MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University continues to bolster its community connections beyond campus through a burgeoning partnership with longtime nonprofit Main Street Murfreesboro, whose mission is to promote the vitality of downtown.

Monica Smith, MTSU’s assistant to the president for community engagement and inclusion, serves as an at large member on Main Street’s Advisory Board and is playing an integral role in strengthening the relationship between the university and the nonprofit, particularly in identifying ways to generate more student connection to a downtown only a short drive or bike ride from campus.

“MTSU and Main Street Murfreesboro are united in our commitment to enhancing students’ sense of belonging both on campus and within the community,” Smith said. “We recognize that a strong sense of belonging not only enhances academic performance but also fosters greater engagement in co-curricular activities and increases the likelihood of graduation, ultimately cultivating responsible and active citizens.”

MTSU and Main Street partnered in early September to offer students discounts, fun and a free ride to the court square where the Saturday Farmer’s Market was being held, with an MTSU shuttle picking up students on campus at the Walker Library parking lot every 30 minutes and dropping off and returning students from the downtown square. 

A scavenger hunt led students downtown to discover shops, restaurants, farmer’s market vendors, and landmarks. Ten $10 gift certificates to downtown businesses were drawn from names entered to win.

Led by Executive Director Sarah Callender, Main Street has a mission to maintain, enhance and promote downtown as the heart of the community by focusing on the areas of design, economic vitality, organization and promotion. 

“Main Street Murfreesboro is focused on creating a sense of place in the historic downtown for everyone in our community. This includes the Middle Tennessee State University students just one mile down Main Street,” Callender said. “Our Board of Directors is focused on partnering with MTSU to shorten that mile between campus and the historic downtown to create a town and gown feel.”

Like Smith, Callender hopes to add to downtown’s vitality and energy through more engagement with MTSU students, many of whom will remain in the community after graduation.

“We are working with several groups on campus to collaborate with new ideas to bring awareness to the many happenings downtown that would enrich a student’s experience while attending MTSU,” she said. “Main Street Murfreesboro is in a position to get people and groups together to think outside the box and create new energy focused on promoting downtown with the university.”

From spearheading burying utilities, repairing sidewalks, creating crosswalks, landscaping, beautification and street lighting to organizing free events such as Friday Night Live concerts, Saturday Market, and the Christmas tree lighting, Main Street has been instrumental in decisions that affect the downtown district for almost four decades.

In support of those efforts, MTSU was again a recent co-sponsor of one of the Friday Night Live concerts featuring Bizz and Everyday People and drawing hundreds to court square. MT Athletics set up a helmet-shaped branded bounce house for kids to play on while cheerleaders and dance team members performed before the concert and mascot Lightning was on hand for pictures.

“MTSU’s community engagement initiative, launched in 2022 under my leadership, is anchored by the slogan: ‘Belong. Engage. BE True Blue!’” Smith remarked. “I invite community members and organizations interested in collaboration to reach out to me directly.”

Smith can be reached at Monica.Smith@mtsu.edu while Callender can be reached at sarah@downtownmurfreesboro.com. For more information about Main Street Murfreesboro, go to www.mainstreetmurfreesboro.org. 

— Jimmy Hart (Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu)