Filed Under: President's Post

As we begin the new semester, I thought it appropriate to reflect upon our emerging “I am True Blue” theme and how this simple expression of Blue Raider pride and values has begun to take hold across campus and the communities we serve.

You may recall that the True Blue Pledge is a result of the President’s Task Force on Non-Violence and Conflict Resolution, which I formed last spring.

I asked the task force to develop ideas and approaches to stimulate effective problem solving and conflict resolution, teach civility in resolving disputes, and promote a positive campus environment that celebrates diversity among our students.

MTSU is committed to developing and nurturing a community devoted to learning, growth, and service.

Each person who joins or affiliates with the community does so freely and accepts and practices these core values and expectations:

• Honesty and Integrity
• Respect for Diversity
• Engagement in the Community
• Commitment to Non-violence

The True Blue Pledge, which debuted at our Convocation Ceremony last August, is an eloquent way to express those values and expectations. I have been proud to see the pledge become part of so many of our University activities and functions. It has been played on the big screens at our football and basketball games and weaved into leadership and civic activities on our campus.

I am particularly proud that “True Blue” has been embraced by our Alumni Association, Student Government Association, and our campus circle of the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honorary.

Many in the University community, myself included, are also using “True Blue” as a declaration of those values and expectations. It has been great to see our alumni and friends using it as a greeting or cheer in person and a closing statement in letters and emails. It is more than a saying, it is a statement of both who we are and what we represent. True Blue!

www.mtsu.edu/trueblue