New provost implements 'open-door Thursdays'

Students will be able to drop by University Provost Brad Bartel's office in the Cope Administration Building without an appointment starting Thursday, as part of a new open-door policy implemented by the newly hired MTSU administrator.

Bartel said he set aside time every Thursday from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. for students so there would be better communication between the two parties. He said students are welcome to make an appointment for other times if necessary.

"I want to meet students so that I can learn what's on their mind," Bartel said. "I encourage them to come on by and meet with me during open-door sessions on Thursdays."

Bartel served as president of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., before joining the MTSU community. He said although he enjoyed being president of the small, liberal arts college, he "loves being a provost" because he has the chance to spend more time with students.

"As president, a lot of my responsibilities involved matters that weren't directly related to academics and students – the two things I enjoy the most," Bartel said.

He added university presidents are often required to travel frequently as part of fundraising and networking efforts to promote the school, and he missed being a part of the daily on-campus routine and academic culture.

In addition to Bartel's new "open-door Thursdays," he said his focus remains on improving the university's graduation retention rate and boosting the number of internationally enrolled students from an average of 350 to more than 1000 annually.

"Everyone has been so friendly, [and] I'm looking forward to learning more about the MTSU community," Bartel said.