As the 2023-24 academic school comes to a close, ETSU President Brian Noland shared his memorable moments, accomplishments and plans for the upcoming school year.

“This year, and there’s no way to define it, just felt different because there was more of a presence, a heartbeat and a sense of life that was welcomed on campus,” said Noland.

Photo of the Campus Center Building construction. (Gabriella Collins/East Tennessean)

This school year has been filled with many accomplishments, student life and improving campus for the better. Noland reflects on the ongoing construction that has been on campus this school year. Lamb and Gilbreath Hall being re-opened this school year was an accomplishment, alongside the Campus Center Building that has been demolished to make room for a new academic building. These campus upgrades are the next step in a bigger direction for campus renewal at ETSU.

Noland mentions some other accomplishments and memorable moments that caught his eye this year. He mentions how this year, ETSU took on the biggest freshman-year class that it has seen, along with the largest number of students seen in the residence halls this past fall. The ETSU Marching Bucs also welcomed one of their biggest marching classes this school year, which stood out to Noland.

In the realm of sports, Noland highlights the four sports that won conference championships and attended the NCAA. Men and Women’s Tennis and Golf did just that this year, carrying their team and ETSU to victory this month. One of his memorable moments in sports was ETSU vs. Chattanooga in the Men’s Basketball Southern Conference Tournament, saying that the Bucs’ comeback win was a moment he would never forget.

Photo taken at the Quillen College of Medicine Match Day. (Contributed/@etsuprez Instagram)

Noland also cited several academic achievements. Trent White, former SGA President, is now a Truman Scholar. Noland mentions that one of his memorable moments of the year was being able to surprise White with the great news that he had won. Match Day for graduate medical students was another groundbreaking day. Noland says that every medical student matched for residency, which shows the success of the students. The College of Pharmacy succeeded this year by having the second highest pass rate and sixth highest match rate in the nation.

“As I reflect on the academic year that was, as a university, we have exceeded all expectations,” Noland said. ” I’m proud of the work our campus focused on for things that matter, student success, community engagement, scholarship and focused on the life of the minds that occurs here at this institution.”

 

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