Retiring MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee reflects on a quarter century as the institution’s chief executive in his own words

Interview conducted by Drew Ruble

As you prepare to retire in December, how would you describe the state of the University?

After all these years leading this remarkable institution, I believe MTSU is well positioned for its next chapter, grounded in a strong mission and a clear sense of purpose. With the dedication of our faculty and staff, and the aspirations of generations of students, we have guided MTSU through an extraordinary transformation. We have strengthened our academic mission, focused on student success, significantly enhanced our campus facilities, elevated research and creative activity, and affirmed our responsibility as Tennessee’s largest locally governed university to serve the public good.

Serving as president of Middle Tennessee State University has been the great honor of my professional life. My family and I have been steadfast over the last quarter century in our love for MTSU and this community and are deeply proud of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff.

The past 25 years has awarded me and my colleagues the opportunity to guide the University through an era of incredible progress and success.

I’m extremely proud of the institution that MTSU has become.

We’ve expanded our capabilities with:

• New and innovative academic programs

•  A growing research agenda that led our campus to receiving an R2 research designation—the largest public R2 university in the state and a recognition earned by only 3% of colleges and universities nationwide

•  Educational partnerships across the United States and around the world

We built a service-centered educational model that’s focused on each student’s success—providing them with high-quality education and the skills they need to prosper in their chosen field.

The campus footprint has been enhanced, with more than $2 billion in state-of-the-art new and renovated facilities.

We have done so with the highest level of efficiency among higher education peers in the state of Tennessee.

In addition, the MTSU Foundation’s endowment stood at $18.4 million when I arrived. Today, total funds invested for the University have risen to $162.4 million.

These accomplishments would not have been possible without the many administrators, faculty, and staff—colleagues who have given their time and their talents  over the years to strengthen and sustain our institution.

Our work speaks for itself.

I especially want to thank my executive team for their leadership and their wise counsel during my tenure.

I’m also grateful for the commitment and dedication of all of our employees; the tireless support of our alumni; and especially our amazing students we have on this campus.

It has been, indeed, an incredible 25 years.

What about MTSU today makes you the proudest?

Every president of every college and university in America believes their institution is special and among the best choices for degree seekers. 

I’m proud to say I can back up that claim with proof.

Our University was again included on the Forbes list of the 500 top colleges in the U.S., one of only four public institutions in the state to make the 2026 ranking, determined using 2025 data.

MTSU was also recently among 391 colleges and universities recognized among the nation’s best by The Princeton Review, one of the nation’s leading education services companies. Only two public universities in Tennessee—MTSU and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville—made the list. Selected colleges recognized constitute only about 15% of America’s nearly 2,400 four-year institutions. We are proud that MTSU has now made this prestigious list for the seventh consecutive year.

In addition, the Wall Street Journal recognized MTSU for the first time on its 2025 list of America’s Best Colleges—and again in 2026.

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

Speaking of that, I’m especially proud of MTSU’s reputation as a place where the life trajectories of our students and their families are improved. 

With a total enrollment approaching 21,000 students—more than half of whom are eligible for Pell aid—MTSU’s standing as a destination of choice for first-generation students is well established, as is its long success in helping low-income students who meet admission standards overcome obstacles often posed by tuition and fees. 

By doing this, the University has created generational change. U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks MTSU among the top 100 in the nation for Social Mobility—a measure of the movement of individuals or groups up or down the socioeconomic ladder, relative to their parents, or over their own lifetime, involving changes in income, education, occupation, and social class.

What do you believe is the most significant academic achievement of your tenure? 

When I arrived as the 10th president of MTSU in 2001, MTSU was already a well-respected regional institution. It also held untapped potential for growth in academic excellence, innovation, and community impact.

Since then, MTSU has grown to become a nationally recognized academic leader in many areas. 

My presidency has focused on purpose, not just growth. Each new building, expanded program, and strategic partnership I hope and believe have demonstrated my belief in higher education’s transformative power and in MTSU’s power to transform the Nashville area for the better.

The University has grown to include seven academic colleges, along with the Honors College and College of Graduate Studies. MTSU now offers more than 200 undergraduate majors and concentrations, over 100 master’s and specialist degree programs, and nine doctorates across 38 departments and schools. The University has raised admission standards, increased enrollment of high-ability students, and introduced more than 50 academic programs, two new colleges, and 20 institutes and centers.

One major change that occurred during my tenure was the rise of online education. MTSU Online now offers more than 80 fully online degree options. These programs respond directly to workforce needs and provide new opportunities for students seeking flexible pathways to advance their education and careers.

When I get a chance to personally meet prospective students, I am confident in telling them that if they come to MTSU, they will get the attention of faculty and staff that they will need to be successful in college.

I strongly believe in the value of applied knowledge—merging classroom knowledge with real-world work environments through experiential learning initiatives.  

A classroom for MTSU students may be behind a camera at Bonnaroo, adjusting a robot at the Nissan manufacturing facility, helping patients on an underwater treadmill, combing an archaeological dig, or assisting veterans with equestrian therapy.

Our commitment was always to provide students with an education that is rigorous and relevant. Student success has always been my No. 1 priority. And through the years, I am proud to say that we have established a number of proven strategies to boost our students’ ability to persist to graduation. 

Talk about the tremendous growth of campus over the past quarter century.

With major investments in capital improvements during my tenure, MTSU is better positioned to meet middle Tennessee’s workforce needs.

Take as just one example: The University’s new $74.8 million Applied Engineering Building opened on campus in 2025. Explosive growth in programs, especially Mechatronics Engineering, was central to MTSU’s decision to build the 89,000-square-foot engineering building. 

It sits next to the School of Concrete and Construction Management, a $40.1 million, 54,000-square-foot facility that opened three years previously. 

This state-of-the-art engineering facility—equipped with millions of dollars’ worth of advanced technology—will forever change the way our students learn and our faculty teach. More than just a new building, it represents an investment in Tennessee’s future workforce and a commitment to innovation in engineering, technology, and advanced manufacturing.

Clearly, we are committed to providing our students with the latest, cutting-edge technology and resources to ensure they’re well prepared for the in-demand jobs this facility will train them to do.

As another example, in 2021, MTSU announced plans to relocate its flight training program from the landlocked Murfreesboro airport to Shelbyville, where significantly more space is available for growth. The project officially broke ground in 2025 with a total anticipated cost of about $130 million for all phases. By the time the project is completed in 2028, MTSU’s Aerospace facilities will span approximately 16 acres at the Shelbyville airport, marking a significant milestone for the University’s aviation program.

How has MTSU helped transform the Nashville-area economy?

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

MTSU today produces more graduates than any other local university—close to 5,000 each year. One in every six college-educated individuals in the greater Nashville area holds an MTSU degree, making us the No. 1 provider to the region’s workforce. 

In all, MTSU has more than 70,000 alumni across greater Nashville. Our alumni run companies. They teach our children. They win Grammys! They cure diseases. They create, innovate, and succeed.

MTSU alumni, including alumni-owned businesses, generated more than $15.2 billion in business revenue in the state over the course of a year, as measured in 2024. Rutherford County alone recorded over $4.1 billion, the highest among all counties. The Nashville metropolitan statistical area (MSA) had a total of $11.3 billion. These findings underscore the tremendous and positive, multibillion-dollar economic impact made by our alumni in Tennessee. Most of our graduates remain in our state, adding to the workforce, paying taxes, starting businesses, and contributing to our communities.

In addition, the MTSU Foundation’s endowment stood at $18.4 million when I arrived. Today, total funds invested for the University have risen to $162.4 million.

I most certainly didn’t do it alone. I want to thank all of the supporters of MTSU for their tireless efforts through the years. By working together, we created opportunities that benefited everyone, from students and alumni to local businesses and residents.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention that I never could have had the success or happiness in my years at MTSU if it wasn’t for the presence of my wife, Liz McPhee, who sadly passed on Jan. 8, 2026, following a brief illness. The first lady was beloved by our University community. Her devotion to MTSU over the last quarter century, combined with her career as an educator and her tremendous impact as a volunteer for numerous charitable causes, enhanced the lives of thousands in our city, state, and beyond.

I am beyond grateful to the MTSU family for making our lives together so wonderful and so meaningful. We are the ones who are truly indebted to all of them for their kindness and friendships throughout the many years.

Oh, and one last thing. If you see me on campus, please come up to me and say hello! I will be a faculty member in the College of Education as a tenured professor after a two-semester sabbatical to retool.

High Praise: Stephen B. Smith, MTSU Board of Trustees chair, thanks President Sidney A. McPhee in his own words

Dr. McPhee is MTSU’s longest-serving chief executive. He presided over $2 billion in new construction, renovations, and improvements. The campus we enjoy was shaped by his team’s vision and persistence.

Perhaps the most transformative of all of those is the Science Corridor of Innovation anchored by the renowned Science Building and supported by the complete renovation of two nearby science buildings, plus construction of new facilities for Construction and Concrete Management and Engineering Technology. Not to mention the $73 million expansion project under way in Shelbyville for our state-of-the-art Aerospace program.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Academically, he’s overseen the creation of almost 50 new graduate and undergraduate programs, two new colleges, and more than 20 institutes and centers.

He’s led our University through many challenges, including COVID, where we were viewed as a model for operational safety and caring for our students.

During the hard budget years, he readjusted University priorities to meet the biggest challenges caused by declines in appropriations.

He deftly navigated the creation of free community college in Tennessee. What could have been a disaster was really just a little chop on the water as we pivoted to transfer student recruitment and other enrollment strategies.

We currently graduate more students for less money per graduate than any other public university. That doesn’t just happen. It happens because you had a leader at the top making sure that the building was square.

We’re still the largest institution among Tennessee’s LGIs (locally governed institutions). We’re the No. 1 provider of college grads in the greater Nashville-area economy. We’re a top choice for first-generation college students, transfer students, and adult learners, of which I myself was one.

Through the creation of the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center, we’re well known and highly recognized nationally for our service to military-connected students.

Our devotion to student success—advising, as well as increasing persistence and progress of our students toward graduation—is a national model.

We’re also on the top tier in the nation of both public and private universities for our graduation rate of student-athletes, which is a remarkable achievement, all done because he made it a priority.

Sidney and his late wife, Liz—they’ve given so much to our school over the past quarter of a century.

We’re grateful for his devotion.

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