The Tusculum College Board of Trustees approved the addition of several new degree programs and a track and field program at its spring meeting, held May 13-14 on the Greeneville campus. With the addition of men’s and women’s track and field teams, the number of NCAA sports offered at Tusculum increases to 18.
The Board gave full approval to a Bachelor of Science in health care administration degree program. A Bachelor of Science in computer science, a Bachelor of Science in information technology and a Master of Accountancy were preliminarily approved pending development of the curriculum. Also approved was the development of a minor in web design.
The new programs will be initiated between now and 2019.
“As an institution it is important that we continue to be responsive to the students we serve as well as the communities around us,” said Dr. Kenneth A. Bowman, chair of the Board and 1970 alumnus of the college. “Changing, and particularly adding degree programs, allows us to serve the needs of students today and into the future.”
The Board also received a report on the recent Mock Disaster Scenario conducted on campus in March. The simulation was a tornado which had collapsed Katherine Hall at approximately 2 a.m. during an academic day. Participants included: Greene County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Tusculum Volunteer Fire Department, Greeneville Police Department, Greeneville Fire Department, Greene County EMS, Greene County 911, Laughlin Memorial Hospital, and Takoma Regional Hospital. Tusculum College provided volunteers from employees and students to act as casualties.
The intent of the drill was to test Tusculum’s ability to initially respond to a natural disaster and communicate with local emergency responders in order to provide emergency care to the Tusculum community. Specifically, the college tested its ability to initially respond to a catastrophic emergency, its ability to handle a large number of casualties and displaced persons and its ability to perform long-term recovery operations and continue business operations.
The initial assessment immediately following the event from Tennessee Emergency Management Agency was that the Tusculum College initial response and Emergency Operations Center performance was “excellent.”
As a result of recent state legislation, the Board reviewed its policies on guns on campus. As a result, both the faculty and student handbooks will be amended to state that the “Board of Trustees of Tusculum College has determined that Tusculum College and all of its property is a weapon-free school,” as described in Tennessee Code Annotated. “No person, except a person who is a sworn peace officer, is allowed to carry a firearm on any property owned or operated by Tusculum College.”
According to Jon Gresham, director of campus safety for Tusculum College, while new wording was adopted, the intent and extent of the policy remains consistent with the policy that had been in operation prior to recent legislation.
The Board also recommended preliminary approval of the 2016-2017 operating budget. The next meeting of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees will be October 2016.