Middle Tennessee State University
Encyclopedia
Middle Tennessee State University, commonly abbreviated as MTSU, is a public
university
located in Murfreesboro
, Tennessee
, United States
.
Founded in 1911 as an education college, the university is composed of seven undergraduate colleges as well as a college of graduate studies offering more than 80 majors/degree programs through over 35 departments. Total enrollment in Fall, 2010 was 26,430, and in spring 2011 it was 24,660 (Spring enrollment is typically a bit lower than Fall enrollment). Of the Spring, 2011 total, 22,274 were undergraduates, and 2,386 were graduate students. It is currently the largest institution of higher learning in Tennessee by undergraduate enrollment. Fall semester 2011 set a new MTSU record enrollment total of 26,442 students. In 2009, Middle Tennessee State University was ranked among the top 100 public universities by Forbes.
MTSU is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents
, and is accredited
by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Colleges. Its current president is Sidney A. McPhee
.
moved "to provide for the improvement of the system of Public Education of the State of Tennessee, that is to say, to establish a General Education Fund." The major thrust of this "improvement" embodied in the legislative act that was to become known as the General Education Bill of 1909 was the establishment of three normals or teacher-training institutions. Following the intent of the act that one was to be located in each of the grand divisions of the state, the State Board of Education assigned the middle Tennessee institution
to Murfreesboro.
Opening on September 11, 1911, with a two-year program for training teachers, Middle Tennessee State Normal School evolved into a four-year teachers' college in 1925 with the power of granting the Bachelor of Science
degree. In 1943, the General Assembly designated the institution a state college. This new status marked a sharp departure from the founding purpose and opened the way for expanding curricular offerings and programs. In 1965, the institution was advanced to university status.
During the progressive movement from a two-year normal to a university, several significant milestones may be identified. In 1936, the Bachelor of Arts
program was added. Responding to the expressed needs of the institution's service area, the Graduate School was established in 1951. To effect better communications and improve administrative supervision, the schools concept was introduced in 1962.
As Middle Tennessee State University developed and grew, the Doctor of Arts
program was added in 1970 and the Specialist in Education in 1974. These two degree programs became attractive centerpieces for other efforts to improve and enhance institutional roles. Library resources were dramatically increased and sophisticated computer services were developed to aid instruction and administration. A highly trained faculty enabled the University to continue growth in program offerings. In 1991, the University's six schools—five undergraduate and the graduate school—became colleges. In 1998, MTSU's Honors Program
became the Honors College, the first in the state. In 2002, approval was granted to redesignate three D.A. programs to Doctor of Philosophy programs, expanding the progressive institution's offerings. Ph.D. degree offerings now include Computational Sciences, Mathematics and Science Education (including concentrations in Biology Education, Chemistry Education, Mathematics Education, and Interdisciplinary Science Education), Molecular Biosciences, Economics, English, Human Performance, Public History, and Literacy Studies.
Since 1911, MTSU has graduated more than 100,000 students. Despite the University's growth from a campus of 100 acre (0.404686 km²), 125 students, and a faculty of 19, to an academic city of over 500 acres (2 km²), more than 26,000 students, and a faculty of over 900, the institution is still essentially a "people's university" with a concern for the diverse needs of the area that it serves. In the 1980s and 1990s, the institution dedicated resources to become a leader in technology, both in the classroom and in many services to students. In 1986, James McGill Buchanan ('40) became the first MTSU alumnus to be
awarded the Nobel Prize. Buchanan received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
for his pioneering role in the development of the field of public choice, a way of studying the behavior of politicians and bureaucrats.
The College of Graduate Studies offers Master's degrees in nearly forty different areas, the Specialist in Education degree (Administration and Supervision, Curriculum and Instruction in Educational Leadership, Elementary School Education, and School Psychology), and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. MTSU's first Ph.D. was awarded in May 2003, though the university had awarded many Doctor of Arts (D.A.) degrees in the past.
Middle Tennessee State University employs approximately 900 full-time faculty members, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 22:1.
The Department of Recording Industry (often called "RIM" for its former name "Recording Industry Management") is a department in the College of Mass Communications and the university's most popular program. Due to the large number of students in the program, only a limited number of slots are opened for students to gain candidacy to take upper-division classes. The RIM program is divided into three concentrations: Music Business, Commercial Songwriting, and Production & Technology. Music Business focuses on the marketing, management, and business aspects of the recording, touring, and publishing industries. The Production and Technology concentration focuses on recording, mixing, and mastering techniques, and specific technological trends of the industry. Commercial Songwriting is a blend of music business, songwriting, and music theory classes.
The department boasts five recording studios on campus, each open 24 hours a day.
The Rolling Stone
College Guide recognized MTSU as having "one of the preeminent music business programs in the country."
airliner (number N117FE, donated by FedEx
) is housed at the airport as a teaching tool. Though no longer considered air-worthy, its engines remain functional, and can be restarted for training purposes. American Airlines
has also donated a 727 cockpit procedure trainer to MTSU, which allows students to receive their flight engineer rating. It is housed in the Business & Aerospace Building near the center of campus. The aerospace program's training fleet is made up of Diamond DA40
single-engine aircraft featuring glass cockpit
s, with an assortment of other single- and multi-engine aircraft available. In 2010, the Department of Aerospace purchased ten radar simulators as well as a one-of-a-kind 360 degree control tower simulator to enhance training for its air traffic control students. These simulators allow students to experience life-like air traffic control scenarios that will aid in preparing them for training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City.
and New Jersey Institute of Technology
.
The campus, set on 466 acres (1.9 km²), features 109 permanent buildings with 3.8 million square feet (353,000 m²) of space. It is located one mile (1.6 km) from the geographic center of Tennessee, and 1.3 miles (2 km) east of downtown Murfreesboro. The campus is mostly flat, much like the landscape of Murfreesboro.
The campus takes the general shape of a rectangle and automobile traffic is mostly confined to the campus perimeter. Its borders, however, are generally defined by four high-traffic Murfreesboro thoroughfares: Greenland Boulevard on the north, Middle Tennessee Boulevard on the west, Rutherford Boulevard on the east, and East Main Street on the south. Parking lots for students border these streets on the outer perimeter of campus.
MTSU has never been linked directly to Interstate 24
, though there are two main arteries from the interstate. One is via Exit 80, which connects to New Salem Highway, intersects with Middle Tennessee Boulevard, and eventually leads to campus. The other is through Exit 81, which connects to Church Street, intersects with Rutherford Boulevard, and leads to the university's main entrance at MTSU Boulevard.
Middle Tennessee State University is a "dry campus," meaning alcoholic beverages are prohibited at all times.
The western section of campus contains most of the college's original buildings. The college's oldest classroom building, Kirksey Old Main, lies adjacent to Peck Hall. The original dormitories - Monohan, Lyon, and Rutledge Halls - line the western edge of campus. Service buildings such as the James Union Building and the Cope Administration Building are on the western edge of campus. Liberal arts buildings, such as Peck Hall, Jones Hall, and Saunders Fine Arts, occupy the majority of west campus. Other structures, such as the Wiser-Patten Science Building and the Uranidrome, a Naked Eye Observatory also lie on the western part of campus. Athletic facilities such as the Murphy Center
, Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium, the Alumni Memorial Gym, Reese Smith Jr. Field
, and the university's tennis courts are also on the western part of campus.
Central campus contains student service buildings and more dormitories. The Keathley University Center is the student union of MTSU, containing a cafeteria, bookstore, post office, and many student service offices. The new Student Union Building and College of Education Building is currently being erected on the west side of campus between Cummings Hall and the Recreation Center. The Woodmore CyberCafe also contains a cafeteria for students. Dormitory halls such as Smith, Beasley, Sims, Gracy, and Judd lie central to campus. Classroom buildings, such as the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building, Forrest Hall, and the Photography building are also located in the center of campus.
The eastern part of campus houses the main quadrangle of MTSU, encompassing the Learning Resource Center, the Business and Aerospace Building, the Mass Communications Building, and the James E. Walker Library
. East campus is also home to many dorms, including the honors dorm Wood-Felder, Clement, Gore, Nicks, Deere, and the two seven-story dormitories - Cummings and Corlew. On the far east of campus lies the Paul W. Martin Honors Building, Ezell and Abernathy Halls, the recreation center, and two apartment complexes - Scarlett Commons and Womack Lane. On the very extreme east of campus facing Rutherford Boulevard lies Greek Row.
houses are located on Greek Row, and a few other fraternities have off-campus housing locations. No sorority houses have opened at MTSU.
. The two radio stations on MTSU's campus are WMTS
, a student-run radio station, and WMOT
, a publicly supported jazz radio station.
Twelve IFC
fraternities: Alpha Gamma Rho
, Alpha Tau Omega
, Kappa Alpha Order
, Kappa Sigma
, Pi Kappa Phi
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
, Sigma Nu
, Sigma Pi
, Sigma Phi Epsilon
, Sigma Chi
, and Tau Kappa Epsilon
Six NPC
sororities: Alpha Delta Pi
, Alpha Omicron Pi
, Alpha Chi Omega
, Zeta Tau Alpha
, Kappa Delta
, and Chi Omega
All Nine NPHC organizations: Alpha Kappa Alpha
, Alpha Phi Alpha
, Delta Sigma Theta
, Zeta Phi Beta
, Iota Phi Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi
, Sigma Gamma Rho
, Phi Beta Sigma
, and Omega Psi Phi
Two NALFO organizations: Lambda Theta Alpha
and Lambda Theta Phi
One independent fraternity: Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Professional/Honor organizations: Alpha Eta Rho
, Alpha Kappa Psi
, Alpha Psi Omega
, Delta Omicron
, Pi Sigma Epsilon
, Sigma Alpha Iota
, Sigma Theta Tau
, Sigma Alpha Lambda
, Phi Sigma Pi
, Phi Kappa Phi
, Order of Omega
, and Omega Delta Psi
Middle Tennessee's athletic teams, known as the Blue Raiders, compete in the Sun Belt Conference
of NCAA's Division I in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS, formerly Division I-A). MTSU has won two national championships: golf in 1965, and men's doubles tennis in 2007.
The MTSU mascot is "Lightning," a winged horse based on Pegasus from Greek mythology.
, Nobel Prize winning economist James McGill Buchanan, NFL quarterback Kelly Holcomb
, Nashville Star winner Chris Young, country music artist Hillary Scott
of Lady Antebellum
, and WNBA players Alysha Clark
and Amber Holt
.
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Founded in 1911 as an education college, the university is composed of seven undergraduate colleges as well as a college of graduate studies offering more than 80 majors/degree programs through over 35 departments. Total enrollment in Fall, 2010 was 26,430, and in spring 2011 it was 24,660 (Spring enrollment is typically a bit lower than Fall enrollment). Of the Spring, 2011 total, 22,274 were undergraduates, and 2,386 were graduate students. It is currently the largest institution of higher learning in Tennessee by undergraduate enrollment. Fall semester 2011 set a new MTSU record enrollment total of 26,442 students. In 2009, Middle Tennessee State University was ranked among the top 100 public universities by Forbes.
MTSU is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents
Tennessee Board of Regents
The Tennessee Board of Regents is one of the two systems of public higher education in Tennessee. The TBR was authorized by an act of the Tennessee General Assembly passed in 1972...
, and is accredited
Accreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
Commission on Colleges. Its current president is Sidney A. McPhee
Sidney A. McPhee
Sidney A. McPhee is an American educator, currently serving as the President of Middle Tennessee State University . A native of the Bahamas, McPhee earned his B.A...
.
History
In 1909, the General Assembly of the State of TennesseeTennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
moved "to provide for the improvement of the system of Public Education of the State of Tennessee, that is to say, to establish a General Education Fund." The major thrust of this "improvement" embodied in the legislative act that was to become known as the General Education Bill of 1909 was the establishment of three normals or teacher-training institutions. Following the intent of the act that one was to be located in each of the grand divisions of the state, the State Board of Education assigned the middle Tennessee institution
to Murfreesboro.
Opening on September 11, 1911, with a two-year program for training teachers, Middle Tennessee State Normal School evolved into a four-year teachers' college in 1925 with the power of granting the Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree. In 1943, the General Assembly designated the institution a state college. This new status marked a sharp departure from the founding purpose and opened the way for expanding curricular offerings and programs. In 1965, the institution was advanced to university status.
During the progressive movement from a two-year normal to a university, several significant milestones may be identified. In 1936, the Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
program was added. Responding to the expressed needs of the institution's service area, the Graduate School was established in 1951. To effect better communications and improve administrative supervision, the schools concept was introduced in 1962.
As Middle Tennessee State University developed and grew, the Doctor of Arts
Doctor of Arts
The Doctor of Arts is a discipline-based terminal doctoral degree that was originally conceived and designed to be an alternative to the traditional research-based Doctor of Philosophy and the education-based Doctor of Education . Like other doctorates, the D.A. is an academic degree of the...
program was added in 1970 and the Specialist in Education in 1974. These two degree programs became attractive centerpieces for other efforts to improve and enhance institutional roles. Library resources were dramatically increased and sophisticated computer services were developed to aid instruction and administration. A highly trained faculty enabled the University to continue growth in program offerings. In 1991, the University's six schools—five undergraduate and the graduate school—became colleges. In 1998, MTSU's Honors Program
Honors course
Honors course is a distinction applied in the United States to certain classes to distinguish them from standard course offerings. The difference between a regular class and the honors class is not necessarily the amount of work, but the type of work required and the pace of studying...
became the Honors College, the first in the state. In 2002, approval was granted to redesignate three D.A. programs to Doctor of Philosophy programs, expanding the progressive institution's offerings. Ph.D. degree offerings now include Computational Sciences, Mathematics and Science Education (including concentrations in Biology Education, Chemistry Education, Mathematics Education, and Interdisciplinary Science Education), Molecular Biosciences, Economics, English, Human Performance, Public History, and Literacy Studies.
Since 1911, MTSU has graduated more than 100,000 students. Despite the University's growth from a campus of 100 acre (0.404686 km²), 125 students, and a faculty of 19, to an academic city of over 500 acres (2 km²), more than 26,000 students, and a faculty of over 900, the institution is still essentially a "people's university" with a concern for the diverse needs of the area that it serves. In the 1980s and 1990s, the institution dedicated resources to become a leader in technology, both in the classroom and in many services to students. In 1986, James McGill Buchanan ('40) became the first MTSU alumnus to be
awarded the Nobel Prize. Buchanan received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, commonly referred to as the Nobel Prize in Economics, but officially the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel , is an award for outstanding contributions to the field of economics, generally regarded as one of the...
for his pioneering role in the development of the field of public choice, a way of studying the behavior of politicians and bureaucrats.
Academics
MTSU is divided into eight colleges:- College of Basic and Applied Sciences
- College of Education and Behavioral Science
- College of Graduate Studies
- College of Liberal Arts
- College of Mass Communication
- Jennings A. Jones College of Business
- University College
- University Honors College
The College of Graduate Studies offers Master's degrees in nearly forty different areas, the Specialist in Education degree (Administration and Supervision, Curriculum and Instruction in Educational Leadership, Elementary School Education, and School Psychology), and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. MTSU's first Ph.D. was awarded in May 2003, though the university had awarded many Doctor of Arts (D.A.) degrees in the past.
Middle Tennessee State University employs approximately 900 full-time faculty members, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 22:1.
Department of Recording Industry
The department boasts five recording studios on campus, each open 24 hours a day.
The Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
College Guide recognized MTSU as having "one of the preeminent music business programs in the country."
Department of Aerospace
The Department of Aerospace offers an aerospace major with five concentrations: professional pilot, administration, technology, flight dispatch, and maintenance management. Each concentration has been accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International, and the aerospace program has been accredited since 1992. The Department of Aerospace has a working agreement with the single-runway Murfreesboro Airport to provide many of its classes on-site. A decommissioned Boeing 727Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
airliner (number N117FE, donated by FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
) is housed at the airport as a teaching tool. Though no longer considered air-worthy, its engines remain functional, and can be restarted for training purposes. American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
has also donated a 727 cockpit procedure trainer to MTSU, which allows students to receive their flight engineer rating. It is housed in the Business & Aerospace Building near the center of campus. The aerospace program's training fleet is made up of Diamond DA40
Diamond DA40
The Diamond DA40 Diamond Star is an Austrian four-seat, single engine, light aircraft constructed from composite materials. Built in both Austria and Canada, it was developed as a four-seat version of the earlier DA20 by Diamond Aircraft Industries....
single-engine aircraft featuring glass cockpit
Glass cockpit
A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic instrument displays, typically large LCD screens, as opposed to the traditional style of analog dials and gauges...
s, with an assortment of other single- and multi-engine aircraft available. In 2010, the Department of Aerospace purchased ten radar simulators as well as a one-of-a-kind 360 degree control tower simulator to enhance training for its air traffic control students. These simulators allow students to experience life-like air traffic control scenarios that will aid in preparing them for training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City.
Concrete Industry Management
The Concrete Industry Management program is a four year bachelor of science degree offered through the Engineering Technology and Industrial Studies department in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences. CIM develops graduates that are broadly educated with technical knowledge in addition to a solid business background. Known for its close industry ties and very high job placement rates, CIM has become the fastest growing major on campus and boasts around 300 students. It was started in 1996 by industry professionals and companies to meet the demand for educated professionals in an expanding and changing industry. CIM at MTSU was the first of its kind in the country. Other CIM programs have since started at Arizona State UniversityArizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
and New Jersey Institute of Technology
New Jersey Institute of Technology
New Jersey Institute of Technology is a public research university in Newark, New Jersey. It is often also referred to as Newark College of Engineering ....
.
Campus Information
The campus takes the general shape of a rectangle and automobile traffic is mostly confined to the campus perimeter. Its borders, however, are generally defined by four high-traffic Murfreesboro thoroughfares: Greenland Boulevard on the north, Middle Tennessee Boulevard on the west, Rutherford Boulevard on the east, and East Main Street on the south. Parking lots for students border these streets on the outer perimeter of campus.
MTSU has never been linked directly to Interstate 24
Interstate 24
Interstate 24 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from Interstate 57 to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at Interstate 75....
, though there are two main arteries from the interstate. One is via Exit 80, which connects to New Salem Highway, intersects with Middle Tennessee Boulevard, and eventually leads to campus. The other is through Exit 81, which connects to Church Street, intersects with Rutherford Boulevard, and leads to the university's main entrance at MTSU Boulevard.
Middle Tennessee State University is a "dry campus," meaning alcoholic beverages are prohibited at all times.
Campus Layout
Murphy Center
Charles M. Murphy Athletic Center is the name of the main athletic department building at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States. The building was built in 1973 and named in honor of Charles M. "Bubber" Murphy, a standout athlete at the college in the 1930s...
, Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium, the Alumni Memorial Gym, Reese Smith Jr. Field
Reese Smith Jr. Field
Reese Smith Jr. Field is a baseball venue located on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA. It is home to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders baseball team, a member of the Division I Sun Belt Conference. The park was built in 1979 and has a capacity of...
, and the university's tennis courts are also on the western part of campus.
Central campus contains student service buildings and more dormitories. The Keathley University Center is the student union of MTSU, containing a cafeteria, bookstore, post office, and many student service offices. The new Student Union Building and College of Education Building is currently being erected on the west side of campus between Cummings Hall and the Recreation Center. The Woodmore CyberCafe also contains a cafeteria for students. Dormitory halls such as Smith, Beasley, Sims, Gracy, and Judd lie central to campus. Classroom buildings, such as the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building, Forrest Hall, and the Photography building are also located in the center of campus.
The eastern part of campus houses the main quadrangle of MTSU, encompassing the Learning Resource Center, the Business and Aerospace Building, the Mass Communications Building, and the James E. Walker Library
James E. Walker Library
The James E. Walker Library is the campus library of Middle Tennessee State University . Opened in 1999 under university president James E. Walker, it replaced an older library in Todd Hall, now home to the Art Department. A four-floor, building, it has a capacity of 800,000 volumes. However,...
. East campus is also home to many dorms, including the honors dorm Wood-Felder, Clement, Gore, Nicks, Deere, and the two seven-story dormitories - Cummings and Corlew. On the far east of campus lies the Paul W. Martin Honors Building, Ezell and Abernathy Halls, the recreation center, and two apartment complexes - Scarlett Commons and Womack Lane. On the very extreme east of campus facing Rutherford Boulevard lies Greek Row.
Residences
There are twenty on-campus dormitories on MTSU's campus, and two apartment complexes. 15% of MTSU's students live in on campus. A large majority of students live in apartment complexes surrounding the university. Eight fraternityFraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
houses are located on Greek Row, and a few other fraternities have off-campus housing locations. No sorority houses have opened at MTSU.
Media outlets
Due to a significant emphasis on Mass Communication at MTSU, the campus has several mass media outlets. Sidelines is the campus's editorially independent, student-run newspaper, printed every Monday and Thursday. MTTV, a student-run TV station, is carried locally by ComcastComcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
. The two radio stations on MTSU's campus are WMTS
WMTS-FM
' is a student run college radio station licensed to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA. The station is currently owned by Middle Tennessee State University....
, a student-run radio station, and WMOT
WMOT
WMOT is a radio station featuring classical music, jazz music and news and talk programming, serving the metropolitan Nashville, Tennessee market. It is licensed to Middle Tennessee State University, located in nearby Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Its signal can be heard most clearly in the counties...
, a publicly supported jazz radio station.
Student organizations
The university is host to approximately 225 student organizations, fraternities, and interest groups. In addition, MTSU's Greek Life consists of the following social fraternities and sororities:Twelve IFC
North-American Interfraternity Conference
The North-American Interfraternity Conference , is an association of collegiate men's fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates where each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate...
fraternities: Alpha Gamma Rho
Alpha Gamma Rho
Alpha Gamma Rho is a social-professional fraternity in the United States, with 75 university chapters including chapter in Mindanao State University, Philippines...
, Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009...
, Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions...
, Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
, Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina...
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
, Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
, Sigma Pi
Sigma Pi
Sigma Pi is an international college secret and social fraternity founded in 1897 at Vincennes University. Sigma Pi International fraternity currently has 127 chapters and 4 colonies in the United States and Canada and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee...
, Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
, Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
, and Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
Six NPC
National Panhellenic Conference
The National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...
sororities: Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi is a fraternity founded on May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The Executive office for this sorority is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. Alpha Delta Pi is one of the two "Macon Magnolias," a term used to celebrate the bonds it shares with Phi Mu...
, Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi
Alpha Omicron Pi is an international women's fraternity promoting friendship for a lifetime, inspiring academic excellence and lifelong learning, and developing leadership skills through service to the Fraternity and community. ΑΟΠ was founded on January 2, 1897 at Barnard College on the campus...
, Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. Currently, there are 135 chapters of Alpha Chi Omega at colleges and universities across the United States and more than 200,000 lifetime members...
, Zeta Tau Alpha
Zeta Tau Alpha
Zeta Tau Alpha is a women's fraternity, founded October 15, 1898 at the State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia. The Executive office is located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, Kappa Delta
Kappa Delta
Kappa Delta was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School , in Farmville, Virginia. It is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the university...
, and Chi Omega
Chi Omega
Chi Omega is a women's fraternity and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee....
All Nine NPHC organizations: Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
, Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
, Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
, Zeta Phi Beta
Zeta Phi Beta
Zeta Phi Beta is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority and a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean...
, Iota Phi Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
, Sigma Gamma Rho
Sigma Gamma Rho
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on the campus of Butler University on November 12, 1922, by seven school teachers in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
, and Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
Two NALFO organizations: Lambda Theta Alpha
Lambda Theta Alpha
Lambda Theta Alpha is a Latina sorority in the United States.The idea for Lambda Theta Alpha began in the late 1970s, when colleges and universities experienced an influx of Latino enrollment; the organization came into being at Kean University in 1975 with Lambda Theta Alpha's seventeen founding...
and Lambda Theta Phi
Lambda Theta Phi
Lambda Theta Phi is a non-profit social fraternity in the United States. It was founded on December 1, 1975 at Kean College in Union, New Jersey. It emphasizes Latin unity and the celebration of the Latin culture. In 1992 Lambda Theta Phi was accepted into the North-American Interfraternity...
One independent fraternity: Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music...
Professional/Honor organizations: Alpha Eta Rho
Alpha Eta Rho
Alpha Eta Rho is a coed international professional college aviation fraternity that serves as a contact between the aviation industry and educational institutions. The fraternity strives to foster, promote, and mentor today's college students towards successful careers in aviation, aeronautical...
, Alpha Kappa Psi
Alpha Kappa Psi
ΑΚΨ is the oldest and largest professional business fraternity. The Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity was founded on October 5, 1904 at New York University, and was incorporated on May 20, 1905...
, Alpha Psi Omega
Alpha Psi Omega
Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society is an American recognition honor society recognizing participants in collegiate theatre. The Alpha Cast was founded at Fairmont State College on August 12, 1925 by professor Paul F...
, Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron is a co-ed international professional music honors fraternity whose mission is to promote and support excellence in music and musicianship.-History:...
, Pi Sigma Epsilon
Pi Sigma Epsilon
'ΠΣΕ ' is the only national, professional fraternal organization in sales, marketing, and management in the United States. The fraternity was developed by four members of the Sales and Marketing Executives association of Atlanta, Georgia...
, Sigma Alpha Iota
Sigma Alpha Iota
Sigma Alpha Iota , International Music Fraternity for Women. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its members and the general public...
, Sigma Theta Tau
Sigma Theta Tau
The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International exists to improve the health of people by increasing the scientific base of nursing research...
, Sigma Alpha Lambda
Sigma Alpha Lambda
Sigma Alpha Lambda is a National Leadership and Honors Organization in the United States dedicated to developing the individual and serving the campus and community...
, Phi Sigma Pi
Phi Sigma Pi
Phi Sigma Pi is a national coeducational honor fraternity based in the United States. The fraternity is a 501 not-for-profit organization incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania, with the purpose of fostering the ideals of scholarship, leadership and fellowship...
, Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
, Order of Omega
Order of Omega
The Order of Omega is an undergraduate Greek society recognizing "fraternity men and women who have attained a high standard of leadership in inter-fraternity activities." It functions as an adjunct to traditional fraternal organizations, rather than a social or professional group in se...
, and Omega Delta Psi
Athletics
Middle Tennessee's athletic teams, known as the Blue Raiders, compete in the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
of NCAA's Division I in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS, formerly Division I-A). MTSU has won two national championships: golf in 1965, and men's doubles tennis in 2007.
The MTSU mascot is "Lightning," a winged horse based on Pegasus from Greek mythology.
Distinguished Alumni and Faculty
Some of MTSU's most notable alumni include politician Albert Gore, Sr.Albert Gore, Sr.
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Sr. was an American politician, serving as a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator for the Democratic Party from Tennessee....
, Nobel Prize winning economist James McGill Buchanan, NFL quarterback Kelly Holcomb
Kelly Holcomb
Bryan Kelly Holcomb is a former American football quarterback of the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 1995...
, Nashville Star winner Chris Young, country music artist Hillary Scott
Hillary Scott (singer)
Hillary Dawn Scott is an American country music singer-songwriter. She is currently a member of Lady Antebellum, a country band that was formed in 2006 and signed to Capitol Nashville.-Early life:...
of Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...
, and WNBA players Alysha Clark
Alysha Clark
Alysha Clark is a professional basketball player in the WNBA. She was drafted in the second round of the 2010 WNBA Draft by the San Antonio Silver Stars.-Early life:...
and Amber Holt
Amber Holt
Amber Shirell Holt is an American professional basketball player. She currently plays for the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. Holt went to Meadowcreek High School.- Early life :...
.