A college campus holds a special place in our society. It is an incubator, allowing ideas to spark and grow. It is a laboratory, providing space for us to learn through trial and error. It is a forum, offering us an opportunity to explore and debate problems and solutions. However, none of this works without engaging people of diverse viewpoints and identities.
We are fortunate that ETSU is home to a diverse population. Here, adult learners may cross paths with high school students taking dual enrollment courses. Students from rural communities in East Tennessee may trade stories with students from urban centers across the world. We enroll veterans who have served multiple tours of duty alongside students who are leaving home for the very first time. We represent different faiths, political beliefs, family structures, talents, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, and interests. We all have struggled with and overcome challenges, though the nature of those challenges often varies greatly.
The convergence of these unique experiences and perspectives creates fertile ground for growth and innovation. It also cultivates empathy and connection — key components of a strong, productive, and vibrant community. This is why ETSU’s value system affirms our respect for the diversity of people and thought. It is why we assert that people come first and that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect.
These values and goals are beautifully summarized by the theme of our upcoming Festival of Ideas: “Curiosity, Community, and Connection.” This annual event, which this year will be held February 28 through March 2, convenes scholars and thinkers of the highest caliber to discuss some of the most important issues of our day.
Our 2023 Festival of Ideas lineup includes David Brooks, a New York Times columnist and best-selling author, along with Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers, esteemed authors and co-hosts of the nationally acclaimed podcast “Pantsuit Politics.” A campus-community conversation on “The Art of Civil Discourse” will round out the third day of events.
Events are free and open to the public. I encourage all members of the ETSU community to join in these conversations. Use this as an opportunity to examine and more fully understand your own thoughts and perspectives and to consider new ways we might better serve each other and the region.
Application Period Now Open for 1911 Society
During our May Commencement exercises each year, we honor 11 notable graduates with induction into the 1911 Society. Members of the 1911 Society have distinguished themselves and transformed this university in some way during their time here. These students not only represent academic excellence, but they also exude a commitment to ETSU’s mission and values through their studies, their service, and their impact. Students graduating from undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs either this past fall or this spring are eligible. Complete details regarding eligibility and application requirements are available on the 1911 Society webpage. Applications are due by Wednesday, March 1.
Celebrating Legacies of Service
At ETSU, we change lives through the transformative power of higher education. We conduct research that improves humanity and our world. We strengthen our community through public service, through patient care, and through our arts programming that enhances the cultural environment. We provide excellent housing, classroom and lab facilities, greenspaces, food, education, counseling, and countless other services and amenities for more than 13,000 students. All of this is made possible through the talents, hard work, and dedication of our people. The people who power the ETSU community are some of the most dedicated, caring, talented, and innovative in the field of higher education today. Last week, we celebrated those who achieved milestones in their service to this university and our community. I would like to take a moment to thank those individuals as well as all our faculty and staff. You make ETSU a truly special place to call “home.”
Board of Trustees to Hold Quarterly Meeting on Friday
East Tennessee State University’s Board of Trustees will hold its quarterly meeting and several committee meetings on Friday, February 17. All meetings will be conducted in person at the D.P. Culp Student Center, East Tennessee Room. A livestream of the full board meeting will be available at https://www.etsu.edu/trustees/livestream.php.
Meetings are scheduled as follows:
Academic, Research, and Student Success Committee – 8 a.m.
Finance and Administration Committee – 9:45 a.m.
Audit Committee – 11:30 a.m.
Board of Trustees Meeting – 1:30 p.m.
Bucs Go Beyond
Meet the Sheltons
These Honors College alums fell in love at ETSU. Now, they’re loving life as local entrepreneurs.
The Reece Museum, in partnership with Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music Studies and the Black American Studies Program, presented an evening of “Ballads, Banjos, & Blues” featuring a performance by Sparky and Rhonda Rucker.
Follow @ETSUPrez
#BucsGoBeyond
East Tennessee State University, 1276 Gilbreath Drive, Johnson City, TN 37614
