East Tennessee State University is a state-supported, coeducational institution and one of the principal campuses governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents. Founded in 1911, ETSU offers two-year, four-year, and graduate programs of study through the colleges of Applied Science and Technology, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Medicine, Nursing, and Public and Allied Health and the schools of Continuing Studies and Graduate Studies. With an enrollment of approximately 12,000 students, the university offers more than 125 undergraduate programs. ETSU has over 650 full-time faculty, 75 percent of whom hold terminal degrees.
The main 366-acre campus is located in Johnson City. Additional off-campus locations include ETSU/UT at Kingsport, ETSU at Bristol, the Greeneville Site and the Nave Center in Elizabethton, which houses ETSU's programs in the health-related professions. The James H. Quillen College of Medicine, located on the ETSU campus and adjacent grounds of the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Mountain Home, was established in 1974 to train primary care physicians. The colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Public and Allied Health combine to form ETSU's Division of Health Sciences.
The Center for Appalachian Studies and Services and the Center for Early Childhood Learning and Development, two of Tennessee's Centers of Excellence, are located on the main campus. One-of-a-kind programs offered at ETSU include the world's only master's degree in storytelling and reading and the nation's only bluegrass and country music program at a four-year institution. The university supports eight Chairs of Excellence in the fields of medicine, business, education, and arts and sciences. ETSU also houses the region's public radio station, WETS-FM, a National Public Radio affiliate.
Committed to the needs of all its students, ETSU provides all citizens in the region opportunities to continue lifelong learning. All programs and degrees are offered during the regular day schedule, and extensive evening programs are also provided. Some 5,000- 10,000 persons are served annually through continuing education and extended service programs. The wealth of academic programs, numerous support facilities and services, and active campus life attract students of diverse backgrounds and interests. While the majority of students are primarily from the Southeast, 36 states and 48 foreign countries are represented among the student population, and 53 percent of ETSU's students are 23 years of age or older.
Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol, Tenn./Va., are part of the Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia region, the nation's 82nd largest Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a population exceeding 450,000. Located in the Southern Appalachians and in the heart of TVA lake country, the region offers scenic beauty, a moderate climate, and abundant recreational opportunities. Some of these opportunities include hiking the Appalachian Trail, fishing for trout in nearby streams, boating or water skiing on one of the region's beautiful lakes, and enjoying Roan Mountain's spectacular rhododendron gardens and its world-class cross country skiing. Excellent downhill skiing facilities in North Carolina are within a 45-minute drive of Johnson City, and the Nolichucky River offers an afternoon of white-water rafting or canoeing. Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in the Great Smoky Mountains, and the Blue Ridge Parkway are accessible for nearby weekend get-aways. Interstate highways I-181 and I-81 provide access to the area by automobile, and the Tri-Cities Regional Airport provides access by commercial airlines.
Northeast Tennessee is also home to many historical sites and national events, including the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, which is the oldest town in Tennessee and the first to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The world- renowned Barter Theatre, established during the Great Depression, produces off- Broadway plays in its original, historic structure in downtown Abingdon, Va.
The region boasts richness and diversity in its arts and culture. Varied musical performances abound in the area, ranging from symphony concerts to bluegrass festivals. For country music fans, the historic A.P. Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Va., provides entertainment for young and old. The city of Bristol, on the Tennessee-Virginia state line, is known as the Birthplace of Country Music, and the Bristol International Raceway hosts both NASCAR and Grand National races. In 1984, Johnson City was named the number one running city in America by The Runner magazine. Nearby Kingsport is home to Eastman Chemical Company and Bays Mountain Park, a 3,000-acre nature preserve with a state-of-the-art planetarium.
The climate of the region is mild with four distinct seasons. January's average high temperature is 45 degrees, and July produces an average high of 80-degree days which turn into cool, comfortable evenings. The Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia region is often called the "Southeast's best-kept secret." It offers the best of both worlds to residents -- a diverse and progressive place to work and live with all the amenities of one of the most beautiful areas in the country.