|
Academic Support
Commitment to
Experiential Learning
Since its
founding in 1984, the Center for Historic
Preservation (CHP) has worked to fulfill dual
missions: improving higher education at Middle
Tennessee State University and expanding the state’s
economic development opportunities through historic
preservation and heritage development programs and
activities. This dual mission allows Center staff
to provide a wide range of services to Tennessee’s
communities while training students in real world
preservation projects. The Center is known for its
innovative approaches, applied experience training,
and placement of students.
Diversity of Students
The Center
provides learning opportunities for students from Middle
Tennessee State University, students from other academic
institutions, and interested individuals with no current
institutional affiliation. We are a partner with the
History Department in its Ph.D. in Public History
program and most, but not all, of our student employees
are history students at Middle Tennessee State
University. Recent Middle Tennessee State University
students working at the Center have also represented
other degree programs, among them psychology, computer
science, agriculture, and graphic design. Since 2003,
the Center has awarded the Center for Historic
Preservation Fellowship. Open to recent graduates or
current graduate level students from other academic
institutions, the CHP Fellowship provides students with
a chance to further their education, gain professional
references from Center staff, and pursue a mutually
beneficial research project.
For a complete list of current and past fellows, click
here.
Diversity of Projects
The Center’s
work is varied and includes such services as resource
identification, documentation and preservation,
architectural assessment and recommendations, heritage
tourism, heritage education, exhibit development,
research and publications, and museum and visitor
services. Potential projects include: National Register
of Historic Places nominations, historic resource
surveys, preservation planning documents, heritage
education studies, heritage tourism plans, museum
exhibits, feasibility studies, and local histories.
Statewide, the Center’s administration of the Tennessee
Civil War National Heritage Area (TCWNHA), a statewide
Congressionally-designated program dedicated to the
interpretation and preservation of Tennessee’s Civil War
and Reconstruction legacies, provides many opportunities
for students to assist Tennessee communities in their
heritage development. In Murfreesboro, the Heritage
Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, a
partnership effort of the Heritage Area and Main Street:
Murfreesboro / Rutherford County, Inc., provides a
learning lab in heritage tourism and museum services.
Types of Employment
Students work
on staff-directed projects at the Harrison House and the
Black House on MTSU’s campus, at the Heritage Center in
downtown Murfreesboro, and, at times, on assignment at
other institutions. Employment opportunities vary by
semester and appointments depend upon how well the
individual’s experience, skills, and research interests
match current Center projects. Most appointments are
semester-long and are open for renewal if the student’s
work demonstrates significant progress and
accomplishment and, if a student, the student maintains
a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
I. The Ph.D. Residency Fellowship Program
is designed for students in their third year of funding
in the Ph.D. in Public History program at MTSU. This
assistance is offered through the Department of History
and application information may be found at
http://www.mtsu.edu/~pubhist/phd_app.htm.
Through this fellowship, students may be placed at the
Center for Historic Preservation and work closely with
Center staff. During this third year, students are
involved in professional projects resulting from their
own research or current Center programs. This 12-month
appointment includes a stipend of $19,000 and tuition
remission. The higher value of the Residency Fellowship
reflects the increased quality and quantity of work
expected of residents.
II. The Ph.D. Assistant Program
is available to students in their first two funding
years in the Ph.D. in Public History program at MTSU.
This assistance is offered through the Department of
History and application information may be found at
http://www.mtsu.edu/~pubhist/phd_app.htm.
As part of the Center’s commitment to the Ph.D. program,
students may be placed at the Center for Historic
Preservation working with Center staff. Currently,
doctoral assistantships at MTSU are 12-month
appointments and include a stipend of $14,000 plus
tuition remission and require 20 hours of employment per
week from the student.
III. The Center for Historic Preservation Fellowship
Program is a
semester-long research fellowship designed to provide
professional historic preservation training and
experience to post-master or post-doctoral students in
fields related to historic preservation. The selected
fellow will design and complete a preservation project
in collaboration with the CHP staff that fulfills both
the goals of the fellow and the CHP. Fellowships are
available for the spring, summer, and/or fall
semesters. The fellow will receive a stipend of
$3,000-$4,000 typically given as a single-semester
award. Fellowships are renewable based on merit.
IV. The Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) Program at the Center for Historic Preservation is designed to provide
professional training and experience to graduate
students at Middle Tennessee State University. The
selected student(s) will design and complete a project
in collaboration with the CHP staff that fulfills both
the goals of the GRA and the CHP. The award is
available for a nine-month term, renewable by semester,
and includes the cost of tuition plus an additional
stipend of $6000 per academic year. Summer support is
available, depending on funding. The GRA’s term is
renewable on a yearly basis for up to two years
depending on performance. Only fully-admitted graduate
students are eligible to hold graduate assistantships
unless the graduate dean grants an exception.
V. The Student Assistant Program
at the Center for Historic Preservation allows selected
assistants to design and complete a project in
collaboration with the CHP staff that fulfills both the
goals of the assistant and the CHP. The assistantship
is available for 9 to 12 month terms and is renewable,
depending on performance, on a semester basis. The
assistant will be expected to work 10 to 30 hours per
week, depending on Center needs, and will receive $8 to
$15 per hour depending on skills, experience, and
academic discipline.
VI. The Internship Program
at the Center for Historic Preservation is designed to
provide professional training and experience to
individuals new to the field of historic preservation or
seeking to gain new technical skills. Eligibility is
open to MTSU students currently enrolled in a graduate
or undergraduate degree program or individuals from the
community seeking to be a part of the university’s
research culture and public service initiative. The
internship is unpaid, renewable by semester, and interns
may expect to work 10 to 30 hours per week, depending on
current programming needs. Students wishing to satisfy
an internship requirement of their academic program for
university credit should contact their faculty
instructor for prior authorization.
Application Process
Selection for
all positions is highly competitive and is based on
academic performance, experience, and interest in
historic preservation. Applications may be submitted
year round; however, first consideration will be given
to application packets received by OCTOBER 15 for
spring semester, MARCH 15 for summer semester,
and JUNE 15 for the fall semester.
To
apply, submit a completed
Application for Student Academic
Support
along with a resume, 1-2 writing or project
samples, and a statement of interest cover letter (see
application form for complete submittal instructions).
For
more information on the application process, contact
histpres@mtsu.edu.
Partner to MTSU Public History Program
The Center
for Historic Preservation is a partner with the MTSU
Department of History in its Ph.D. in Public History
program. The Center provides professional residencies
to several Ph.D. students each year. In addition,
Center staff members regularly teach historic
preservation courses and direct a large number of
theses and dissertations.
MTSU does not offer a degree strictly in historic
preservation although there are classes in architectural
history and material culture. Furthermore, classes
are not geared towards the preservation trades and
restoration crafts. However, the Department of History
offers a B.A. and M.A. in History, an M.A. in History
with an emphasis in Public History, and a Ph.D. in
Public History. For more information, go to the
Department of History’s Public History webpage at http://www.mtsu.edu/~pubhist/.
Class listings for all programs may be viewed at
http://www.mtsu.edu/ucat/
and
http://www.mtsu.edu/~graduate/.
For
more information about the degree programs within the
history department, contact Dr. Jeremy Rich,
Undergraduate Director, at
jrich@mtsu.edu
and Dr. Louis Haas, Graduate Director, at
lhaas@mtsu.edu. Or, send a letter of
inquiry to Dr. Rich or Dr. Haas at:
Department of History
Box 23, MTSU
Murfreesboro, TN 37132 |
