The Tusculum College Board of Trustees approved the addition of a minor in business for non-business majors and heard a report on programs under consideration for inclusion in the Tusculum College catalog of degree programs at their winter meeting on the Greeneville campus, Feb 19-20.
The board met for two days, which included a breakfast on Saturday morning hosted by the Tusculum College President’s Society. The breakfast included time for the members of the Board of Trustees to get to know some of the school’s current students.
The Board approved the new minor in business for non-business majors and heard reports on the potential addition of several new degree programs, including a nurse practitioner master’s degree program, a bachelor degree program in health care administration and a bachelor’s degree program in computer science.
“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 serve the needs of students today and into the future.”
In other action, the Board heard reports on the Tusculum First Capital Campaign and the Technology Improvement Plan.
To date, $19.8 million has been raised toward the $25 million capital campaign goal. According to Heather Patchett, vice president of institutional advancement, it is anticipated that the campaign will be at the $23 million mark by the end of the fiscal year, June 30.
According to Campaign Chairman Scott M. Niswonger, as a member of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees, Tusculum First is designed to address the college’s areas of greatest need including a new center for science and math, growth of academic programs, endowed scholarships, student life improvements, technology, an environmental resources and facilities center and support to the Tusculum Fund.
In support of the Technology Improvement Plan, the Tusculum College website has been updated to make the site more user friendly and efficient to navigate, with the new homepage launched in October. Additional changes will be coming to maximize marketing and advertising opportunities for Enrollment Management and Marketing. In addition Tusculum College now supports two degree programs that are fully online and the dual enrollment program has grown to more than 70 area high school students during the 2015-16 academic year. Since its beginning, the distance education program enrollment in online courses has grown from 129 in 2010 to more than 700 in 2016.
As part of their meeting, the Board received an update on the college’s strategic planning process. As part of this process, at their October board meeting, the trustees set aside time for a strategic planning session, led by consultant, Dr. Kris Cohen, vice president for strategy at CREDO. Dr. Cohen has worked in higher education since 1989.
Planning sessions have also been held with faculty and staff, as well as with students.
“The community wide participation in this process is extremely valuable,” said Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of Tusculum College. “The established initiatives that result from this process will set the direction for Tusculum College long into the future.”
Additionally, the Board received an update from Dr. Claude O. Pressnell, Jr., president of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association on the future of higher education and the implications for independent higher education institutions in the state.
The Board heard a facilities report, which included an update on the construction of the Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math. The new Center for Science and Math is expected to be completed in time for spring semester next year. An announcement was made that a gift had been received to the college that would allow for a pavilion to be constructed as part of the Paul E. Hayden Educational Wetland project. The gift, combined with a grant received from the Nolichucky Watershed Alliance, will provide for construction materials for the pavilion.
In other action of the board, May graduation candidates were approved, pending satisfactory completion of course of study work, approval by the faculty and certification by the registrar. Also approved were faculty promotions which included: Dr. Eva Cowell and Dr. Clay Matthews, promoted to associate professor; and Dr. Joel Van Amberg, promoted to full professor.
The next meeting of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees will be May 2016.