Sidney A. McPhee

Dr. Sidney A. McPhee is an American educator, currently serving as the President of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). A native of the Bahamas, Dr. McPhee earned his B.A. degree (Summa Cum Laude) from Prairie View A&M University in 1976, a Master's degree in 1979 from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, and a Doctorate in Applied Behavioral Studies in Education from Oklahoma State University.

His previous service includes a number of positions at the Tennessee Board of Regents: Executive Vice Chancellor; Chief Academic Officer; and --in the spring of 2000--Interim Chancellor. He has also served in the administration of the University of Louisville and the University of Memphis.

Dr. McPhee has played important leadership roles in the development of college athletics, receiving the 2004 Outstanding College President in the Nation Award given by the All American College Football Foundation. He currently serves on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and the NCAA Executive Committee.

Once every Spring and Fall semester, McPhee answers questions from MTSU students about the state of the university on CloseUp with Sidney McPhee, which is aired on MTSU's student-run television station, MTTV. The program also airs live on stations in other States in the Southeast.

In October 2003, Tammie C. Allen, an administrative assistant to the president, filed a sexual harassment complaint against McPhee. A short time later, McPhee checked into a Jasper, Tennessee hospital following an apparent suicide attempt at a Marion County, Tennessee waterfront park. He issued a statement to the press in which he said he had 'not violated my wedding vows' and that the allegations were unrelated to 'my official duties, misappropriation of taxpayer resources or other malfeasance.' In December 2003, Chancellor Charles Manning of the Tennessee Board of Regents announced that McPhee — while denying Allen's specific allegations — sexually harassed her by spending time with her outside the office and by creating a hostile work environment. Manning suspended the MTSU president for 20 days without pay, cut his pay by $10,000 for 2004, and required him to attend training sessions. Mr. McPhee accepted the punishment and apologized, saying he had been guilty of 'a lapse in judgment' [http://tennessean.com/education/archives/04/03/48624715.shtml] . Ms. Allen subsequently filed a civil lawsuit against McPhee, claiming she suffered emotional distress and that the initial investigation into her complaint was biased. Allen lost that case, but appealed the decision to the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court heard her appeal on June 6, 2007 and a ruling is forthcoming [http://www.wsmv.com/rutherford/13105868/detail.html] .

References

* [http://www.mtsu.edu/adm/executives.html#1 MTSU President's Official Biography]