{"id":2519,"date":"2025-08-25T20:47:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T20:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/?p=2519"},"modified":"2026-07-27T06:10:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T11:10:46","slug":"fall-2025-student-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/fall-2025-student-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Fall 2025 Student Life"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

I believe a transformative college experience goes beyond the classroom. While academic success remains a priority, true student success is rooted in meaningful engagement\u2014broadening horizons, exploring new ideas, and forming connections that last a lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research consistently shows that the first six weeks of college are critical for establishing a foundation for student achievement. That\u2019s why, alongside academic support, MTSU places strong emphasis on out-of-classroom experiences designed to help students feel connected and supported. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This summer, our staff emphasized that message during the New to Blue Orientation sessions by introducing incoming students to Connection Point\u2014MTSU\u2019s signature engagement program. New students are encouraged to attend at least four Connection Point events in their first semester as part of their transition to campus life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connection Point events serve as a vibrant introduction to MTSU\u2019s community. From themed social activities to academic celebrations, each event provides students with an opportunity to meet peers, explore campus life, and earn collectible buttons commemorating each experience. Students use their MTSU IDs to track their participation, allowing our staff to monitor engagement and reach out proactively to students who may need additional support in getting involved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This fall\u2019s Connection Point series launches on Friday, Aug. 22, as we kick off the semester with the annual President\u2019s Party\u2014a festive gathering complete with food, entertainment, and an author meet-and-greet with Bob Welch, co-author of Healing Wounds, A Vietnam Combat Nurse\u2019s 10-Year Fight to Win Women a Place of Honor in Washington, D.C. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welch will also deliver the keynote address at the University\u2019s 24th annual Convocation on Saturday, Aug. 23, at Murphy Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about the Connection Point program and upcoming events, visit mtsu.edu\/connection<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead, Homecoming events will be held Sept. 15\u201320, and Family Weekend will be Nov. 7\u20139. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homecoming at MTSU saw a remarkable turnout in 2024, with one of the largest crowds in recent history participating in the Homecoming parade. This festive event brought together students, alumni, faculty, and community members, all celebrating the University\u2019s spirit and traditions. The parade featured colorful floats, spirited performances, and a palpable sense of pride that resonatedthroughout the campus. Homecoming events fostered a sense of belonging and nostalgia, strengthening the ties between current students and alumni.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, we are pleased to welcome Danny Kelley as the interim vice president of student affairs and dean of students. Kelley brings significant experience to the Student Affairs Division at our University. He served as associate dean of students in 2008\u201310 and assistant vice president for student affairs since 2010. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, these events reflect MTSU\u2019s commitment to enhancing student life by addressing immediate needs, providing professional development opportunities, and nurturing community spirit. Through such initiatives, MTSU continues to create a supportive environment that empowers students to thrive academically and socially. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the University looks to the future, these successful events set a positive precedent for ongoing engagement and support within the MTSU community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I believe a transformative college experience goes beyond the classroom. While academic success remains a priority, true student success is rooted in meaningful engagement\u2014broadening horizons, exploring new ideas, and forming connections that last a lifetime. Research consistently shows that the first six weeks of college are critical for establishing a foundation for student achievement. That\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":192,"featured_media":2520,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/192"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2519"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2519\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3432,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2519\/revisions\/3432"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}