Middle Tennessee State University’s Board of Trustees reviewed or approved several academic program changes at its quarterly meeting Tuesday, Dec. 5, including new names of departments and additional degree concentrations and minors.

Trustees also approved reports of various committees, which included news that MTSU’s requests for state funding of two new campus buildings are No. 1 and No. 7 on the priority list of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, or THEC.

The board approved a recommendation from the Academic Affairs, Student Life, and Athletics Committee to elevate the existing concentration in Insurance within the bachelor of business administration in fFinance degree to a free-standing degree in risk management and insurance, effective fall 2018.

Provost Mark Byrnes also updated the committee on academic program changes effective July 1, 2018, which included:

• Department name changes: Department of Communication Studies and Organizational Communication to Department of Communication Studies; Department of Computer Information Systems to Department of Information Systems and Analytics; Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures to Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures; and School of Journalism to School of Journalism and Strategic Media.
• Program name changes: the Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication program becomes the B.S. in Media and Entertainment; the Bachelor of Science in Art, Art Practices Concentration becomes the B.S. in Art, Visual Arts Concentration; and the Bachelor of Arts in Art, Art Practices Concentration becomes the B.A. in Art, Visual Arts Concentration.
• The labor relations concentration within the bachelor of business administration in economics program will be terminated.
• New concentrations: Interdisciplinary Media within the B.S. in Media and Entertainment program; Professional Selling within the bachelor of business administration in marketing program; and Supply Chain Management within the bachelor of business administration in management program.
• New minors: Criminal Investigation in the Department of Criminal Justice Administration; and Professional French in the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Culture.
• Program Consolidation: the B.S. in Liberal Studies and B.S. in Integrated Studies will be consolidated into the B.S. in Integrated Studies.

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee makes a point during the Dec. 5 Board of Trustees meeting in the Student Union Ballroom. At right is board chairman Steve Smith. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

In other actions, the board:

• Learned that Athletic Director Chris Massaro gave a presentation on development of a master plan for improving athletics facilities to the Academic Affairs, Student Life, and Athletics Committee.
• Voted on a policy that requires all trustees, except the student and faculty representative, to reimburse the university for travel when attending out-of-town athletic events.
• Learned that THEC ranked the university’s proposed Academic Classroom Building No. 1 and the Applied Engineering Building, housing the mechatronics program, No. 7 for capital project funding in preparation of the governor’s 2018-19 budget.
• Approved a measure to hire outside consultation for compensation evaluation services for President Sidney A. McPhee’s annual performance appraisal.
• Passed a resolution honoring Patti Miller for her more than 25 years of dedicated and valuable years of service as MTSU’s assistant vice president for campus planning and architect. Miller this week joined THEC in a systemwide facilities planning role.

McPhee, in his report to the trustees, thanked campus and area law enforcement, County Mayor Ernest Burgess and Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland, as well as Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh and Murfreesboro Police Chief Michael Bowen, for their leadership in preparing for the planned October downtown protest rally that failed to materialize.

The president also said the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Board reaffirmed MTSU’s accreditation after reviewing its change of governance from the Tennessee Board of Regents to the new Board of Trustees. For more information about the MTSU Board of Trustees, go to www.mtsu.edu/boardoftrustees.

Former longtime MTSU executive Patti Miller is all smiles after receiving special recognition at the Dec. 5 MTSU Board of Trustees meeting in the Student Union Ballroom. The board passed a resolution honoring Miller for her more than 25 years of service as MTSU’s assistant vice president for campus planning and architect. Miller joined the Tennessee Higher Education Commission this week in a systemwide facilities planning role. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

MTSU Board of Trustees announces Dec. 5 meetings

Nov. 28, 2017

The Middle Tennessee State University Board of Trustees announces the following committee meeting and full board meeting for Tuesday, Dec. 5:

• Academic Affairs, Student Life and Athletics Committee: 10:30 a.m., President’s Executive Conference Room, Second Floor, Student Union Building, MTSU Campus, Murfreesboro. Agenda items include recommendations for proposed rule and policies, award of expedited tenure, new academic program, and admissions application; and information and discussion on matters including academic actions approved through interim action, new academic programs under consideration, census data, faculty senate presentation, and athletics facilities study.

• Board of Trustees: 1 p.m., Ballrooms A and B, Second Floor, Student Union Building. Agenda items include reports from board committees; approval of items including proposed rules and policies, president’s compensation, severance of procurement services from the Tennessee Board of Regents, 2017-2018 October revised budget, compensation strategies, award of expedited tenure, new academic program, and admissions application question; and information including the president’s report and, technical revisions made to policies and rules.

All meetings are open to the public. The Student Union Building is located at 1768 MTSU Blvd. For parking details, go to www.mtsu.edu/maps. For agenda details or other information, go to www.mtsu.edu/boardoftrustees/meetings.