Local ministers, Tusculum University build on their connections during luncheon on campus
GREENEVILLE – Tusculum University leaders and students recently broke bread with local ministers and team members of a Christian organization as they continue collaborating to spread God’s word and love on campus.
During the luncheon at Tusculum, Dr. Scott Hummel, the university’s president, and Dr. Chris Shumate, campus minister and assistant vice president of student affairs, emphasized the important role churches are playing in supporting students during their studies. In particular, Dr. Hummel noted many students have accepted Christ through their interactions with churches since they have been at Tusculum.
“I appreciate that you and churches see that ministry and missions are not just in another country,” he said. “It’s also here. Tusculum University and Greene County are places where our students can discover Christ, discern and be equipped for their calling and grow in their faith. I’m glad that we can work together to achieve that. Our students welcome the opportunity to go and worship at your churches, but they are also happy when you come to their games and their events. That takes that relationship and concern to another level.”
Doctoral student at Princeton with ties to Greene County presenting at Theologian-In-Residence in January at Tusculum
GREENEVILLE – Community members can explore religion in Appalachia with a doctoral student at Princeton University who was raised in Greene County when she leads the three sessions of the Theologian-In-Residence series in January at Tusculum University.
Emily Morrell, a graduate of Greeneville High School, will present Jan. 12, Jan. 19 and Jan. 26, all Fridays, in Chalmers Conference Center of the Scott M. Niswonger Commons and via Zoom. As is customary, all sessions will begin at 10 a.m. and last about two hours followed by lunch in the Tusculum cafeteria.
The theme for Theologian-In-Residence in 2024 is “Religion in Appalachia: Faith in the Mountains in the Past, Present and Future.”
Tusculum celebrates its connections with local churches and the positive outcomes during annual Pastors’ Prayer Breakfast
GREENEVILLE – Local churches that have established and grown connections with Tusculum University are having a noticeable impact on students and their families, including many Pioneers accepting Christ.
Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president, highlighted the relationships and the correlation during the annual Pastors’ Prayer Breakfast Wednesday, Oct. 11, which kicked off this year’s Homecoming celebration. The event also gave these ministers an opportunity to pray for the students, the university and community needs.
The Pastors’ Prayer Breakfast came in the wake of a recent compilation by Bible Keeper, a Christian website, that ranked Tusculum No. 1 in a list of the “20 Best Christian Colleges in Tennessee to Unleash Excellence in Education.”
Tusculum University to be featured on “The College Tour,” a national show; episode will feature student testimonials
GREENEVILLE – Tusculum University will be featured on a national television show that will enable the country to learn from students why the higher education institution is the right place to enroll.
The university’s students will provide firsthand accounts about the value of a Tusculum education in an episode of “The College Tour,” an award-winning show that airs on Amazon Prime. The show will drop on Amazon May 28, 2024, but Tusculum will have access to the master episode and the segments within it in February to deploy on social media and the university’s website as well as in other venues.
“We are thrilled to be part of this outstanding show and look forward to sharing Tusculum’s value and strengths with local and national audiences,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, the university’s president. “We have seen some of the episodes of ‘The College Tour’ and are impressed with the quality and the way it will enable us to tell our story. There is a buzz on campus about our upcoming appearance, and we are eager to see our exceptional students on the national stage.”
Pioneer WOW kicks off the academic year for students with 10 days of fun and informative activities that enhance campus life
GREENEVILLE – New residential and commuter students who are beginning their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at Tusculum University will quickly develop friendships, learn more about the campus and become more settled through a special upcoming event filled with fun and informative activities.
Pioneer WOW is a 10-day event that kicks off the morning of Thursday, Aug. 17. That day, freshmen and transfer students who will live on campus move into the residence halls. After they enjoy a delicious lunch with their families prepared by local churches, these students will take part in a series of activities that will keep them busy virtually nonstop through the evening of Saturday, Aug. 19.
Among the activities will be the Pioneer Showdown competition, Amazing Race and Scavenger Hunt, Movie Night at the Ballpark, Freshman Day of Service and Free Float Friday. It will end with the Pioneer Showcase and an ice cream sundae social.
TRIO programs at Tusculum University celebrate 50th and 25th anniversaries of Upward Bound and Student Support Services
GREENEVILLE – Some students have plenty of potential to impact their communities but might not have the same fortunate circumstances as their peers.
Thankfully, those who do not have parents or guardians with a college degree and/or come from low-income families or who have a disability can experience some of the same educational, cultural and social opportunities through the federal TRIO programs. Upward Bound for high school students and Student Support Services for college students enable them to earn a bachelor’s degree and experience more of the world.
Tusculum University has proudly contracted with the federal government for 50 years to provide Upward Bound and 25 years to offer SSS. Leaders of these programs estimate Upward Bound has served nearly 3,000 high school students and SSS has served about 2,000 college students.
Theologian-In-Residence returns to Tusculum with four-part series about the Satan and evil
GREENEVILLE – Community members can enrich their faith lives in February by attending Theologian-In-Residence at Tusculum University for in-depth presentations about the Satan and evil.
Theologian-In-Residence will take place every Friday at 10 a.m. in February – Feb. 3, Feb. 10, Feb. 17 and Feb. 24 – in Chalmers Conference Center of the Scott M. Niswonger Commons and via the Zoom virtual platform. This year’s presenter will be Dr. Ryan Stokes, director of graduate theological studies and associate professor of biblical studies at Carson-Newman University. The theme for the four-part series is “The Satan and the forces of evil.”
Attendance is free, but donations make it possible for Tusculum to present this cherished tradition.
Tusculum band members appear in taping of “Holiday Baking Championship” episode on the Food Network
GREENEVILLE – Members of the Tusculum University band program are adding holiday spirit to the taping of an upcoming national television show.
Four musicians from the band were recently filmed marching for an episode of the Food Network show “Holiday Baking Championship: Gingerbread Showdown.” They rose at 4 a.m. and headed to the Discovery Center in Knoxville to play Christmas songs for their part in the show.
“This was a tremendous experience for these pioneers in our reinstituted band program,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president. “These students are blazing the trail for a successful program that will not only add to their individual development but also enhance the campus experience for everyone. It is nice to see them have such an amazing opportunity to represent the university on a national stage.”
Tusculum celebrates Dr. Scott Hummel with inauguration that highlights his faith and leadership at the university
GREENEVILLE – A celebratory and prayerful tone filled Pioneer Arena as Dr. Scott Hummel took the oath of office during his inauguration as Tusculum University’s president.
The ceremony Friday, Oct. 22, for Dr. Hummel, the university’s 29th president in its 227-year history, was replete with well wishes from Tusculum family members, the community and U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. The event also reflected the importance Dr. Hummel places on his faith and Scripture as many participants read Bible passages selected by the president and incorporated prayer in their remarks.
Those verses were 1 Chronicles 28:9, Mark 12:29-31, Psalm 46 and Proverbs 2:1-10.
Pastors’ Prayer Breakfast highlights churches’ assistance to Tusculum, kicks off Homecoming celebration
GREENEVILLE – Churches provide valuable assistance to Tusculum University students and are a vital component in the continuing development of these Pioneers, the higher education institution’s president shared with local clergy.
“I am extremely appreciative that churches and individuals have helped us to raise the money needed to hire a full-time chaplain,” Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president, said at the Pastors’ Prayer Breakfast, the kick-off event for the university’s Homecoming. “We’re moving forward with that. That is going to help with campus life and enable us to meet the mission of the university. I look forward to hiring the chaplain.”
One of the highlights of the start of the academic year was the presence of churches during new student move-in in August. Dr. Hummel said nine churches participated. Several families told him that they appreciated that community members joined Tusculum faculty and staff in welcoming them to campus.
Four biblical experts to discuss the Shapira Strips from multiple angles at Tusculum University event
GREENEVILLE – A subject that first caused a stir in the 1880s and was recently resurrected in an article and new book will serve as the launching point for a panel of biblical experts to discuss the controversy from various angles.
Tusculum University will host “The Shapira Strips – an Early Form of the Bible or a Skillful Modern Forgery?” at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 24, in the Meen Center lecture hall and via the Zoom virtual platform at https://bit.ly/3tE1seT. This free event is open to Tusculum family members as well as the public.
The event will be based off the debate about the authenticity of the manuscript fragments that purportedly contain an early form of the Book of Deuteronomy. The panelists are providing the audience with several online resources to read in advance that will give participants a good understanding about the strips, the debate about them and the recent article and book written by Idan Dershowitz that argues the fragments were legitimate. Those resources are available at https://site.tusculum.edu/reference/the-shapira-strips.
Tusculum launches 2021-22 academic year with Convocation, new academic programs and activities for students
GREENEVILLE — Tusculum University celebrated the launch of the 2021-22 academic year with flair Tuesday, Aug. 24, with the Opening Convocation, a formal ceremony that enabled the institution to reflect on the success of its students and prepare for the achievements to come.
Faculty and administrators dressed in full regalia, accompanied by a bagpiper into and out of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center Auditorium, christened the start of classes for the fall semester. To protect the Tusculum family as much as possible during the pandemic, participants wore face coverings, and most of the rest of the university watched the event via livestream.
“We are thrilled to welcome our new students to the Tusculum family and are excited to once again see and interact with those who have returned this year to continue their studies,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, president of Tennessee’s first higher education institution. “They recognize the value of a Tusculum education and will experience tremendous success as they apply their heart, mind and strength to their collegiate experience. Our faculty and staff are eager to equip our students to be career-ready professionals who are civically engaged and shaped by our caring Christian environment.”