With the first half of the 2023-24 academic year nearly complete, ETSU President Brian Noland is looking back at some of the most memorable moments of the semester, and hoping to make the spring semester one for the books. 

“As I look back at the fall, from my perspective, there was just a sense of energy here that was different than any other fall that I’ve had the honor to see at this institution,” said Noland. “The campus came to life and that sense of energy stayed with us all the way through to the end.”

This sense of energy is something that Noland felt in all of the University’s most notable moments this semester; he mentioned the completion and opening of Lamb Hall, the record-breaking Preview and ETSU Elevates as moments that stuck out to him this fall. 

“This is cliche, but it just feels different,” Noland said. “And that’s been intentional–it wasn’t by happenstance.”

While Noland could not name a specific favorite moment from the semester, he was quick to mention this year’s holiday concert at the Martin Center: “A Light in the Darkness,” the Marching Bucs performance in this year’s Bands of America competition and the Holiday Lights ceremony.

This year’s Holiday Lights ceremony is one that will be unforgettable for Noland; he remarked on how the number of attendees exceeded his previous expectations.

“There are moments that you reflect upon and think, you just pinch yourself and go, ‘Wow’,” Noland said. “Never in a million years did I think we would have 1,000 people gathered outside of Burgin-Dossett Hall to turn on the lights, but we did.”

Like the rest of the world, the ETSU community was also impacted by the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in October, which led to instances of student protest and discourse across campus. As the situation continues to unfold, Noland expresses his hopes for how the University will continue to navigate the conflict. 

“As an institution, we have a responsibility to create an environment in which people feel safe in the expression of their positions, that those positions are respected, and that we create learning opportunities that allow all of us together to respect, to understand and to value the perspective of others, even if that perspective is different than our own,” Noland said.

Noland said further that the nature of the world will always yield issues that lead to conflicts; it is his priority that the University is able to maintain a space that allows for the understanding of different viewpoints, and that the campus is able to express these opinions while keeping respect for others.

“I don’t know what the issues will be for [2024], but I know that there will be an issue,” Noland said. “I’m confident that we, as a University, will be able to grow together from whatever the issues may be.”

As Noland prepares to transition to the new semester, he does have a few goals that he hopes to see achieved and events that he is looking forward to. 

One of his primary goals is continuing to make progress on the ongoing campus demolition and renovations occurring at the Campus Center building. 

“When students return for classes in the Spring, that building will be a shell of itself,” Noland said.

While the entire process is projected to take about two years, Noland is affirmative that its completion will completely transform the campus.

Improvements to the academic and mental health counseling of students is another priority that Noland initially expressed at the conclusion of the 2022-23 academic year. He is proud of the efforts put into this goal throughout the fall semester–with almost 2,000 students served by the Counseling Center in this semester alone. 

A way in which Noland expects to expand on this goal is through the creation of peer training opportunities for peer counseling, which will provide participants with the necessary skills to support fellow students. 

Noland is optimistic for the upcoming Festival of Ideas during the week of Feb. 26 featuring Mitch Albom as the keynote speaker. He is also eager to start making preparations for the next incoming freshmen class, which he thinks could break this year’s record of the largest class size. 

He also notes that the university is approaching the conclusion of the 10 year Strategic Facilities Master Planning process, which will outline any future changes regarding parking, the placement of new buildings and more.

For ETSU students approaching the most stressful time of the semester, Noland encourages the student body to “finish strong.”

Photo of Dr. Noland and Bucky helping the community. (Contributed/etsuprez Instagram)

“Take time to take care of yourself, make sure you’re doing all the things you need to do, and knock finals out of the park,” Noland said.

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