MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University is preparing to celebrate the end of the fall semester when more than 1,600 newest alumni accept their degrees on Saturday, Dec. 13, during two commencement ceremonies to be attended by thousands of family, friends and supporters.

Held in Hale/Earle Arena inside Murphy Center at 2650 Middle Tennessee Blvd., the first of two public ceremonies will be held at 9 a.m. Central when degrees will be conferred to graduate students and undergrads in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, College of Behavioral and Health Sciences and College of Education.

The afternoon ceremony begins at 2 p.m. Central, when degrees will be conferred to graduate students and undergrads in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, College of Liberal Arts, Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment and University College.

Of the 1,624 students set to graduate, 1,332 are undergraduates and 292 are graduate students, including 258 master’s candidates, 13 education-specialist recipients and 21 doctoral candidates. Additionally, seven graduate students will receive graduate certificates, according to the university’s Registrar’s Office.

For those unable to attend in person, the event also will stream live at https://mtsu.edu/live and on the university’s Facebook channel, https://facebook.com/mtsublueraiders, and will be broadcast on MTSU’s “True Blue TV” station on local cable channels and at https://mtsu.edu/TrueBlueTV.

Speaker details

The newest Blue Raider alumni and their supporters will hear congratulatory remarks from MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee at both ceremonies, followed by guest speakers.

Congratulating graduates in the first ceremony will be MTSU alumnus Chris Whaley, president of Roane State Community College. Whaley serves as the fifth president of Roane State, which has more than 4,700 students across nine locations. He is also an alumnus of Roane State, as well as the University of Tennessee.

Previously, Whaley served as vice president of student learning; dean of social science, business, and education; and program director of Paralegal Studies at Roane State, where he has taught since 1997.

Whaley earned his associate degree at Roane State, his bachelor’s at MTSU, and his law degree at the University of Tennessee College of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and has been a Rule 31 civil mediator.

He serves on several boards, including the Roane Alliance, the Tennessee Valley Corridor, Mid-East Community Action Agency and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship.

Brady Cooper, senior pastor at New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, will deliver keynote remarks in the afternoon ceremony. With 27 years of service at New Vision, Cooper is recognized for his faith-driven leadership, his passion for mentoring the next generation of leaders, and his ability to help people connect Scripture to their everyday lives.

A native of Murfreesboro, Cooper graduated from Riverdale High School in 1988 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies and ministry from Belmont University in Nashville in 1993, where he was a four-year letterman on the baseball team. 

He continued his education at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he earned his Master of Divinity.

Clear bag policy in effect

For those attending commencement ceremonies in person, please note that a clear bag policy is in effect at Murphy Center as follows: Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC may not exceed 12 x 6 x 12 inches. Gallon Ziploc bags are allowed. Small clutch purses no larger than 4.5 x 6.5 inches will also be permitted in addition to a clear bag.

More ceremony details

MTSU will provide closed-captioning services for the live video streams as well as American Sign Language interpretation at the ceremony. The live coverage will begin about 15 minutes before commencement starts. 

MTSU’s Dec. 13 summer commencement ceremonies are expected to last about two hours each. All graduating students must remain for the entire event.                                                                                                                             

A campus map with parking details for guests is available at https://bit.ly/MTSUparkingmap. A seating chart of Murphy Center, including access for guests with mobility issues, is available at https://www.mtsu.edu/murphycenter/facilities/.    

Driving directions, along with complete graduation details for students and guests, are available anytime at https://mtsu.edu/graduation.   

MTSU fall semester classes end Wednesday, Dec. 3. Final examinations will conclude Thursday, Dec. 11, with the official end of the fall semester. Winter Session runs Dec. 22 to Jan. 15. The spring 2026 full-term classes begin Tuesday, Jan. 20.

For updates on MTSU anytime, visit https://mtsu.edu or https://MTSUNews.com.  

—  Jimmy Hart (Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu)