MTSU Student Government Association senators and freshmen gathered at their meeting on Nov. 6 to ask their guest speaker, MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, burning questions; below are his responses.

Quotes have been edited for clarity.

Are you stepping down now that your contract is up in 2026? – SGA Sen. Jorge Avila 

Right now, my decision at this point has not been made. I would imagine that within the next couple of months, you will know one way or the other if that process will be done.

What does that process look like, especially for those who are concerned that the process to select a new MTSU president will be political rather than merit-based? – SGA Sen. Jorge Avila 

Regarding the process, the board of trustees has the statutory responsibility for selecting a university president. Typically, a committee is established and organized by the board. I was appointed 25 years ago. I went through the interview process; there were 100 applicants for the position of president of MTSU when I applied. 

The Board of Trustees usually would employ a search firm, and that search firm would go about taking applications, and then there would be a whole set of interviews that the board will arrange. That will give students, faculty and staff the opportunity to give input. 

But the major decision, the final decision for the appointment of a university president, is that of the trustees. And typically, that’s done in the majority vote of the bullets. 

Were there any updates on the renaming of Forrest Hall? – SGA Sen. Jenene Grover

Forrest Hall is a building on campus named after a Confederate soldier. Despite its scrutiny and effort from students and MTSU officials, the name has not been removed. 

“The answer is no. And I don’t anticipate that there will be an answer in the future, given the environment that we are in, particularly the political environment. We have tried. “There is a historical commission that the state has established; to change the name or make any adjustment or alteration to that monument or building, you have to get approval. And as you know now, even nationwide, there was a removal of many of the names of some of the Confederate generals of the military. The new administration has actually rescinded that and put those names back. So my response to you is I don’t see that being a possibility right now, to be honest with you. Doesn’t mean that we don’t want to continue to push to have it removed,” McPhee said.

What is the university doing to address student concerns about black mold and other issues in the dorms? – Freshman SGA member, Symphony Smith

The only time we will know about it and can do something about it is when you tell us, and obviously, the university holds its responsibility to make sure that you are in a good living and learning environment, we certainly are not going to ignore that if it’s brought to our attention. So I will tell you, if you deal with some of these issues, it’s not because of neglect. Make sure that you let us know, and it will be addressed.

I have worked at the MTSU food pantry for about two years, and I’ve seen an increase in students, averaging around 30 to 40 students per month. I just want to know what you can do at the university or as president to accommodate the increase? – SGA Sen. Amiracle Willingham

We are very much aware of the concerns not only in terms of food, but also clothing. We encourage our board members and others to provide financial support to address these issues. For example, just a couple of months ago, we partnered with the community church. They have given us $150,000 to provide support for students in need. I’ll also tell you that a number of our board members each year provide for emergency funding to support our students. I have had board members who have actually bought groceries for the food pantry. So we are very much aware of the demand, and even now, particularly with the government shutdown. The support that the government gives to those to need it are now being questioned. We need to do a better job, but I’ll tell you, we’re on top of it and we’re doing the best we can,” McPhee said.

 Why were Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs removed so quickly over the summer without communication with students? – SGA Sen. Jaeda Jackson

We did communicate with students. Let me make it very clear that part of what we are required to do by law is to follow the law. If you’ve been keeping up with the news — nationally and also the state of Tennessee, with the new administration, the first day that President Trump sat behind the oval desk in the White House, he signed an executive order requiring that public state institutions eliminate all DEI programs. 

That was then followed up by [Tennessee’s] general Assembly, where in April of this year, they actually passed legislation mandating that the university eliminate all DEI programs. Upon the signing of that law by the governor, it took effect. 

The reason we had DEI programs and initiatives is because we believe, based on our values, that it’s an important part of what we do. But we are a state institution, and we are required by law to follow what those legislators say. So we had no choice but to eliminate those programs. 

There’s always the communication issue, McPhee added, but we have sent out communication to the campus. We didn’t immediately eliminate [DEI initiatives]. In fact, we had some discussion about how we should approach those programs out and what kinds of programs that we should or opportunities we should put in place that would not conflict with the law. 

So what were the consequences? If we had not followed the law, your Pell grants, your funds from the federal government would be taken away, and we’ve seen that happen with some institutions.

I’m an international student. There is an evident decrease in international students coming in because of the political environment. What can you say to them? – SGA Sen. Anna Salinas Seaman

I was an international student. I remember leaving Nassau to go to – of all places –  Texas. Having had that experience, I realized that the university needs to put a lot of support and resources into encouraging international students. We are still committed, but there are areas, of course, you mentioned the political landscape, that we have no control over. 

For example, the new administration said its policy is to cap the number of international students. We have an office of International Affairs with a vice provost, and even though we still [face] challenges from the administration, we’re still sending out our recruiters worldwide to do as best we can to help them maneuver the visa issue.

 We’ve had situations where several of our international students had their visas dropped without them even knowing. We are aware of these challenges, so the best we can do is just try to work around them. 

MTSU invested millions of dollars into sports endeavors. However, MTSU students’ attendance at games remains severely low compared to other schools. We rarely make national headlines or headlines in our own state. Is there a plan to boost media presence or attendance in sports or athletics? – Freshman SGA member, Nathan Duarte.

I spent seven years at Oklahoma State, eight years at the University of Louisville and five years at the University of Memphis. All of those institutions experienced the struggle that we are talking about right now. 

There are programs that I know you are talking about, the revenue-generating sports, like basketball and football. But this university has 18 Division I sports that have great support. In fact, our women’s golf team, our tennis team. 

Right now, our football team is struggling. What [students] need to do is not wait until we start winning. You need to come and bring your friends to the game, and then, do you know what’s going to happen? ESPN will come to the campus. And then the Tennesseean will have a story. So while they have to win, you are a student body and your friends and your family need to support the athletic product.