PARENTS AND FAMILIES
TRUE CONNECTION
Welcome to the True Blue family! Here are some handy resources for your student.
Campus Life
Activities and resources to enhance your student’s campus experience
@mtsucampuslife on Instagram and Facebook
Athletics
Free student entry to all home athletics events with BlueID, plus a guest ticket option
Campus Rec Trips
Low-cost adventures through MTOP, like caving, rafting, hiking in Scotland, or surfing in Puerto Rico
Fraternity and Sorority Life
20+ chapters founded on education, leadership, service/philanthropy, brotherhood/sisterhood, integrity, diversity, and collaboration
Center for Student Involvement and Leadership
Student groups, leadership, Greek life, multicultural and diversity events, and community service
Intercultural and Diversity Affairs Center
Programs and events designed to celebrate multiculturalism, internationalism, and individual differences
Intramurals
9,000 participants in 50+ activities from basketball, soccer, and volleyball to kickball, dodgeball, and laser tag
Student Government Association
Opportunities to help MTSU maximize its potential, including service on the Freshman Council
Sport Clubs
Chances to compete regionally and nationally in wrestling, paintball, rugby, racquetball, and more
Student Programing and Activities
Student-planned events bringing comedians, musicians, movies, and speakers to MTSU
mtsu.edu/spare
TRUE SUPPORT
Parent and Family Association mtsu.edu/parents
Stay involved in your student’s experience ($30/year; $60 lifetime): e-newsletters, welcome kit, Very Important Parent (VIP) discount card, Facebook group, application for members-only scholarship
Health Services mtsu.edu/healthservices
No additional cost for basic clinic visits; on-campus pharmacy; doctors, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse practitioners; X-rays; health education; travel, allergy, and women’s health clinics
Counseling Services mtsu.edu/countest
Support during stressful times, help to ease transition into college, crisis intervention, short-term counseling, referral to providers
Disability and Access Center mtsu.edu/dac
Provides priority registration and assistance for students with disabilities, helps determine reasonable accessibility accommodations
University Police mtsu.edu/police
365-day, 24-hour fully accredited police department; 24-hour walking escort service available on campus
TRUE TESTIMONIES
What some True Blue parents parents are saying.
Dear Fellow MTSU Parent,
My son was considering 5 colleges, seeking a degree in Music Industry. Four of the colleges he visited were in our home state of New York and the other MTSU. The most welcoming of them all by far was MTSU. Our family felt accepted and welcomed by a friendly staff and faculty. That feeling and experience continued as we participated in subsequent visits as my son dug deeper into his major. He was offered the opportunity to speak with students in his major and to shadow them with a day of classes and provided a contact to ask any follow-up questions.
Once my son decided to join MTSU, the welcoming continued with the well thought-out and planned CUSTOMS visit. CUSTOMS is a multi-day orientation for both entering student and their family. As a parent, my expectation was to shadow my son through various boring orientation sessions similar to other University visits. However, to my surprise they split the parents from the students. This was a bit uncomfortable for me—I was a bit skeptical, but went along with it. What happened during the next 4 or so hours was eye-opening. We learned how to let go and let our kids grow. We were told when to interact with our kids and when to let them learn on their own and make their own decisions. I learned it was time for us to let our kids be responsible for their success. Even though we were letting go, MTSU had a backstop of support for students in absence of their parents.
From the perspective of the parent and letting go of their child, it was a tough message to hear and take. But looking at it from the student’s perspective, it made perfect sense. It’s about the success of the student and not the broken heart of the parent. So it was a lesson I learned that my child will benefit from, all because MTSU took the time to create a program that was all for the benefit of the student. Even though my son would be 800 miles away, I knew he had the support structure for success.
Ron Jamerson
Fellow True Blue Parents:
We are the very proud parents of our daughter, Amber, a sophomore at MTSU. Amber continues to thrive at MTSU and amaze us with her performance both inside and outside of the classroom! I think we can confidently say that MTSU is the perfect place for Amber!
As parents of two daughters, Amber being our youngest, we were not unfamiliar with sending a child away to college. However, our experience at MTSU has been noticeably different.
I think communication is vital to success, and MTSU knocks this out of the park with their active and thriving parent and student Facebook groups! These groups continue to ease our concerns, answer our questions, and provide us a wealth of information. We were even active in these pages before Amber’s first day of classes at MTSU! Beyond the bonding with other parents that the FB group facilitates, MTSU’s amazing faculty and staff actively participate in both Facebook pages! WOW! Who does this and offers this to parents and students?
I think MTSU truly understands supporting the whole student and the families that love them! Being from West TN and not familiar with the Murfreesboro area, we have felt at home at MTSU and very much a part of Amber’s college experience. We feel connected as a part of the Facebook group and have reached out to others for guidance to our daughter’s medical care and housing questions. We also enjoy staying connected in the group on current student issues and the local news.
I cannot close without saying how wonderful MTSU’s on-campus clinic and pharmacy are! This has been such a relief for us and our daughter. The clinic staff really has gone beyond our expectations to coordinate care for Amber with her doctor’s back home. Such a peace of mind knowing Amber is well cared for while away from us! We are thankful for MTSU and proud to be a part of the TRUE BLUE family that our daughter now calls home!
Sincerely, Yvonne Hayden
Dear Fellow MTSU Parent,
Congratulations on your student’s acceptance to attend MTSU! Based upon my experience, I believe you will find the next few years as exciting for you as for your student.
While my daughter was a junior in high school, we began the process of touring the campuses of colleges which offered her major. Most of the emphasis in our area is on the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, since it is only about 90 minutes away, so of course we started our tours there. After that tour and several others, over the next weeks, we arrived at MTSU for a tour. I can only say that I immediately felt “home” when we arrived there. At the end of the day, my daughter said the same thing, MTSU felt like “home.” We were so impressed with the beautiful, wide-open campus and equally impressed with each of the faculty and staff members we met—and MTSU offered her exact major! The decision was pretty much made that she would attend MTSU.
That fall, we attended the local True Blue Tour event closest to us and were thrilled that our daughter was one of a few students who received a small additional scholarship at that event. Again, the faculty members we spoke with were caring and helpful, and the event was so much fun!
After beginning her college career in the fall of 2017, I can tell you that we have hit our share of bumps and have the scars to prove it. But at no point, even at her lowest, has my daughter ever had any doubts or second thoughts about choosing MTSU. Her advisor has been a lifesaver and her professors are always available.
Maggie was in high school band for four years and chose to continue her musical experience and join the Band of Blue marching band. What a wonderful organization! As band parents, we have attended almost every home football game and most other events when the band is participating. We have met so many wonderful people and shared so many great experiences! MTSU offers many other great activities and opportunities for their students, whatever their interests may be.
Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the online tools available to you on the school website. Also, the MTSU Parent and Family Association Facebook page is a tremendous resource; after two years, I still refer to it often and ask questions regularly. My best advice is “buckle up,” you are in for a great ride!
Sincerely, Leigh L. De Ball
classes with 40 students or fewer
