Section I

East Tennessee State University Profile

History . . .

Situated in Northeast Tennessee, East Tennessee State University is a state-supported, coeducational institution and one of the principal campuses governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents. Its main campus is located in Johnson City with centers in Kingsport and Elizabethton and a site in Bristol. Chartered in 1909 as East Tennessee State Normal School, the institution experienced several name changes before achieving university status in 1963. East Tennessee State Normal School, which opened in 1911, became East Tennessee State Teachers College in 1925; five years later, the name was changed to State Teachers College, Johnson City. Beginning in 1943, the institution was known as East Tennessee State College for 20 years. Today, ETSU is a multifaceted university offering two-year, four-year, and graduate programs of study through nine colleges and schools: College of Applied Science and Technology, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Public and Allied Health, School of Continuing Studies, and School of Graduate Studies.

The James H. Quillen College of Medicine, one of three state-supported medical colleges in Tennessee, offers a program leading to the M.D. degree as well as accredited residency programs in family practice, internal medicine, internal medicine/pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, pathology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery. Accelerated residency programs in family practice and internal medicine are also offered. Created by the Tennessee legislature in 1974, the College of Medicine enrolled its first class of 24 students in 1978, awarded the first M.D. degrees four years later and as of May 1998 will have awarded 869 M.D. degrees. In 1988, this college combined with the colleges of Nursing and Public and Allied Health to form a Division of Health Sciences.

Student Population . . .

The student population totals 11,596, including undergraduate, graduate, and medical students and medical residents. While the majority of students are from Tennessee and the surrounding southeastern region, 36 states are represented along with 37foreign countries. Housing for 2,287 students is available in residence halls, efficiency apartments, and married student housing.

Academic Overview . . .

Committed to the needs of all its students -- from those who have emerging potential for university-level coursework to the gifted -- ETSU provides all citizens in the region opportunities to continue lifelong learning. The university offers more than 100 degree programs organized within the areas of arts and sciences, business, education, health sciences and services, and technology. All programs and degrees are offered during the regular day schedule, and extensive evening programs are also provided. Some 5,000-10,000 persons are served annually through continuing education and extended service programs.

The university seeks to serve as a center for intellectual and cultural growth as it nurtures an educational environment that respects individuality and stimulates creativity. To earn a bachelor's degree, a student must complete a minimum of 128 semester hours of credit, consisting of coursework from the major field of study, the minor field of study (if required), and the general education core requirements. The university's General Education Program includes two parts. Part I is a Core Curriculum of 41-44 semester credit hours that address specific academic "Proficiencies" and "Areas of Familiarity." Part II is specific Requirements Reinforcing Academic Proficiency and requires students to complete during college a minimum number of courses that reinforce academic proficiency by providing intensive experiences in writing, communicating orally, and using information technology. Advanced standing credit is accepted and recorded as "passed hours" of credit toward graduation through the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and Advanced Placement (AP) Program of the College Board, the Proficiency Examination Program (PEP) in nursing, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program and DANTES Subject Standardized Tests.

A career counseling service and an advisement center provide professional guidance for students who have not reached a decision concerning a college major. Remedial and developmental courses are offered for students who lack a sufficient level of proficiency, as determined from ACT or SAT scores and/or an evaluation assessment examination.

An Army ROTC program, available through the Department of Military Science, provides scholarship opportunities and offers advanced courses that may result in a commission.

Athletics . . .

Intercollegiate and intramural sports programs are available. The university is a member of the NCAA Division 1 in all sports except football, which is Division 1-AA. Sports for men are baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, and track. Sports for women are basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, track, and volleyball. Memorial Center, one of the most functional athletics and convocation centers in the nation, is also home for ETSU's football, basketball, tennis, and track teams.

Calendar . . .

East Tennessee State University operates on a semester calendar consisting of a fall semester in which classes begin in late August and semester examinations are completed prior to the Christmas holidays; a spring semester in which classes begin in early January and semester examinations are completed during the first week of May; Pre-Summer, a three-week intensive study term beginning in mid-May; and two five-week summer sessions, one beginning in early June and the other beginning in mid-July.

The Faculty . . .

Including the James H. Quillen College of Medicine, the university has 660 full-time faculty members. The percentage of faculty members holding terminal degrees is approximately 75%. The average class size is 28, which allows the faculty to give students individual instruction and attention and to share interests and expertise. Entering students are required to meet with faculty advisers prior to registration for classes. Advisement is conducted primarily through a one-on-one interview.

Support Facilities . . .

ETSU provides a wide range of computer resources in support of instruction, research, administration, and public service. The administrative systems utilize a cluster of Digital Alpha computers under the MVS operating system. The academic mainframe is an IBM ES/9000 model 190 with a VM operating system and utilizing the Conversational Monitoring System (CMS). A vector processor and a number of compilers and software packages are available, including SPSSX, SAS, FORTRAN, and PASCAL. Student access to the academic system in support of classroom assignments is available in the microcomputer labs or by dial-up communications lines.

Five public microcomputer labs contain 27 Macintosh PCs in addition to 160 IBM and IBM-compatible PCs. The PCs are connected to a file server on a Novell Netware network through which PC users can access several software packages as well as the IBM mainframe.

The Culp Center computer lab is open for use by staff, faculty, and currently enrolled students. Labs located in Gilbreath 106, Sam Wilson 124, and Warf-Pickel 419 function as open labs, but may be reserved for classes. Special departmental labs containing a total of more than 240 microcomputers are also available. A graphics workstation (GIS) lab is located in Gilbreath 115.

The ETSU Sherrod Library contains the learning resources that support the university's programs of study and research. With a seating capacity for 1,100 readers, the library contains over half a million volumes, 1.2 million units of microforms, 3,600 periodical subscriptions, a large collection of federal and state documents, and the university's special collections and archives -- a collection that makes vast resources readily available. Construction of a new state-of-the-art central library began in late1996 and is expected to be completed around August 1998.

The university's Center for Appalachian Studies and Services, an accomplished Center of Excellence in Tennessee, is a hub of scholarly, educational, community service, and artistic activities addressing the needs and interests of the Appalachian region. The center has three divisions: the Research and Programs Office, the Reece Museum, one of only twelve accredited museums in Tennessee, which houses several permanent collections and presents a varied schedule of exhibits, and the Archives of Appalachia, which contains the most significant collection of materials about the Appalachian region in the country. The Center publishes Now & Then, the Appalachian magazine, and helps sponsor the Bluegrass and Country Music Program and the Appalachian-Scottish and Irish Studies program, and hosts the Governor's School for Tennessee Heritage each summer. The D.M. Brown Hall science building and the Quillen College of Medicine provide extensive research laboratory and training facilities. Among other facilities of interest are Slocumb Galleries, which enables students and others to view works of past and contemporary artists, while allowing art students to display their own works; the Hutcheson Hall Planetarium, which annually attracts hundreds of visitors to campus; the Gilbreath Hall Theater, a restored early-century theater; and an outdoor Amphitheater, originally constructed by the WPA and restored to its original beauty.

The modern D.P. Culp University Center contains a theater/auditorium, student forum, computer lab, post office, bookstore, food market, ballroom, restaurants, cafeterias, and recreational and meeting rooms.

Over 200 clubs and organizations are available on campus, including chapters of national fraternities and sororities. Special interest groups and support services include the Black Affairs Association, Student Government Association, International Students Organization, Career Development Office, Medical Student Government Association, Center for Adult Programs and Services, Counseling Center, Health Services, Veterans Services, Placement Services, Special Services, and various religious organizations.

Beyond the Campus Setting . . .

ETSU is a member of the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA), a consortium of five universities that operates a 0.9-m telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. Astronomers at the five participating universities have retrofitted the nineteen-fifties vintage telescope with robotic controls that allow them to use it from their local campuses, providing an unprecedented means for state-of-the-art research and instruction. Other members of the consortium include Florida Institute of Technology, the University of Georgia, Valdosta State University and Florida International University.

ETSU's Office of International Programs encourages students to study anywhere abroad, especially our exchange universities. ETSU also has exchange programs with the University of Rostock and the University of Technology in Karlsruhe in Germany; Shanghai Technical College of Metallurgy and North China University of Technology in China; Bolivar State University in Ecuador, and the Scottish Studies program at the University of Endinburgh, Scotland.

The office promotes matriculation of international students at ETSU and helps with the internationalization of the curriculum. It pursues international contacts and provides speakers and events for the university community. An annual International Day brings area secondary school pupils to the ETSU campus to stimulate thinking about various cultures and also to consider the option of studying here.

The office administers a faculty travel fund in support of research and teaching abroad, especially but not exclusively at our exchange universities.

The Director of the Office of Internation Programs is the official ETSU Fulbright representative and the National Security Education Program representative. In addition, the Office of International Programs houses a library of current material relating to opportunities for both faculty and students to teach, study, and do research abroad.

The International student advisor is the campus expert on immigration issues and visa qualifications of our in-coming researchers, professors, students, and visiting scholars or performers.

As well as the academic and technical dimensions of its activity, the Office of International Programs provides the support facilities for ensuring that students both here and abroad succeed culturally, socially, and emotionally. ETSU's international students and scholars represent more than fifty countries from which our community benefits. The office is open to all people wishing to develop the international aspect of their experience at ETSU.

The university's cooperative education program gives students in most major fields of study an opportunity to alternate work periods and classes on a semester-in/semester-out system. Through cooperative education, in addition to gaining valuable work experience and employment connections, students may help to finance educational costs and earn college credit.

The university has cross-enrollment agreements, available to full-time ETSU students, with nearby Milligan College and Emmanuel School of Religion. ETSU is affiliated with the Penland School of Crafts, located in Penland, N.C., and provides credit for coursework completed there. The university is also a participant in the Southern Regional Education Board's Academic Common Market.

Requirements for Admission . . .

 Students seeking admission as first-time freshmen must present a minimum composite ACT score of 19 or a comparable SAT combined score or must earn a minimum high school GPA of 2.3 (on a 4.0 scale). Tennesseans who graduate from public high schools must successfully complete the Tennessee Proficiency Examination. Assessment evaluation examinations to determine levels of proficiency are required for entering freshmen who present ACT composite, English, or math scores lower than 19. Freshman applicants must meet specific high school course requirements, including 4 units of English, 1 unit of visual and/or performing arts, 2 units of algebra I and II, 1 unit of geometry, 2 units of natural/physical sciences, 1 unit of social studies, 1 unit of U.S. history, and 2 units of a single foreign language. Transfer applicants must offer satisfactory academic records from accredited institutions. When transferring from colleges or universities located in Tennessee, transfer students must meet the academic standards set for state residents. Transfer students from out of state must meet the same requirements as Tennessee residents except that a minimum grade point average of 2.0 (or C) is required on previous college work.

 Financial Aid Information . . .  

Slightly over half of the university's students receive financial aid which is offered through four basic categories: grants, loans, scholarships, and work programs. Aid is awarded on the basis of an evaluation of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The university provides assistance through institutional loans, scholarships, and employment as well as federal and state programs such as the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Tennessee Student Assistance Award Corporation, Stafford Student Loan, Perkins Loan, and Federal Work-Study. Additional information concerning these and other programs can be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid, East Tennessee State University, P.O. Box 70722.

About the Johnson City Area . . .

Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol make up the Tri-Cities, which are part of the Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia and the Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA Metropolitan Statistical Area -- the nation's 80th largest MSA with a population exceeding 430,000. Johnson City, a progressive city with a population of over 50,000, is located close to the state lines of Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Recreational opportunities abound, including boating, skiing (snow and water), white water rafting, fishing, jogging, and hiking. Interstate highways I-181 and I-81 provide access to the area by automobile. The Tri-Cities Regional Airport provides access by commercial airlines.

The University Complex . . .

ETSU's main campus in Johnson City consists of 366 acres and 63 academic and administrative buildings. Adjacent to the campus is the 247-acre Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the 75-acre Johnson City Medical Center Hospital, and Woodridge Hospital, consisting of five acres. On the VA grounds, ETSU conducts its medical programs using the facilities available in six buildings, including the hospital complex. The university recently constructed the Palma L. Robinson Clinical Education Center on a seven-acre plot of land on nearby State of Franklin Road. This $6 million, 67,755-square-foot ambulatory care facility, completed in the spring of 1992, houses some 72 examination and 21 special diagnostic rooms as the center provides outpatient services in surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics. Faculty from all units of the Division of Health Sciences are involved in teaching and training at the center, which also offers consultation rooms, conference rooms, and a classroom with a capacity of 146.

The university also operates centers in Kingsport and Elizabethton and a site in Bristol. The Greeneville site which opened Fall Semester, 1996, is operated in cooperation with Walters State Community College.

The ETSU/UT at Kingsport Center offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses with classes available during the day and at night. The University of Tennessee also offers graduate degrees in engineering, library science and human resource manager at the Kingsport center. Facilities on the 100-acre site include a library; computer, chemistry, and biology labs; gymnasium, student center, mini-market bookstore; and, distance education classrooms. Student services include academic advisement, personal and career counseling; intramural activities; and, registration.

ETSU at Bristol is located at 1227 Volunteer Parkway in Executive Park Plaza. The 20,000 square foot facility has a computer lab; distance education classrooms; a student lounge; and, convenient access and parking. Student services include academic advisement; personal and career counseling; financial and advisement; bookstore services; and registration assistance.

Through sequenced course offerings in four undergraduate and three graduate areas, ETSU students attending both the Bristol and Kingsport campuses can earn up to three years of academic work. This course scheduling process is known as the "Cohort Advantage" and enable students to move through their coursework as a single group.

The ETSU at Greeneville site is located in the Greene County Higher Education Center in Downtown Greeneville. ETSU classroom and office facilities are provided in cooperation with Walters State Community College. Working closely with Walters State, the ETSU at Greeneville site offers academic courses at the junior, senior and graduate levels that compliment WSCC's freshman and sophomore programming. ETSU course delivery at the site utilizes distance education technology as well as selected courses taught on-site by university faculty.

The Marshall T. Nave Center in Elizabethton houses ETSU's programs in the health related professions, including allied health, dental assisting, respiratory therapy, and surgical technology.

ETSU benefits from strong affiliations with major hospitals in the region: Johnson City Medical Center Hospital; Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Mountain Home; Holston Valley Hospital and Medical Center, Kingsport, Tennessee; Bristol Regional Medical Center, Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia; and Woodridge Hospital.

Alumni . . .

More than 52,500 people have graduated from ETSU since 1911. Many recipients of undergraduate degrees return to pursue graduate studies. Some 25,800 of ETSU's alumni reside within a 100-mile radius of the university while over 29,900 live in the State of Tennessee alone. The overall alumni gender breakout is 49% male, 51% female.

Cultural Diversity . . .

East Tennessee State University is committed to encouraging and expanding cultural diversity across the campus from the classroom to research laboratories to administrative positions. ETSU's approach to providing better educational and employment opportunities for minorities is an aggressive one, including active recruitment, financial incentives, development and support plans, and an attractive benefits package. These growing programs have established a proven record for the university in promoting and achieving access.

 

East Tennessee State University - Becoming the University of Choice

 OUR VISION -  To be the university of choice in the region and to become the best regional university in the nation.

 OUR MISSION

Institutional Purpose

 ETSU is a state-supported, comprehensive, regional university in the State University and Community College System of Tennessee and is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents. Although the majority of students are from Northeast Tennessee and adjacent states, many qualified students from other states and countries also enroll. ETSU offers programs through nine schools and colleges related to five areas: arts and sciences, business, education, health sciences and services, and technology. ETSU is committed to providing opportunities for the personal development of all its students, faculty, and staff within a framework of life-long learning. A viable athletic program is an integral part of the University's commitment to student life.

ETSU affirms the fundamental values of higher education: protecting free interchange of ideas through "academic freedom," promoting curiosity and desire for learning, stimulating thought and self-reflection, and encouraging an ethical society. The University acts on the belief that educational opportunities should be available to all eligible persons without regard to age, sex, color, race, religion, national origin, or disability.

ETSU offers broad programming for undergraduates, embracing the philosophy of a liberal education for all, with special programs leading to a primary level of expertise in the arts and sciences and in selected professional fields. These programs also address needs of students not fully prepared for college-level work, nontraditional students returning to the classroom, and gifted students seeking more challenging educational activities.

ETSU offers graduate programs that provide advanced specialized preparation to meet the needs of the student population while facilitating development of the region. These include: masters programs in certain academic, technical, and professional fields; doctoral programs in education and in biomedical sciences; and programs leading to the Doctor of Medicine degree.

ETSU's Division of Health Sciences, composed of the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Public and Allied Health, serves the state, region, and nation as a comprehensive academic health sciences center.

ETSU faculty are accomplished and practicing scholars, current and active in their disciplines, who incorporate the products of their scholarship in their teaching; in professional publications, exhibits, and performances; and in professional services to business, education, government, and health care providers.

ETSU assumes a leadership role in providing facilities and programs that improve the intellectual, cultural, political, and social environment of Northeast Tennessee and the Southern Appalachian region.

VALUES

 ETSU pursues its mission through a student-centered community of learning reflecting high standards and promoting a balance of liberal arts and professional preparation, continuous improvement, and based on core values where:

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