In the last two years, president M. David Rudd has notably boosted the  advertising presence of the University of Memphis to other major cities within a 250-mile radius. This new campaign has led to an increase in student enrollment, as well as an increase in students coming from places further than the suburbs.
Welcome, non-Memphians! These tips should help you get accustomed to your new home in the Bluff City.
Memphis is not a college town—it is a city!
This seems like an insignificant realization to locals, but this concept is not as understood by those elsewhere.
Outside of Memphis, the city is not known for being a large metropolitan area. Memphis and its surrounding suburbs have 1.3 million residents, while Nashville barely surpasses Memphis with its 1.5 million inhabitants.
As a higher learning institution, the U of M does not get the attention Power Five Conference schools like nearby Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss. This lack of publicity has left outsiders with the misconception the U of M is a small school.
The student population at the U of M, the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University had about equal student populations last school year. The University of Tennessee — which constantly gets attention for the state’s most popular college — exceeds Memphis by only 5,000 enrolled students.
Memphis’ diversity goes beyond black and white.
Memphis has one of the highest black population percentages in the nation, with a roughly 63 percent black and 27 percent white population.
The U of M campus is also extremely diverse. There were 10,232 white students, 6,642 black students, 1,072 Asian students, 981 Hispanic students and 697 multi-race students attending the U of M last spring, according to the Office of Institutional Research.
The U of M ranks above average in collegiate ethnic diversity. The statistical ranking and review company Niche gave the U of M an ethnic diversity grade of A-.
The U of M is decently safe.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s 2014 Crime on Campus report stated the U of M was the safest Tennessee college campus with a student population over 5,000. Since then, the number of crimes at the U of M has fluctuated, but the focus has remained the same for campus police. Student safety is the No. 1 priority at all hours of the day.
“We are responsible for providing police services, consisting primarily of patrol and investigation, to campus around the clock,†chief of campus police services Derek Myers, said. “We work closely with other campus partners to install and monitor alarm systems, and we install and maintain almost 800 cameras on or around our property. In addition, we work closely with the Memphis Police Department and assist them off campus in the neighborhoods around us.â€
Rest assured out-of-towners, you are protected by actual Memphis Police — not a rent-a-cop on a Segway.
The student-to-faculty ratio is lower than most colleges.
The U of M has a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1, while the national average is 18:1. That number will vary depending on the department of student’s major, but regardless of class size, the U of M prides itself in students having the opportunity to form relationships with their professors — something other schools across the country lack.
“We are invested in your success,†Rudd said. “What makes a difference in life are the relationships that you build and the relationships that you maintain.â€
This philosophy has come to fruition throughout most departments on campus. Dakota Wyatt, a senior architecture major and Nashville native, cherishes the low student-to-faculty ratio.
“Once I had decided on architecture and staying in-state, it came down to the University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee,†Wyatt said. “The University of Memphis had a better student-to-faculty ratio, so I could learn more individually, and I believe that is more beneficial to your progress as a student. In my architecture studio classes, there are two professors for about eight to twelve students. That’s what sold me on the U of M.â€
Finally, Memphis has iconic food.
Memphis and barbecue have become synonymous, and almost every Memphis native will say the best barbecue in the world is found here. The list of barbecue joints is almost endless. Central BBQ, Germantown Commissary, One & Only BBQ and the Rendezvous are just a few of the most iconic barbecue restaurants in town.
And if you have a sweet tooth, after 11 p.m. , U of M students can drive five minutes down Poplar Avenue and get a half-dozen of donuts for $1.50. This is perfect for college students, but a large selection is not always guranteed — especially on Sunday nights when churches and churchgoers keep the Gibson’s shelves clean. All other days Memphians can feast for cheap, but probably should do so in moderation.
