University continues focus on strengthening region's workforce

During its quarterly meeting today, the East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees reviewed progress and approved measures that support ETSU’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the region’s workforce.

2.3% salary increase for employees

The board approved a 2.3% increase for all full-time, benefits-eligible employees, capped at $7,500 per person, retroactive to Nov. 1.  

“ETSU is excelling according to nearly every measure of success,” ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland said. “We have achieved impressive national rankings, led the nation in licensure pass rates for multiple programs, improved retention and graduation rates, repeatedly broken enrollment records, increased research productivity, transformed the campus’s physical environment, and been recognized nationally as a Great College to Work For ®. Yet, our salary rates for employees have long lagged behind those of our peers. We remain committed to closing those gaps and, in fact, will have invested more than $25 million in new funding in faculty and staff salaries between fall 2022 and spring 2026. We still have work to do on this front, but we are making meaningful progress.”

New Master of Science in Environment, Health and Disaster Studies

Also today, Trustees reviewed and approved the Letter of Notification to establish a new Master of Science in Environment, Health and Disaster Studies, a collaborative degree between the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Public Health. The program brings together geosciences, environmental health, epidemiology and disaster science to address increasingly complex challenges facing communities and industries in responding to disaster situations.

According to federal and state data, demand for environmental scientists and specialists is expected to grow 7% nationally and 16.8% in Tennessee over the next decade. Graduates of the proposed program would be prepared to serve in governmental agencies, research institutions and industry roles where they would lead environmental health efforts, develop sustainable practices and strengthen resilience to extreme weather and disaster events.

“This initiative reflects ETSU’s strength in interdisciplinary research and our commitment to preparing graduates for emerging workforce needs,” ETSU Provost Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle said. “It will enhance our graduate portfolio, attract new students and deepen partnerships across the region and nation.”

The program proposal will now advance to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to begin the state review and public comment process.

Progress on community-engaged learning initiatives

Trustees also received updates on ETSU's expanding community-engaged learning (CEL) initiatives, which are signature experiences that empower students to apply classroom knowledge through service, leadership and meaningful collaboration with community partners.

The university's Office of Community Engagement highlighted several milestones:

  • Faculty have developed 80-plus CEL courses across academic disciplines
  • Students logged 21,000-plus hours of service in the 2024-25 academic year, representing a 140% increase year over year
  • 335 students have participated in days of service since August 2025
  • The ETSU Elevates program has provided more than $60,000 in funding for 22 community projects across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia

These initiatives support ETSU's goal of focusing on hands-on learning opportunities, ensuring that 50% of all ETSU freshmen will have a CEL experience during their first year and 75% of all seniors will have completed a CEL experience by graduation.

“Community engagement is woven into the fabric of ETSU’s identity,” Noland said. “These experiences transform students’ lives while strengthening our region. They are essential to who we are and who we aspire to be.”