MTSU Presidential Finalist Steven Holley: Public Forum Nov. 17, 2026 at the Student Union

MTSU's Presidential Search Committee will hold a public forum with finalist Dr. Steven G. Holley on Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Student Union Parliamentary Room. Seating is first-come, first-served, and the forum will be livestreamed.

Middle Tennessee State University's Presidential Search Committee will hold a public forum with presidential finalist Dr. Steven G. Holley on Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The forum is in the Parliamentary Room on the second floor of the Student Union Building, 1768 MTSU Blvd., Murfreesboro. MTSU announced the visit on Nov. 13.

When and where is the MTSU public forum?

• Date and time: Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
• Place: Parliamentary Room, second floor, Student Union Building, 1768 MTSU Blvd.
• Seating: limited and first-come, first-served.
• Parking: the Student Union Lot, across MTSU Boulevard from the building.

How can I watch the forum?

MTSU says the forum will be livestreamed at mtsu.edu/live. It will also air on True Blue TV, which MTSU says is carried on Murfreesboro Comcast Xfinity channels 9 and 1096 and on AT&T U-verse channel 99 in Middle Tennessee. True Blue TV is also streamed on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. The recording will be archived on the livestream page and on True Blue TV On-Demand.

Who is Steven Holley?

MTSU's presidential search page lists Holley's background:

• Current role: Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer at the University of Mississippi. MTSU says he oversees a $1.4 billion capital portfolio and a division of more than 750 staff.
• Earlier roles: Vice President and Chief Business Officer at Abilene Christian University. Before that, operations positions at FedEx and Del-Nat Tire.
• Education: Ed.D. in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California, an M.S. in Psychology from Arizona State University, a Master of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Accountancy from the University of Mississippi, and an Associate of Science from Northeast Mississippi Community College.
• Other: Tennessee-licensed CPA, Instructional Professor of Psychology at the University of Mississippi, and former graduate instructor at Claremont Graduate University.

MTSU also cites a public-private partnership that delivered 2,250 student beds and a restructuring at Abilene Christian that produced about $5 million in annual debt-service savings. The search page links Holley's full CV.

What is the MTSU presidential search timeline?

MTSU's Board of Trustees lists this timeline on its Presidential Search Process page:

• June 16, 2026: the board approved the search process, timeline and statement of qualifications.
• July 14, 2026: the Presidential Search Committee was appointed and the search firm Korn Ferry was hired.
• August and September: stakeholder input, a finalized position profile, recruitment and candidate outreach.
• October: applications reviewed, candidates identified and initial interviews held.
• November and December: finalists visit campus and hold public forums. The board then meets in a called meeting to select the president.

The committee is the full Board of Trustees plus retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Huber, MTSU's senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives. For the earlier stage of the search, see OnlyInMurfreesboro's October search update.

When will the MTSU board vote?

MTSU has not announced a vote date. Its search page gives a window of November and December 2026 and says the policy requires the public forum to be held at least seven days before the vote. With a Nov. 17 forum, that means no vote before about Nov. 24.

How can I give feedback on the finalist?

MTSU says opportunities to provide feedback will be available on the Presidential Search Process website. The page does not list an email address or form for feedback. The Board of Trustees site has a general contact page at mtsu.edu/bot/contact/.

More about MTSU in Murfreesboro

The university is one of the city's largest institutions. For more, see OnlyInMurfreesboro's MTSU guide, the MTSU business listing, the story on MTSU's IBM cyber range and the report on MTSU's free speech rankings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the MTSU presidential finalist?

Dr. Steven G. Holley, Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer at the University of Mississippi.

When is the MTSU public forum with Steven Holley?

Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Parliamentary Room, second floor of the Student Union Building.

Can I watch the MTSU forum online?

Yes. MTSU says it will be livestreamed at mtsu.edu/live and broadcast on True Blue TV.

Do I need a ticket or reservation to attend?

MTSU does not mention one. It says seating is limited and first-come, first-served.

When will MTSU choose its next president?

MTSU has not set a date. The board plans a called meeting after the finalist forum, and its timeline lists November and December 2026.

Where can I find the search details?

On MTSU's Presidential Search Process page at mtsu.edu/bot/presidential-search-process/.

Sources: MTSU News: "MTSU Presidential Finalist Visit: Public Forum Set for Nov. 17," Nov. 13, 2026 and MTSU Board of Trustees: Presidential Search Process.

*AI-generated illustration.*