 14, 2009
CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919; Dr. Tonja Johnson, 615-494-7800

MTSU NAMED TO FORBES TOP 50 IN NATION ‘BEST BUY’ LIST

The university is also ranked among nation’s top 100 public schools and tops in Tennessee in that category

MURFREESBORO—If something were considered “cost-effective” but did not deliver on quality … it wouldn’t be a great buy. A “great buy” delivers terrific value for the dollar, and the extent of that value transcends monetary considerations and is generally measured in benefits and results.
The Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey, conducted by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, recently ranked Middle Tennessee State University among the top 50 schools in the nation for being a “Best Buy” in higher
education—in other words, an institution that delivers the greatest return on investment by a student or his or her parents.
Additionally, in the category of “Best Colleges and Universities in America,” among 600 schools included in the evaluation, MTSU ranked as the top public institution in Tennessee and was in the top 100 public universities in the nation. Universities recognized in this category were evaluated on a variety of factors including entries in “Who’s Who in America,” faculty salary data, course evaluations, awards received by students and faculty and graduation rates. In a unique twist, the study placed significantly greater emphasis on student perception of faculty quality than on many other ratings.
“Being ranked among the top 100 public institutions in the United States is an honor that has resulted from the hard work and commitment of our outstanding students, faculty, staff and alumni,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “Additionally, our designation as a ‘Best Buy’ among the top 50 colleges and universities in the country speaks to our commitment to providing an academic experience that goes beyond the expectation and focuses directly on the needs and success of our students. In both cases, these notable rankings reaffirm our position as ‘Tennessee’s Best.’”
In the “Best Buy” designation, MTSU ranked 47th and was in the company of other top-50 institutions such as the University of Florida, the University of California at Berkeley, The Citadel and the College of William and Mary.
This is the second year for Forbes’ “America’s Best Colleges” rankings. The Center for College Affordability and Productivity is an independent not-for-profit center based in Washington, DC, that encourages dialogue and research on issues facing higher education.

[051] “ADVENTURES IN LEARNING” LED BY SEVERAL MTSU SCHOLARS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 18, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

“ADVENTURES IN LEARNING” LED BY SEVERAL MTSU SCHOLARS
Nineteenth Annual Event Promotes Lifelong Learning and Enrichment for 50+ Adults

(MURFREESBORO) – MTSU professors, past and present, will serve as some of the tour guides for the 19th annual “Adventures in Learning,” an interesting educational experience for persons age 50 and older, on four successive Mondays, Sept. 14, 21, and 28, and Oct. 5, at First United Methodist Church, 265 W. Thompson Lane in Murfreesboro.
Topics to be explored include recreation, literature, country music, genealogy, technology, ethnicity and history. Classes will last from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and 10:45-11:45 a.m. Lunch will be catered by Carolyn’s Creations, followed by forums on various items of civic interest.
A unique feature of this year’s “Adventures in Learning” is a series on World War II instructed by four current members of the MTSU history faculty. On Sept. 14, Dr. Nancy Rupprecht will address “The World through Hitler’s Eyes: Hitler’s World View.” Dr. Amy Sayward, department chair, will deliver “America Enters the War” on Sept. 21. Dr. Jan Leone will present “World War II: The Home Front in America” on Sept. 28. Dr. Sean Foley will explain “The War and the Middle East” on Oct. 5.
Former faculty members lending their expertise to this year’s event include Dr. Ralph Fullerton, professor emeritus of geography, on “The Political and Cultural Geography of the U.S./Mexico Border;” Dr. Larry Mapp, retired professor of English,” on “Children Lost and Children Found in the Fiction of Lewis Nordan and Tim Gautreaux;” Lynette Ingram, retired instructor of English and book reviewer, on the novel Olive Ketteridge by Elizabeth Strout; Dr. Alice Nunnery, former MTSU English professor, on the novel Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiris; Dr. William Windham, professor emeritus of history, on “The American West Revisited;” and Margaret Ordoubadian, professor emerita of English, in a demonstration of Kindle Reader.
Mary Belle Ginanni, former MTSU professor of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Safety, is the overall program coordinator. Other former faculty and staffers serving as coordinators include Dr. Emily Messier, Dr. Martin McCullough, Margaret Scott, and Bertha Chrietzberg.
“Adventures in Learning” is made possible by a local interfaith coalition. The cost for all four weeks is $8 in advance or $10 after Sept. 2. Lunch reservations and payments must be made in advance of the classes. Participants may pick up lunch tickets and name badges upon arrival.
Checks may be mailed to AIL Treasurer, 1267 N. Rutherford Rd., Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37130. Please indicate the dates you intend to attend and which days you plan to eat lunch.
Brochures about “Adventures in Learning” are available at First United Methodist Church, Linebaugh Public Library, Murfreesboro/Rutherford County Center for the Arts and the St. Clair Street Senior Center. For more information, call 615-895-6072.

[050] MTSU ANNOUNCES GRADUATES FOR SUMMER 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 17, 2009
CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919

MTSU ANNOUNCES GRADUATES FOR SUMMER 2009
County-by-County Listing of Summer 2009 Graduates Now Available Online

(MURFREESBORO)—Middle Tennessee State University has released the names and hometowns of those students who graduated during the summer 2009 commencement ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 8, in Murphy Center on the MTSU campus.
Of the 936 who graduated during the 97th summer commencement, 681 were undergraduates and 255 were graduate students.
The event featured Dr. Alfred Lutz, professor for the Department of English and the MTSU representative of the Tennessee Board of Regents’ (TBR) Faculty Subcouncil, as the commencement speaker for the 10 a.m. ceremony.

 HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR COUNTY’S STUDENT LIST: To obtain a list for editorial use of those students from your county who graduated during MTSU’s summer 2009 commencement, please access this information on the News and Public Affairs (NPA) Web site at www.mtsunews.com and click on the “Graduation Lists” link on the upper, left-hand side of the page.
Next, click on the “Summer 2009” link, which will include an alphabetical, county-by-county listing of those MTSU students who graduate on Aug. 8, 2009.
***Please note that this Web page also contains directions on how to download and save your county’s list for editorial use in your publication.


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ATTENTION, MEDIA: If you encounter any problems downloading and saving your county’s dean’s list, please contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at 615-898-2919 for assistance.

[049] 2009 FACULTY ART SHOW DEBUTS AUG. 31 WITH OPENING RECEPTION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 17, 2009 EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, lrollins@mtsu.edu


2009 FACULTY ART SHOW DEBUTS AUG. 31 WITH OPENING RECEPTION
(MURFREESBORO)—The Todd Art Gallery at MTSU will present the art department’s 2009 biennial Faculty Art Exhibition beginning Aug. 31 through Sept. 17. "This exhibit will feature works of art by faculty members as a way to introduce their work to art majors, the broader campus population and the community,” said Eric Snyder, gallery curator, who added that the artworks represented will vary in media and styles—from representational, abstract and non-objective, to traditional media in a straightforward manner and mixed media with a “twist.”An opening reception for art faculty will be held 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31 in the gallery. This event is free and open to the public. Art faculty participating in this year’s show are Erin Anfinson, Michael Baggarly, John Donovan, Kim Dummons, Bob Durham, Janet Higgins, Jarrod Houghton, Sisavanh Houghton, Noël Lorson, Jean Nagy, Melissa Newman, Christie Nuell, Marisa Recchia, Thomas Sturgill and Patricia Tenpenny. “The faculty represent years of experience of productive work as evidenced by the extensive and ongoing record of exhibitions in juried and invitational shows,” Snyder said. “Each faculty member is an active working artist and visual art educator. Their personal work is invaluable to them and to their students who learn from the efforts and successes of their mentors in the art studio.” For the first time ever, Snyder said, following the faculty exhibition’s close, an inaugural Department of Art/Student Art Alliance Show will be presented featuring the juried work of art majors and MTSU students. “This is the first joint effort between the department and students from across campus with an interest in art,” Snyder said of the joint collaborative art show, which will open Sept. 22 in the Todd Gallery and run through Oct. 1.
• GALLERY HOURS: Located in the Todd Building on the MTSU campus, the gallery is open 8a.m.-4:30 p.m. each Monday-Friday closed on state and university holidays. Admission to the gallery is always free and open to the public. For parking or more information, please contact Snyder at 615-898-5653
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ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request interviews with curator Snyder or participating artists, please contact Lisa L. Rollins at lrollins@mtsu.edu. Jpegs of artworks also are available upon request.

[047] WMOT (FM 89.5) Becomes Flagship for MT Athletics

Release date: EMBARGOED for 3 p.m. Aug. 15, 2009

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Contacts: Chris Massaro (athletics), 615-898-2450
Dr. Roy Moore (Mass Communication), 615-898-5872
Chip Walters (Nelligan Sports Marketing at MTSU), 615-898-2427
Gary Brown (WMOT) 615-898-2828

WMOT (FM 89.5) Becomes Flagship for MT Athletics


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU athletic department officials signed a one-year formal agreement Aug. 12 with 100,000-watt WMOT (FM 89.5), making the campus radio station the originating outlet for Blue Raider football, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball.
Highlights of the agreement include:
• broadcast of all 12 regular season football games and airing of the Rick Stockstill Show;
• broadcast of all men’s basketball games and airing of The Kermit Davis Show;
• broadcast of all women’s basketball games and airing of The Rick Insell Show; and
• broadcast of 18 baseball games.
Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and College of Mass Communication Dean Roy Moore, who helped orchestrate the agreement, were principles at the signing, along with Gary Brown, interim WMOT general manager and longtime engineer, and Chip Walters, “Voice of the Blue Raiders.”
“We’re excited,” Masarro said. “This strengthens the campus relationship. It’ll be great for our athletic program, having more games on the 100,000-watt station, where everybody in middle Tennessee can pick it up. Hopefully, our fans are excited, and support WMOT and contribute to its mission.”
“This is a great new partnership with athletics,” Moore said. “We look forward to more people tuning into WMOT not only for music, but also for sports. This will be beneficial to both parties. We look forward to a long-term relationship.”
MT Athletics recently announced that WNSR (AM 560) would be the Nashville-area outlet, as well as their FM outlet, WNTC in Bowling Green, Ky. The athletic department has had a longstanding broadcast agreement with WGNS (AM 1450 and FM 100.5 and 101.9), which it considers its Murfreesboro and Rutherford County flagship station.
Walters, an MTSU alumnus, serves as director of broadcasting at MTSU.
WMOT, which is a National Public Radio member station, bills itself as “Jazz 89.5” in its marketing, promotion and on-air communication. It has served MTSU and the region for more than 40 years. For more information, visit wmot.org.

For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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[048] MTSU Will Launch Interactive Virtual Tour Aug. 17

Release date: Aug. 14, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Other contacts: Tonjanita “Tonja” Johnson, 615-898-7800 or tljohnso@mtsu.edu
Barbara Draude, 615-904-8383 or bdraude@mtsu.edu
Sherian Huddleston, 615-898-2828 or shuddles@mtsu.edu

MTSU Will Launch Interactive Virtual Tour Aug. 17


(MURFREESBORO) — Between a new crop of recent graduates and the upcoming fall semester’s new wave of freshmen, something else is about to be brand new at MTSU.
University officials will launch an interactive, online virtual tour Monday, Aug. 17, and those involved with the process and others are teeming with excitement about the possibilities it brings.
“The (virtual) tour will enhance our image, reach prospective students, help recruitment and build pride. It’s an excellent addition to our Web presence,” said Lucinda Lea, who serves as MTSU’s vice president for information technology and chief information officer.
The online tour “will impact everybody – all of campus, prospective students and faculty, new hires, anyone seeking employment, and the general public can go and see what’s happening at MTSU,” said Sherian Huddleston, associate vice provost for Enrollment Services and chairwoman of the committee tasked to plan and develop the project.”
To access the virtual tour, visit the Web site mtsu.edu and look for “VIRTUAL TOUR,” which has replaced a home page link labeled “APPLY NOW.” Once on the tour, you will find a world of possibilities: links to “apply now,” “schedule a visit,” “request information,” “People/Commentary,” “Interactive Video Tours” and “Campus Map,” which is one of the major features.
A year in the making, the virtual tour, which is collaboration between MTSU and Maine-based CampusTours Inc., an interactive media and software company, has been shown to President Sidney A. McPhee’s cabinet and to the Office of Community Engagement and Support’s Community Advisory Council members.
“This is quite a bold statement from an IT level,” said Phyllis Qualls-Brooks, assistant commissioner in community and industrial relations for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. Qualls-Brooks and other advisory council members viewed the presentation Aug. 14.
“The virtual tour is not intended to replace the guided campus tour, but to enhance the prospective student’s tour experience,” said Lynn Palmer, who is admissions director.
“You will see the tremendous assets that we have with our faculty, students and staff, and the outstanding facilities, and clearly you will get a feel for what makes MTSU so special, and a warm and caring institution,” McPhee said of the virtual tour.
Even alumni of all ages will find the virtual tour fascinating.
“The new virtual tour will provide alumni availability to see campus without actually being there,” said Alumni Relations Director Ginger Freeman. “Many of our alumni are not able to come back to campus as often as they like and this will give them the opportunity to see the new buildings and areas of campus that they may not have been here when they were in school.”
Draude said the details they were able to put into the map make it one of the most impressive maps CampusTours Inc. has been involved with in an online project for a university.
“We tried to get as much detail in as we could,” Draude said.
Map layers will allow viewers to find food venues, handicap parking and Raider Xpress routes, she added.
A content management system will allow university personnel to add new photographs, change the map and keep it as fresh and updated as possible, Draude said.


About MTSU’s virtual tour

On the Internet, visit mtsu.edu and look for the “VIRTUAL TOUR” link.
Special features: 3-D, interactive, photo-realistic map; links for appplying, schedule a campus visit, requesting information, hear what students, faculty and administrators have to say about their university, and more.


About CampusTours Inc.

CampusTours Inc. is an interactive media and software company specializing in meeting the marketing, Web and multimedia needs of the higher-education community. Privately held CampusTours Inc., which is based in Maine, specializes in developing visually stimulating virtual tours, interactive campus maps and college videos that entice students and facilitate direct contacts with university audiences. For more information, visit CampusTours.com.


For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

[045] MTSU GRAD, SON OF ADDICTS, RISES FROM CRISES TO CAREER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 12, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081; WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

MTSU GRAD, SON OF ADDICTS, RISES FROM CRISES TO CAREER
Greghri Love, Author of “There is an Urgency,” Guests on “MTSU On the Record”
(MURFREESBORO) – Greghri Love’s mother was a prostitute. His father was a convict. Both parents were addicted to drugs. With Greghri’s father in prison, the boy’s stand-in father was his mother’s pimp. After Greghri was shuttled off to foster care, his testimony sent his mother to prison.
In spite of all this, Greghri earned college degrees in art education and special education. He became a teacher and an advocate for child abuse awareness. MTSU alumnus Greghri Love will tell his story to Gina Logue at 7 a.m. this Sunday, August 16, on “MTSU On the Record” on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Greghri Love is the author of There is an Urgency, the compelling, yet often horrifying chronicle of the physical and sexual abuse he endured throughout his childhood and his ordeal to overcome its impact on his psyche so that others could benefit from the lessons of his struggle.
To hear last week’s interview with Dr. Stephen Morris, chair of the Department of Political Science, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2009.html and click on “August 9, 2009.” For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

[044] Lt. Col. Kast Leads MTSU Military Science Department

Release date: Aug. 12, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Military science contact: Lt. Col. TK Kast, 615-898-2470 or tkast@mtsu.edu


Lt. Col. Kast Leads MTSU Military Science Department


(MURFREESBORO) — Lt. Col. Tharrel “TK” Kast became the newest professor of military science at MTSU July 1. The announcement, made in March, came from former department leader Lt. Col. Michael T. Walsh, who was promoted to full colonel Aug. 6.
Kast, who visited MTSU March 23-26 to get acquainted with the program, is coming “home” from Fort Bragg, N.C., where he has been operations officer in the 1st Theater Sustainment Command.
“I’m excited to be here,” said Kast, a Pensacola, Fla., native, but who lived in Spring Hill when he worked for NCR. “I love the job (professor of military science) and what Mike’s done while he has been here.”
While sitting in Walsh’s office in March, he reached for a photo taken in November 2008 of alumni who have been promoted to general officers through the years. MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee had invited the group to campus to be part of the Salute to Armed Forces.
“One of these kids out here will put on the stars. It doesn’t get any better than that,” Kast said, pointing outside the door of what has become his office in Forrest Hall and in anticipation of the young men and women who will enter the building. “These are the future Army leaders. We have cadets here who will be in the National Guard, Reserve and active duty.
“With my past experience in all three components, I think I can talk to these guys and tell them where they’re at.”
On Aug. 7, Kast presided at the department’s commissioning ceremony, one of his first official acts on the job. He told those attending that under his leadership, he hopes to keep MTSU’s ROTC program, which has been strong under the watch of Walsh and others, among the nation’s elite, and continue the string of producing general officers from the MTSU cadet corps.
Kast and his wife, Robin, a native of Hixson, Tenn., have a son, Clayton, 18, and a daughter, Shelby, 12. Their son, who visited MTSU last fall, has been accepted at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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Note: A high-resolution (.jpg) photo of Lt. Col. TK Kast is available. To obtain, call Randy Weiler at 615-898-5616 or e-mail jweiler@mtsu.edu.

[042] Aug. 7 MTSU ROTC Ceremony Commissions 4 Into U.S. Army

Release date: Aug. 7, 2009

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919 / 615-785-1196 (cell)
Military science contact: Lt. Col. TK Kast, 615-898-2470


Aug. 7 MTSU ROTC Ceremony Commissions 4 Into U.S. Army


(MURFREESBORO) — A day before receiving their undergraduate degrees, four MTSU students – three of whom are from Tennessee – were commissioned into the United States Army. The official swearing-in and pinning ceremonies were held Aug. 7 in the Keathley University Center Theater.
The students include newly commissioned 2nd Lts. Ashley Deeds of Clarksville, Jason Bass of East Ridge, Samuel Lopez of McMinnville and Marc Ballard of Stafford, Va.
Family, friends, classmates, faculty, administrators and others attended the ceremony, which was led for the first time by Lt. Col. Tharrel “TK” Kast, the new professor of military science at the university.
Friday’s four honorees graduate Saturday, Aug. 8, during commencement ceremonies in Murphy Center.
Deeds will graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones College of Business. She will be assigned to the Basic Officer Leadership Course II at Fort Still, Okla., and BOLC III at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Her first duty assignment will be at Fort Hood in Texas. She was commissioned on her birthday.
Ballard will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from the College of Liberal Arts. He will be assigned to the BOLC II and BOLC III at Fort Still, where his first duty assignment will be made known.
Bass will graduate with a B.S. degree in area studies from the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning. He has not received a branch assignment.
Lopez will graduate with a B.S. degree in the College of Education and Behavioral Science’s criminal justice program. He has not received a branch assignment.

For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

[041] MTSU Summer Enrollment (8,603) Shows 4.7% Increase from ’08

Release date: Aug. 6, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Enrollment Services contact: Sherian Huddleston, 615-898-2828 or shuddles@mtsu.edu


MTSU Summer Enrollment (8,603) Shows 4.7% Increase from ’08


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU’s summer enrollment is 8,603 students, said Sherian Huddleston, associate vice president for enrollment services.
The total is a 4.7 percent increase from summer 2008, when MTSU’s headcount was 8,210.
The 2009 figure for May through August enrollment marks an increase of 393 students from last summer, Huddleston said.
MTSU submitted its summer enrollment totals to the Tennessee Board of Regents this week.
MTSU, similar to other schools nationwide, had been experiencing a decline in summer enrollment, said Huddleston, who added that this year there has been a reverse in that trend for MTSU.
By comparison, the spring 2009 enrollment total was 22,511 students, which was a 3.99 percent increase for the same period in 2008.
Fall 2008 enrollment was a record 23,872, and indications are that MTSU can expect another increase in enrollment for fall 2009, she said.

For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

[040] “MTSU ON THE RECORD” IS THE PLACE FOR POLITICS THIS SUNDAY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 5, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081; WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

“MTSU ON THE RECORD” IS THE PLACE FOR POLITICS THIS SUNDAY
Dr. Stephen Morris Discusses International Relations, Political Corruption Course
(MURFREESBORO) – Dr. Stephen Morris, new chair of the MTSU Department of Political Science, will be Gina Logue’s guest at 7 a.m. this Sunday, August 10, on “MTSU On the Record” on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Morris comes to MTSU from the University of South Alabama, where he was director of the International Studies Program and a political science professor. His research and teaching interests include the politics of Mexico, Latin America, and political corruption and political economy. This fall, Morris will teach a special topics course in political corruption on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“It’s very difficult to define corruption,” Morris says. “It’s even more difficult to measure it, but, in a sense, that gets us into the cultural side of the equation. It’s a topic that bridges culture, institutions, political systems and economic systems.”
To hear last week’s interview with Emmy Award-winning MTSU alumnus Wayne White, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2009.html and click on “August 3, 2009.” For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

[038] MTSU SUMMER COMMENCEMENT CAN BE VIEWED ON THE WEB

Aug. 3, 2009
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919


MTSU SUMMER COMMENCEMENT CAN BE VIEWED ON THE WEB

MURFREESBORO—The Middle Tennessee State University summer commencement ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 8, at 10 a.m., will be available via Web cast for those people unable to attend in person and who have access to the Internet. The following steps will provide the Web-cast link:

1. Go to the university home page: www.mtsu.edu
2. Under the A to Z index along the top, click on Graduation.
3. Click on “Streaming Video of Commencement” (next to last bullet below)

You will need Windows Media Player or read the directions provided to access the Webcast. Please note that on the day of commencement, the link will not be active until approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony.

For MTSU news, visit www.mtsunews.com.

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MTSU SUMMER 2009 COMMENCEMENT AT A GLANCE

Who: 936 graduates* (681 undergraduates, 255 graduate students)
What: MTSU’s 97th annual summer commencement ceremony.
When: 10 a.m. Aug. 8; doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Murphy Center
Commencement speaker: Dr. Alfred Lutz, professor for the Department of English and the current MTSU representative of the Tennessee Board of Regents’ (TBR) Faculty Subcouncil
* — Approximate number as of July 20, 2008.