NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, near Nashville, Tenn., is taking applications through Oct. 15 for its next president as the Board of Trustees runs a national search to replace Sidney McPhee, who is retiring by the end of 2026 after more than 25 years leading the campus.
A university news release said the next president will oversee about 2,250 employees and an estimated 21,000 students. All 12 trustees, plus retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Huber, the university senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives, serve on the Presidential Search Committee. Los Angeles-based Korn Ferry was hired to help with recruitment and screening.
The official MTSU Board of Trustees search page says the committee will review applications in October, identify candidates for initial interviews, and may advance up to three unranked finalists. Selected finalists are to visit campus for interviews and public forums, with the board expected to vote on an appointment in a public meeting under the Tennessee Open Meetings Act.
Trustees Vice Chair Christine Karbowiak Vanek said in the release that the end-of-year timeline is realistic but that the board will keep searching until it finds the right person. Trustee Tom Boyd said Korn Ferry is collecting applicant and nominee names and that the committee has not seen the list, with no pre-selected candidates.
The board search timeline posted online lists June 16 approval of the process, July 14 appointment of the committee and Korn Ferry, August and September stakeholder listening, October application review, and November or December campus visits and a board vote. The university says McPhee will be its 11th chief executive when the handoff is complete. Search leaders also reported more than 15 hours of listening sessions in September with constituency groups.
