Middle Tennessee Women’s Basketball 24
Dr. Sidney A. McPhee
Dr. Sidney A. McPhee was appointed in 2001 as the tenth president of Middle Tennessee State University and, in 2011, he presided over the observance of the centennial of its founding. Prior to his arrival at MTSU, McPhee was executive vice chancellor for the Tennessee Board of Regents system (TBR) in Nashville. In addition, he served as the TBR’s chief academic officer and interim chancellor. Before his appointment at TBR, McPhee served in various senior-level administrative capacities at several major universities, including Oklahoma State University, University of Louisville and University of Memphis. During McPhee’s presidency, MTSU has witnessed considerable growth and progress. Student enrollment increased significantly during his tenure and, as a result, MTSU is the No. 1 choice for undergraduates in Tennessee. In the last 10 years, the University has added 23 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, five of which were new Ph.D. degrees (Public History, Literacy Studies, Computational Sciences; Mathematics and Science Education; and Molecular Biosciences). Since McPhee’s arrival, two new colleges (Behavioral and Health Sciences and University College) were formed, along with 10 new institutes and centers. In 2011, the Carnegie Corp., one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most influential foundations, elevated MTSU to Comprehensive/ Doctoral status and recognized the University for Community Engagement. Since McPhee’s arrival, MTSU has been successful in raising admission standards, resulting in an increase in high-ability students. MTSU has been the institution of choice for midstate valedictorians and salutatorians in recent years and has enrolled a significant number of National Merit scholars and Achievement scholars. McPhee’s presidency also coincided with several major improvements in University facilities. During the past six years, the University has been engaged in capital projects, either proposed, under construction or competed, totaling more than $400 million. A ten-year, $70 million renovation of all student residential housing will be completed by fall 2011. The College of Education moved into its new $31.7 million building in the summer of 2011 and the $70 million Student Union building is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2012. The University secured private gifts in support of a $6 million baseball stadium, which was completed in 2008. A $19-million expansion of the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center was also completed in 2008. In 2007, an addition to the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building was opened and dedicated, bringing the facility to 28,000 square feet, and a new $3 million track and soccer complex was opened in 2007.
The University in 2006 received $15 million in state support for the planning and infrastructure development for a proposed $126 million science building. More than $9 million was spent in 2005 to renovate Andrew L. Todd Hall, which now houses the Department of Art and has state-of-the-art equipment for its students and faculty. In addition, the University acquired the 500-acre Guy James property in 2005 to consolidate its highly regarded programs in the School of Agribusiness and Agriscience. The Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building, dedicated in 2004, was built with private funding. McPhee earned his bachelor’s degree (with highest honors, summa cum laude) from Prairie View A&M University in Texas; a master’s degree from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.; and a doctorate in applied behavioral studies in education from Oklahoma State University. He is also a graduate of the Harvard University Management Development Program and has completed professional development programs at St. Mary’s University of San Antonio, Texas, and Colorado College in Colorado Springs. McPhee was named Outstanding American University President of 2002 by the American Football Foundation. In 2003, he was listed by Nashville Post business magazine as one of Tennessee’s 100 Most Powerful Individuals, and in 2004, he was ranked by Business Tennessee magazine as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful African Americans in the State of Tennessee. In 2006, McPhee was listed by the Chronicle of Higher Education as one of seven university presidents in the U.S. who is shaping intercollegiate athletics on a national scale. In the spring of 2009, McPhee was the keynote speaker for Prairie View A&M Founder’s Day celebrations, and in June of that year, he was an invited participant at the International Agricultural University Presidential Forum held in Beijing and sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. China Agricultural University in Beijing, one of the country’s top universities, awarded McPhee its highest academic award (Honorary Professor) in May 2007. In May 2010, he presented a photo exhibition and lecture series, “China: A Decade Through the Eyes of an American University President,” in four Chinese cities, Beijing, Hangzhou, Lanzhou, and Changsha. McPhee was appointed in October 2010 as senior advisor to the Chief Executive of HanbanConfucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing. McPhee delivered a speech, “The American University,” in five cities in China in May 2011. As an academician, McPhee’s scholarly publications and presentations are extensive. His publica-
tions have appeared in local, national and international professional journals. In addition, he is the senior author of a book, Understanding the Campus Culture: An Introduction to College, and has co-authored a chapter for a major college textbook on academic advising. McPhee’s scholarly pursuits include several international visits and presentations in locations such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Lanzhou, Changsha, and Dunhuang, China; Mekelle, Ethiopia; Penang, Malaysia; Hong Kong; Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia; Tokyo and Osaka, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel; Antwerp, Belgium; Montreal, Canada; Oxford, England; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Nassau, Bahamas. McPhee also served a four-year term on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors (2003 to 2007) and was reappointed to the board in 2010. He also served a three-year term on the NCAA Executive Committee, two terms as president of the Sun Belt Conference athletic league and was chairman of the SBC’s CEO Executive Committee. In May 2005, he was appointed to the NCAA Presidential Commission on the Future of Intercollegiate Athletics. In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed, and the U.S. Senate confirmed, McPhee to the National Council for the Humanities. A past member of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, McPhee chaired its membership council. He is a member of the Murfreesboro Noon Rotary Club and the SunTrust Bank Board of Directors (Nashville) and SunTrust Regional Bank Advisory Board (Murfreesboro). He also served on the Nashville Adventure Science Center Board; the Middle Tennessee Medical Center Board; and the Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America’s Middle Tennessee Council. He co-chaired the Tennessee Legislative Retreat Task Force on Higher Education and was recently reelected to a second three-year term as a commission member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. President McPhee is married to Elizabeth McPhee, and they have two adult children, Seneca and Sidney-Anthony.
Presidential Executive Staff Kim Edgar
Joe Bales
John Cothern
Bruce Petryshak
Brad Bartel
Deb Sells
Executive Assistant to President
Vice President/ Development
Senior Vice President
Vice President/ Information Technology Chief Information Officer
Provost
Vice President/ Student Affairs Vice Provost/ Enrollment Services