East Tennessee State University — Attraction in Johnson City

East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a public research university in Johnson City, Tennessee. Although it is part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee, the university is governed by an institutional Board of Trustees. As of May 2017, it is the fourth largest university in the state and has off-campus centers in nearby Kingsport, Elizabethton, and Sevierville.

ETSU is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity." It hosts the James H. Quillen College of Medicine which is often ranked as one of the top schools in the United States for rural medicine and primary care education; the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, and the recently formed College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences. Unique programs include an accredited program in Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music, America's lone master's degree in Storytelling, and the Appalachian Studies programs, focused on the surrounding Appalachian region.

Presidents

• Sidney G. Gilbreath, 1911–1925 • Charles C. Sherrod, 1925–1949 • Burgin E. Dossett Sr., 1949–1968 • D.P. Culp, 1968–1977 • Arthur H. DeRosier Jr., 1977–1980 • Ronald E. Beller, 1980–1991 • Bert C. Bach (interim), 1991–1992 • Roy S. Nicks, 1992–1996 • Paul E. Stanton Jr., 1997–2012 • Brian Noland, 2012–present

In April 2002, the 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) Basler Center for Physical Activity (BCPA) was opened. The building contains recreational facilities such as an indoor 40-foot (12 m) climbing wall, walking / jogging track, racquetball / basketball courts, an indoor swimming pool, meeting rooms and a 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) weight room. The Basler Center also offers a diverse selection of fitness classes from yoga to martial arts.

ETSU Campus Recreation completed an expansion of the BCPA in 2013 and also opened the Campus Recreation Field Complex. The BCPA expansion included a volleyball / indoor soccer/basketball court, a martial arts studio, a yoga studio, a change room, an extra 4,000 square foot area for the weight room, and a cycling studio.

The Campus Recreation Field Complex includes Field 1- a multi-use field designed for softball and flag football and Field 2- a natural grass multi-use field designed for softball but can also accommodate flag football, soccer and other sports. There is a field house and a covered pavilion overlooking Field 1 which provides a great location for teams to gather before or after an intramural game. Just thirty minutes from campus students can hike on the Appalachian Trail, view wildflowers in a national wilderness area, or explore the world-famous rhododendron gardens atop Roan Mountain (elevation 6,285 feet). Nearby mountain streams attract students who love trout fishing and/or waterfalls. These streams also create recreation opportunities on nearby TVA lakes for skiing, boating and bass fishing. Over the mountain ridges in North Carolina, students in winter can find snow ski resorts and lodges. An hour away to the west awaits the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and to the east the Mount Rogers National...

I graduated in May 2021. I studied Biology and minored in Geology. My experience was no different than one would expect. I felt adequately educated, had all the fun and struggles that come with that. The financial aid department was scary and the workers were soulless. The library was good, nice "quieter as you go up" floor structure. The testing center student workers were polite. Some buildings were confusing, but made sense once you figured it out. Culp center renovations ruined the snacking options. So I had to leave to get anything to eat. That sucked. I mean eventually there were food trucks, but having those darn renovations going during my entire time there was a huge bummer. The parking situation was improved with the parking garage- that and a little common sense will get you far. Don't try to park where there's not spaces, just go to the back of the freaking lot!!

Chemistry made me cry, so did physics. I just wanted to learn about animals!!! The professors got me through it. I didn't do many gen ed courses here since I went to community college, but even the adjuncts were cool. Some Bio classes were hard, but I had more fun with them. Raven Ragsdale is a great bio lab coordinator, very sweet. The grad students who instruct the lab courses were relatable and didn't take themselves too seriously. The professors were excellent people, I miss them dearly. I wish they could keep teaching me without the associated stress and debt. Dr. Chris Gregg, and Dr. Ingrid Luffman in Geology, Dr. Hugh Miller and Dr. Rebecca Pyles in Biology, and epically Dr. Fred Alsop and Dr. Thomas Jones all made a difference in my life. They may not remember me, but I'll remember them. Dr. Alsop made me obsessed with birds- made me look at nature differently and want to know everything about it. He warned his students that would happen. Dr. Jones learned me things about spiders I never knew I could know before!

The campus is very pretty, I loved seeing it in all the seasons. The student body was decent. Nobody bothered me. Students were polite. I didn't go into too much debt. All my scholarships ran out cause I took too long- cause I'm human. Overall, I'd recommend this school...

From the moment I got to ETSU, nothing was as they told me it would be in the dorms or in the classes. There were no kitchens at all in their most expensive dorm building. Class sizes were over 300 for entry level classes such as chemistry and biology. Classes require electronic rfid devices and other nonsense for grades. The labs have a bare minimum of supplies for students, requiring students to purchase basic needs for classes with money They do not have considering the uni makes a regular habit of withholding funds in their poorly run financial aid office. They induce minors into contract without parental consent and condemn many of their students to homelessness in a crime ridden town. Teachers reject papers not written upon approved topics. The computer classes don't utilize open source software. There is also no recourse students can take to challenge the university once they induce contract and the university gets to essentially have its way with you. I was at that financial aid office nearly daily and they lie to me saying financial aid and grants hadn't credited; however looking at the federal site, I could see it had been and they were simply refusing to give it to me. They even make ridiculous claims such as 'expected family contributions' as reasons to with hold funds. I was told that I was expected a 60k family contribution and didnt get my grants because of it, which in now way can be true considering I was raised being shuffled around by CPS. They were essentially saying "lol pay us anyway" and then they will try to make you reset your whole acedemic record after making you go to classes without books or equipment to start over so they can drain more money out of you. I certainly refused considering I started with 18 credit hours and made a 34/36 on my ACT score. By the time I figured out their scam, they wouldnt even let me withdraw from their fraudulent university. On campus hires are also notoriously absent and the administrators will run you in circles and point fingers rather than face issues head on. Avoid this awful place if you desire any hope for...