{"id":1941,"date":"2016-09-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-09-13T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/blogtest\/academic-affairs\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T11:16:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T16:16:54","slug":"academic-affairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/academic-affairs\/","title":{"rendered":"Academic Affairs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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There are so many wonderful and impactful developments occurring in our academic community that I could not possibly cover them all in the pages of this newsletter. The following, then, offers but a small snapshot of the kinds of transformative efforts occurring in our colleges and academic units across campus.<\/span> True Blue!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Solid Leadership<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Brad Bartel<\/b> stepped down as University Provost in May 2016 and will return to his first love\u2014teaching and mentoring students. Dr. Bartel\u2019s efforts in enhancing student success and innovation in curriculum were significant during his tenure as provost. Let me again offer my sincere and deep appreciation and thanks to Dr. Bartel for his many contributions, specifically his leadership in the creation and establishment of the University\u2019s guiding initiative, the Quest for Student Success. Thanks to the proactive and innovative work done by the faculty and administrators under Dr. Bartel\u2019s guidance, our Quest efforts to improve curriculum, enhance student retention, and strengthen academic advising have been successful and garnered national praise and recognition. <\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Mark Byrnes<\/b>, dean of MTSU\u2019s College of Liberal Arts since June 2010, is now serving as the University\u2019s interim provost. Dr. Byrnes, a nationally recognized expert on the American presidency and Tennessee politics, has taught political science at MTSU since 1991 and was associate dean of liberal arts from 2006 to 2009. A 1983 graduate of MTSU who earned his master\u2019s and doctoral degrees at Vanderbilt University, Dr. Byrnes<\/span> also was the recipient of one of the MTSU Foundation\u2019s 2010 Public Service Awards.<\/span> Dr. Byrnes, a native of Murfreesboro and a graduate of Riverdale High School, also has served as chairman and vice chairman of the Rutherford County School Board.<\/p>\n

Based on Dr. Byrnes\u2019 recommendation, I appointed Dr. Karen Petersen<\/b> as interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Dr. Petersen, a professor of political science specializing in international relations, served as the college\u2019s assistant dean from 2010 to 2013 and has been associate dean since January 2014.<\/p>\n

Awards<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

MTSU faculty and staff received 91 new awards and contracts during FY16 to support research, public service, and instructional activities. During FY16, the University had 224 active grants and contracts with a total sponsored programs portfolio value of $40,213,452. The following are just two examples of our many our research and intellectual property development highlights in the current year.
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Melissa P. Towe<\/b><\/span>, TRIO Student Support Services: U.S. Dept. of Education, $247,584, \u201cStudent Support Services at Â鶹ÊÓƵ.\u201d This one-year award will fund the continued operations of MTSU\u2019s successful <\/span>TRIO Student Support Services. This is the 15th year that this program has empowered first-generation, income-eligible students to succeed. The funding makes possible services including personal and academic counseling, tutoring, workshops,\u00a0<\/span>and cultural events. This is Dr. Towe\u2019s first award at MTSU, and the successful grant proposal received a perfect score from Department of Education reviewers. <\/span><\/p>\n

Song Cui<\/b><\/span>, School of AgriBusiness and AgriScience: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), $714,023, \u201cIntegrating Agricultural Remote Sensing, Landscape Flux Measurements, and Agroecosystem Modeling in Research and Teaching across Different Institutions in the Southern US.\u201d Doug Campbell, operations manager for MTSU\u2019s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Operations program, is the co-Principal Investigator. This is the second USDA award for Dr. Cui and MTSU under our 2014 designation as a Non-Land Grant College of Agriculture (NLGCA). This collaboration with Texas A&M University is part of MTSU\u2019s growing research in precision agriculture. The interdisciplinary project integrates remote sensing, landscape flux measurements,\u00a0<\/span>and modeling in agro-ecological curriculum and research.<\/p>\n

Dual Enrollment<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The University\u2019s dual enrollment program allows high school students, who meet MTSU\u2019s admissions criteria and gain approvals from their guidance counselors, to take college classes before they graduate, thus earning high school and college credits at the same time. Classes are offered online and this past year began being offered at schools in Rutherford and Williamson counties.<\/p>\n