Rutledge reopening marks the transition from dormitory to academic building

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — “Since its earliest existence, this building, much like the university, has adapted to serve the needs of our students and faculty,” said Middle Tennessee State University President Sidney A. McPhee as he welcomed members of the True Blue community to the Wednesday, Sept. 9, ribbon cutting for Rutledge Hall.

The joint $54.3 million renovation project brought two of MTSU’s original buildings on the west side of campus — Rutledge Hall and nearby Kirksey Old Main — into the present day with upgraded classrooms and technology and improved accessibility. And in Rutledge Hall’s case, transforming a previous student dormitory space into modernized classroom and office space for the University Studies Department.

“This renovation project provides our University Studies faculty and students with contemporary educational space and modern amenities, while retaining much of the building’s original character,” McPhee told the crowd of dozens of administrators, faculty, staff, students, community supporters and dignitaries, including area state lawmakers and Secretary of State Tre Hargett, assembled on the front lawn outside of the newly-renovated building.

Matthew D. Duncan, department chair of University Studies, said it was “a privilege to celebrate this next chapter in the life of Rutledge Hall,” which opened for the fall semester following more than two years of construction.

“For generations of students, a dorm room has been much more than a room,” Duncan continued. “It is often the setting for firsts: a first time living away from home, first friendships, first hard conversations, first moments of independence, and sometimes the first realization that a campus can become a home away from home.”

Starting this fall, Rutledge will again serve as home, but now to MTSU’s leading undergraduate degree-producing program for the past five years. Part of University College, the University Studies Department oversees the Interdisciplinary Studies bachelor’s program and the Professional Studies bachelor’s and master’s programs.

“May everyone who enters these doors find belonging, direction, and the confidence to take their next step. Rutledge will continue to be a home for students and a place where futures begin,” Duncan said.

Rutledge Hall was originally completed in 1910, shortly after Kirksey Old Main. A wide, sweeping sidewalk between two basswood trees connects Rutledge to its similarly columned cousin. The building, named for dormitory matron Elma Rutledge, now boasts nine classrooms, two laboratories and 35 faculty and staff offices. Several historic details remain, including doors and woodwork, while updated essentials brought the aging building to code.

“Thanks to these renovations, which transformed the building from residential to classroom and office spaces, MTSU students are going to continue making memories in this historic building for decades to come,” said Provost Mark Byrnes.

“One of the things I am happiest about is seeing the Department of University Studies back together again after being displaced during construction. Bringing faculty and staff back under one roof strengthens collaboration and creates a better experience for the students they serve and mentor.”

The historic nature of the project presented unique challenges for Anecdote Architectural Experiences, university partner Messer Construction Co. and MTSU’s Campus Planning Department.

“Understanding the history was critical to the design for the renovation,” said Steve Johnson of Anecdote Architectural Experiences, noting that the agency learned about the history of MTSU and its origins as a normal school to train teachers to honor the building’s history while updating it for present-day purposes.

“Today we stand before a transformed facility that will support students, faculty, and staff for decades to come,” said Richard Sluder, University College dean and vice provost for student success. “It’s already served faculty, staff and students, so many people, for more than a century.”

University Studies knows a thing or two about service. The department helps bridge the gap for students who might otherwise fall through the cracks with its flexible online education options, alternative course scheduling, zero-textbook-cost initiatives, and more.

“For a long time, I thought that this chapter was probably over,” summer graduate James Upshaw shared with the crowd. Upshaw took his first classes at MTSU in 2012, but life took him in a different direction. “In 2023, I decided to come back. This time, I was determined to finish. By golly, I did.”

Not only did Upshaw graduate with his bachelor’s in professional studies after taking all his classes online, but he is now pursuing a master’s degree. Despite being an online student, Upshaw said he was extremely appreciative to be part of the celebration of the start of this special chapter for a department that provided the support he needed to achieve his academic goal.

“I hope the students who come through this area in the years ahead find not only a place to learn, but a place that reminds them that their goals are worth pursuing,” said Upshaw. “Even if their path doesn’t look exactly the way that they had originally imagined.”

— Cat Curtis Murphy ([email protected])