You work for a university that is growing in prominence and impact. Witness the recent study by ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½â€™s Business and Economic Research Center (BERC), a center housed in ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½â€™s Jones College of Business, on ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½â€™s economic impact on the region.
According to BERC’s report:
•90 percent of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ students are from Tennessee, and 78 percent of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ alumni live in Tennessee. This means that we are more than fulfilling our mission to educate Tennesseans and, even better, most of those we educate stay in Tennessee. That means a better educated, more capable workforce for our state. And in the area of skilled workforce development, ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ graduates account for one in every two adults with a higher-education degree (bachelor’s and above) in Rutherford County.
•ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ is responsible for about 8,400 jobs across the state, which generate $1.12 billion in revenues and over $408 million in wages and salaries.
•The University is Murfreesboro’s second- largest employer, resulting in $88 million of local, state, and federal tax revenue.
•ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ is responsible for more than $300 million in student spending, along with more than 1,800 jobs tied to student spending.
•ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ is the overwhelming education choice of Rutherford County and the Nashville MSA.
•ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ is a source of diverse cultural, academic, business, community, educational, and sports events and activities. That not only contributes to the quality of life of our citizens, but also brings dollars to these areas.
•The study shows ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ brings nearly 500,000 people to Rutherford County each year. Spending by visitors accounts for more than $56 million, and that translates to almost 830 jobs.
•One of every five adults in the Nashville metro area with a higher education degree (bachelor’s and above) graduated from ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½. In other words, we’re not just keeping students from Rutherford; we’re keeping many of those college- educated students who hail from other parts of Tennessee. That means our entire area benefits from this continuous flow of graduates.
There is no question that ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ is unrivaled in what we bring to the table for our city, county, and region. Much of who we are now, and what we want to become in the future, depends upon the continued health and prosperity of your University. I hope each and every one of you appreciates the vast and significant economic impact that our student population brings to the local economy.
