MTSU Access and Diversity Statement

Diversity, which is clearly linked to the quality of educational experience, is a core principle of the MTSU Academic Master Plan (2015-2025). Thus, through academic research and creative activities, curriculum integration, curricular and co-curricular programming, student, faculty and staff recruitment and retention efforts, and an engagement with mentorship, MTSU is committed to the ongoing development of a university and community at large that celebrates a plurality of intellectual perspectives while it simultaneously welcomes, respects, and learns from a myriad of interconnected individuals and groups. Diversity includes but is not limited to age, ethnicity, gender, nationality, physical or mental disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, beliefs or varied life experiences (e.g. military experience).

Why is diversity important? Research on access and diversity shows that institutional vitality, opportunities for intellectual stimulation, and educational possibilities are linked to the composition of its student body, faculty, and staff. Students from institutions that incorporate diversity show evidence of enhanced learning and better preparation for participation in a democratic society, and generally possess enhanced cognitive skills along with a clearer sense of identity. MTSU must offer students stimulating courses and other activities that cover historical, cultural, and social bases of diversity and community, and create opportunities for cross-cultural interactions which have been demonstrated to contribute to self-confidence, motivation, cultural awareness, and an appreciation of equality for all. For the faculty, access and diversity create a campus culture that nurtures and sustains pluralism in scholarship and creative activities.

The benefits to MTSU and the surrounding region of having a diverse campus are many. Diversity enriches the educational experience when students and faculty are engaged in mutually beneficial learning. The result, over time, is a campus culture that challenges stereotypes and encourages critical thinking, encourages a commitment to completion, creates a dividend of good citizenry, mutual respect, teamwork and community building, and sustains a general propensity for an inclusive environment that celebrates difference nonjudgmentally.

Revised January 16, 2013

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Diversity Dissertation Fellowships

MTSU seeks candidates who are committed to innovative teaching. We also seek to attract a culturally and academically diverse faculty who value working with a diverse student body. Candidates for these positions must be members of underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities. Women in fields where they are underrepresented are also eligible.

Hosted by a department in their discipline, MTSU Diversity Dissertation Fellows teach one course each semester in a subject related to their research and devote significant time to completing the dissertation. Successful candidates receive temporary full-time non-tenure-track faculty appointments (August 1-July 31) and are eligible for benefits, including health insurance. In addition to salary, Fellows receive support for research, professional travel, and other related expenses. International applicants must be eligible for employment: Must have passed all comprehensive examinations and be at the dissertation writing stage in a field taught at MTSU.