Dr. Belle S. Wheelan, president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, will be the speaker at Tusculum’s winter commencement exercises on Saturday, December 9.

Dr. Wheelan will deliver her address at both the morning ceremony, which begins at 10 a.m. in the Pioneer Arena in Niswonger Commons on the Greeneville campus, and the afternoon ceremony, which will begin at 2 p.m.

Dr. Wheelan has held numerous titles over the course of her 40-year career including faculty member, chief of student services officer, campus provost, college president and Secretary of Education. She has been the first African-American and the first woman to serve in both her current role of president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the majority of the aforementioned roles.

She earned her bachelor’s degree from Trinity University in Texas in 1972, double majoring in psychology and sociology, her master’s degree in developmental educational psychology is from Louisiana State University. She earned her doctorate in educational administration with a focus in community college leadership from the University of Texas at Austin in 1984.

Dr. Belle Wheelan

Dr. Wheelan has received numerous awards and recognition including six honorary degrees; the Distinguished Graduate Award from both Trinity University and the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. She has been named to the Washingtonian Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women in Washington, D.C. and received the AAUW Woman of Distinction Award in 2002.

Other awards include the Suanne Davis Roueche National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development’s Distinguished Lecturer Award, the John E. Roueche National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development’s International Leadership Award, the AACC Leadership Award, the John Hope Franklin Award from Diverse Issues in Higher Education for outstanding leadership in higher education and the Educational Testing Service Terry O’Banion Prize in Education from the League for Innovation in Community Colleges.

Dr. Wheelan currently holds and has previously held membership in numerous local, state and national organizations including Rotary International; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; the American College Testing, Inc. Board of Directors; American Association of Community Colleges Board of Directors; the Lumina Foundation for Education Board of Directors; the President’s Round Table of the National Council on Black American Affairs; the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Board of Directors; Excelencia in Education Board of Directors; National Society of Collegiate Scholars Community College Honorary Board; Next Generation Learning Challenges Advisory Panel; Project GOALS (Gaining Online Accessible Learning Through Self-Study) and the National Student Clearinghouse Board of Directors.

In addition to her array of professional achievements, Dr. Wheelan has also raised her son, Reginald. She attributes her success to hard work, endurance, tenacity and being in the right place at the right time. She acknowledges that prayer and support from family and friends make anything possible.

Tusculum College will host “David Taylor-Retrospective Art Exhibition 2006-2016” beginning Friday, Nov. 10, at the Shulman Center on the Greeneville campus.

Taylor is a Jonesborough native and a self-taught artist. The focus of his work is East Tennessee waterfalls, but there are aspects of the show that will exhibit figurative and still life subject matter.

According to Bill Bledsoe, visiting assistant professor of visual communications and design at Tusculum, like many amateur artists, David’s early work was very basic, but he had reached a high level of execution that resulted in accomplished artwork. He was in the process of putting together his first one-man show when he died in September of 2016.

In honor of his artistry and commitment to excellence in his work, Tusculum College is enthusiastically supportive of hosting this show, said Bledsoe.

The opening will be on Friday, Nov. 10, with an opening reception running from 5-7 p.m. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. The show will be available for viewing Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon, and private viewings by appointment are available in the afternoons through Friday, Dec. 1. For appointments e-mail wbledsoe@tusculum.edu or call 423 948-8927.

Dr. James Hurley, president of Tusculum College, has appointed Doug Jones as vice president of student success and athletic director. Jones has served as Tusculum’s athletic director since February 2016. Jones will continue in the role as Tusculum’s head baseball coach, a position he has held since 1998.

“I am excited to announce the promotion of Doug Jones to vice president for student success and director of athletics,” said Dr. Hurley. Mr. Jones has more than 20 years of Tusculum experience and will work tirelessly to ensure student success for all of our students. Student success is a priority for Tusculum as we continue to grow and advance the mission of this great institution.”

In his new role Jones will supervise student housing, student activities, campus life and the commuter student experience.

Doug Jones

“I would like to thank Dr. Hurley for this opportunity to serve our great institution,” said Jones. “The vision that Dr. Hurley has set for Tusculum is exciting, and I am grateful to be able to serve alongside him.  I look forward to working with our entire student population. My staff and I will work hard to provide them a memorable experience that will last a lifetime. Our students are the most important part of our jobs, and we will make sure that their interest are at the forefront of all that we do.”

As athletic director, Jones oversees the day-to-day operations of the Tusculum athletic department and the 20 sports that the college sponsors, including men’s and women’s track and field and STUNT, which were added during his term as athletic director.

Jones served on the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship Committee for four seasons, including three years as national chairman.

Jones is in his 21th season guiding the Tusculum baseball program and is the winningest coach in school history. Jones has guided Tusculum to 17 consecutive winning seasons, while posting 680 victories in his 20 campaigns in Greeneville.

The future-focused plans for Tusculum were presented to regional school administrators and counselors from eight school systems on Thursday, Nov. 9 at Tusculum’s Greeneville campus.

Dr. James Hurley, newly-named 28^th president, presented his plans and strategies for growing the institution and increasing enrollment in the next 20 years.

“We appreciate your service in education preparing our future students,” said Dr. Hurley. “I also appreciate this opportunity to share with you my vision for Tusculum and how we can strengthen our partnership with K-12 leaders, like you, to create a brighter future for our region’s students.”

Dr. Hurley joins Tusculum with more than 20 years’ experience in higher education and told the group about his excitement in outlining how this historic institution can continue to pioneer the way forward for education in the region. He told the group that Tusculum now has students representing 35 countries which “enhances the learning experience for all students,” and offers 70 majors and minors, as well as six master’s degree programs.

He told the group that student success will be a number one priority for Tusculum moving forward, and to that end, one of his first actions was to hire Doug Jones as vice president for student success and athletics.

“Mr. Jones has more than 20 years of Tusculum experience and will work tirelessly to ensure student success for all of our students. Student success is a priority for Tusculum as we continue to grow and advance the mission of this great institution,” said Dr. Hurley.

Jones has served as Tusculum’s athletic director since February 2016 and will continue in the role as Tusculum’s head baseball coach, a position he has held since 1998, through the end of this season.

Additionally, Dr.  Hurley said that work is underway on enhancing the dining options at the school and to develop a full-service campus wellness center.

Moving to the future, Dr. Hurley told the group that the Board of Directors had approved making the change from college to university at its last meeting in October.  This is necessary to provide a differentiation from community colleges, which today are robust and well-funded, but decidedly different that a four-year baccalaureate program. Additionally, Tusculum will began organizing itself by undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, several of which Dr. Hurley hopes to add in the next few years.

Priority programs include dental, optometry and physician’s assistant degree programs. In addition, he added that Tusculum will continue to explore the market needs in the area to determine where other degree programs might meet a need.

“We ultimately plan to recruit the best and brightest from our region – and to keep them here,” he said.

Educators were pleased with the opportunity to learn about Tusculum’s new direction.

“I believe it is imperative that we keep communications open between our colleges, universities, and K-12 school systems open in order to impact our economic growth within the region,” said Reba Bailey, assistant director of schools for the Hawkins County School System. “It was exciting to hear about the plans for Tusculum.”

Dr. James Hurley, president of Tusculum, shares his future-focused plans with regional school administrators and counselors.

Consider yourself one of us! Tickets are now available for Theatre-at-Tusculum’s production of Lionel Bart’s beloved musical, “Oliver!”

The musical, based on the novel “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens, will open Friday, Nov. 10, at Tusculum’s Annie Hogan Byrd Theatre on Tusculum’s Greeneville campus. Audiences will have seven opportunities to see Theatre-at-Tusculum’s fall production, which is under the direction of Artist-in-Residence and Tusculum Arts Outreach Director Marilyn duBrisk and Assistant Director Brian Ricker.

Show dates are November 10, 11, 16, 17, 18 at 7 p.m. and November 12 and 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be reserved by contacting Jennifer Hollowell, box office manager, at 423-798-1620 or by e-mail at jhollowell@tusculum.edu. When reserving tickets please include name, a contact telephone number, the date to reserve the tickets, the number of tickets, and the type of ticket. Prices are: Adults – $15, Seniors (60+) – $12, Children (12 and under) – $5.

Tickets may be picked up and paid for at the box office the day of the performance, or any time at the Tusculum Arts Outreach office. Cash or check only for payment, as credit/debit cards are not accepted. The Box Office, located in the lobby of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building, will open an hour and a half before each show time with the house opening an hour before curtain. Audiences are reminded that seating is not assigned and will be first come, first served.

duBrisk, along with her creative team, has assembled a cast of more than 70 to bring the tale of “Oliver Twist,” his adventures and misadventures, to life. The show features all of the well-known characters from Dickens’ novel portrayed by a host of local talent.

The story centers on a young orphan boy, Oliver Twist, who is played by Doak Elementary fourth grader Aden Moore, as he is sent away from the Workhouse Orphanage by the wicked Widow Corney, portrayed by Sandy Nienaber. The boy is then sold by Mr. Bumble, the Beadle of the Workhouse, played by Tom Sizemore, to Mr. Sowerberry, the undertaker and his cantankerous wife. The Sowerberrys are played by Matt Hensley and Sara Claiborne, respectively.

After fleeing the oppressive undertaker, Oliver joins up with a band of pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger, portrayed by Caedmon Oakes. The pickpockets are trained and cared for by the greedy and cunning Fagin, who is being brought to life by local favorite Chris Greene. As he is welcomed into Fagin’s den of pickpockets, he meets the kind-hearted heroine Nancy, played by Linda Barnett, who is returning to the Tusculum stage, and her abusive lover Bill Sikes, played by Parker Bunch in his first villainous role on the Tusculum stage.

Drama and chaos ensue as Oliver is arrested for stealing. However, he is then then taken in by the kind-hearted Mr. Brownlow, played by Ricker. and his housekeeper, Mrs. Bedwin, played by Amanda Harmon.

Supporting characters include; Dodger’s sidekick Charlie Bates, played by Zach Wallin and Nancy’s protégé Bet, played by Jorja Ward, both of whom are sixth graders at Greeneville Middle School. Charlotte Sowerberry is played by Greeneville High School freshman Madelynn Wedding, and Noah Claypole is played by Tusculum sophomore, Maxwell Reed. Rounding off the support cast are Zach Gass, as Dr. Grimwig, and Allison Craft, as Old Sally.  “Oliver!” is a story full of comedy, drama, suspense, and many thrilling moments.

The show features all the well-known musical numbers, including: “Food, Glorious Food,” “Oliver,” “Consider Yourself,” “I’d Do Anything” and “Who Will Buy?” The score, which won Lionel Bart the Tony Award for Best Original Score after its Broadway premiere in 1963, is being overseen by Angie Clendenon, long-time Theatre-at-Tusculum musical director, and Kasie Shelnutt, the accompanist, with Kim Berry as the show’s choreographer.

With a breathtaking and inspired set design by Frank Mengel and backdrop by Garry Renfro, audiences will be transported to mid-19^th century London with the help of a slew of Victorian costumes carefully curated by Erin Schultz, costume director. Trenda Berney, a long-time Theatre-at-Tusculum volunteer, will be the show’s make-up director, and all the behind-the-scenes action will be organized by stage managers Suzanne Greene and Jim Holt.

Theatre-at-Tusculum is under the auspices of Tusculum Arts Outreach, which is led by duBrisk, Ricker, Hollowell, Mengel and Schultz. It is supported in part by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission, “Hearts for the Arts,” as well as many generous donors and volunteers.

For information about Theatre-at-Tusculum or other Arts Outreach programs, please call 423-798-1620, visit http://art.tusculum.edu, or via Facebook at TC Arts Outreach.

At front is Zach Wallin as Charlie Bates. Middle, left to right are Tom Sizemore as Mr. Bumble, Sandy Nienaber as Widow Corney, Aden Moore as Oliver Twist, Linda Brimer as Nancy and Jorja Ward as Bet. Back, left to right are Brian Ricker as Mr. Brownlow, Chris Greene as Fagin and Parker Bunch as Bill Sikes.