Disney’s ‘My Son Pinocchio, JR’ opens Friday

Professore Buonragazzo (Carter DelSorbo) welcomes Geppetto (Parker Bunch) to the land of Idyllia where he has developed a machine to make ‘the perfect children’ in this scene from the play.

More than 30 of the area’s finest young performers will fill the stage to present Disney’s “My Son Pinocchio, JR” during the last two weekends of February at Tusculum College.

Theatre-at-Tusculum and Actors Coming Together will present the musical in the Behan Arena Theatre in the lower level (side entrance) of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building on the Tusculum College campus. Show times are 7 p.m. on Feb. 17-18, 23-25 and 2 p.m. on Feb. 19 and 26.

“My Son Pinocchio, JR” is based in part on the classic Walt Disney animated feature film “Pinocchio.” It is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International and is part of the Broadway Junior Collection. The musical includes the songs “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “I’ve Got No Strings” by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington from the animated film.

However, unlike the animated film, the stage production is told from the perspective of Geppetto rather than Pinocchio, similar to the 2000 Disney live-action television movie “Geppetto,” which featured Drew Carey. The musical includes music and lyrics by award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz (Broadway’s “Wicked” and Disney’s “Pocahontas,” “The Prince of Egypt” and “Enchanted”) and book by David Stern.

Under the direction of Marilyn duBrisk and Assistant Director Brian Ricker, the all youth cast consists of an assortment of first-time and veteran actors. Griffin Gricunas, a fourth grader at Hal Henard Elementary School, will be making his Tusculum stage debut as the title character, Pinocchio. Gricunas will play alongside local favorite Parker Bunch who portrays Geppetto, the lonely toymaker who longs for a son. Another Bunch is helping lead the cast, as Parker’s younger sister, Reagan Bunch takes on the role of the wish-granting Blue Fairy.

The show is truly a family affair with six sets of brothers and sisters featured in the cast, and even a set of cousins. The junior fairies will be played by Tusculum View fifth grader, Emma Waddell, sisters Jade Ward and Jorja Ward, both fourth graders at Hal Henard Elementary, and Anna Woods, a fourth grader at Providence Academy in Johnson City.

The Fairies in training perform “When You Wish Upon A Star” and celebrate The Blue Fairy’s record of 100 wishes granted…or so they think. From left are Viola (Jade Ward), The Blue Fairy (Reagan Bunch), Rosa (Anna Woods) and Arancia (Emma Waddell). (Photos courtesy of Carrie Tucker)

Other cast members include Greeneville High School senior Grayson Reed as the wicked Puppet Master Stromboli with his dancing marionettes played by EastView fifth grader Leah Beddingfield and Doak Elementary fourth grader Carter Copeland. Tusculum College students Carter DelSorbo of Greeneville and Emma McCuiston of Chattanooga will play Professore Buonragazzo and the Pleasure Island Ringleader respectively.

The rest of the cast members play multiple roles throughout the show. They include Doak Elementary students Aliah Campbell and Aden Moore; EastView Elementary students Trey Bailey, Elliott Tucker and Zach Wallin; Greeneville Middle School students Jackson Beddingfield, Mylee Doty, Maya Gricunas, Maggie Hartman, Claire Hoeke, Carissa Hopson, Lexi Humbert, Amora Klepper, Caedmon Oakes, Allie Shelto, and Todd Wallin; Hal Henard Elementary students Grace Lampe and Jack Lampe; Tusculum View second grader Lily Broyles, as well as GHS freshman Angel Klepper, West Greene High School freshman Elijah Collins and Emmaline Neas, a sophomore from Parrotsville.

The production staff includes Angie Clendenon, music director; Kasie Shelnutt, accompanist; Kim Berry, choreographer; Frank Mengel and Garry Renfro, light and set design; Barbara Holt, costume director; Suzanne Greene, stage manager; Trenda Berney, make-up director, and Jennifer Hollowell, box office manager.

Tickets to the musical are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 60 and over, and $5 for children 12 and under.  To reserve tickets, please call 423-798-1620 or email jhollowell@tusculum.edu.

 

Love is in the air at Tusculum

Erika and I were both a part of the history and museum studies department on campus, so we had classes together since her freshman year (her being a year younger than me). While we knew each other, we never really hung out or got to know one another.

My first senior year, a psychology major, Robert Arrowood conspired to split an apartment between him, Erika’s brother Ian, Oliver Hancock, Chris Smith, and myself. That year, Erika and I both took Dr. Van Amberg’s class on medieval Europe, and took a trip to Norway. It was shortly after that trip that Ian started harassing Erika for not spending time with him, so we started having these ritual weekend movie marathons.

Erika and I started getting to know one another, we started studying together, and our separate crowds of friends started merging a little bit.

I remember Valentine ’s Day that year, my apartment, Erika, and a couple friends decided that since we were all single, we’d go out on a group date to Applebee’s and the movies. It was kind of funny, right before we left the apartment, Erika and one of the other girls in the apartment were talking about who was cute in the apartment and Erika said she could never date anyone who lived with her brother.

Two weeks later at the SGA meeting, I asked Erika out, and she shot me down. I like to think I took it in stride. That night we, as a group, went to watch Robo Cop at the theater in Greeneville because it was $5 movie night. Sometime between the meeting and movie, Erika changed her mind. She sent me a text during the movie letting me know she wanted to try giving a relationship a shot.

As for plans, Erika finished her masters in historical administration in December and is currently working part time for three different museums with hopes of finding a museum to employ her full time.

I’m hoping to start graduate school in the fall and work on my masters and eventually Ph.D. in history. I want to work in higher education, starting by teaching and then moving over to administration. Other than then that, we’re getting married on campus in May.

 

 

Appointments are still available for free tax program offered through Tusculum

Free tax preparation and filing services, offered by Tusculum College’s new Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, are still available by appointment for residents in Greene and surrounding counties.

The IRS-certified tax preparation program currently provides two locations in Greene County, as well as a location in Gray  where trained volunteers are available to assist members of the public with the preparation of their tax returns and to answer any tax questions they may have.

Locations include: Monday nights at Appalachian Community Federal Credit Union’s community room in Gray, Thursdays at Tusculum College and Saturdays at Greeneville Power and Light. Appointments are available through April 13.

Led by Dr. Harold Branstrator, associate professor of management at Tusculum College, the VITA program offers a free alternative to the expensive services of a paid tax professional. The student volunteers of the VITA program have completed roughly 1,000 returns annually since 2014, often saving clients $200 or more that they would have spent on payments for alternative, fee-based, services.

“There are still appointments available in Greene County at both the Tusculum and Greeneville Light and Power System sites,” said Dr. Branstrator. “We encourage anyone who qualifies to take advantage of this free, professional program with IRS-trained volunteers. There is no expense to the filer to have their federal income tax prepared and filed.”

Taxpayers eligible for VITA services include: individuals with annual incomes of less than $54,000, individuals over 55 years of age, individuals diagnosed with a physical disability and non English-speaking citizens.

Under the supervision of Dr. Branstrator, a former IRS employee, participants’ tax returns are prepared by Tusculum students who have completed a VITA-standard three-week certification process that facilitates their ability to meet the high level professional standards expected by the IRS.

Dr. Branstrator said the program has also helped students, particularly those in business-related fields of study, acquire real world experience that they could not obtain in the classroom.

Appointments are required. Sites and days of operation include:

Mondays: ACFCU, 5034 Bobby Hicks Highway, Gray, TN 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.;

Thursdays: Tusculum College, Chalmers Conference Center in the Niswonger Commons, Greeneville, TN, 5:30-8:30 p.m.;

Saturdays: Greeneville Power and Light System Boardroom, 110 N. College St., Greeneville, TN 9 a.m. – noon.

To schedule an appointment, call (800) 378-3778 and wait for the operator, or register online at www.tusculum.edu/vita/.

 


 

New degree programs starting in the fall

Tusculum College has several new degree programs coming next fall. Starting in August 2017 will be Bachelor’s programs in health care management and talent development as well as a Master program in accountancy.

Health Care Management

The Bachelor of Science in healthcare management is designed to prepare graduates for entry-level positions that manage day-to-day operations of healthcare organizations by giving them a firm foundation in the core disciplines of healthcare administration and management.

The program with be offered through both the traditional day program and the Graduate and Professional Studies program. The GPS program is a fully online program and may be completed in 21 months.

According to Dr. Lois Ewen, dean of the School of Nursing, Health Sciences and Human Services and professor of nursing, career opportunities for persons holding a Bachelor of Science in healthcare management can be found within a variety of healthcare organizations such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health agencies, outpatient facilities and doctors’ offices.

“Healthcare continues to be a dynamic and growing industry. Increased government involvement, new technology and changing population demographics have caused the business of healthcare to evolve, as well,” said Dr. Ewen. “With the industry facing a greater need for quality care, increased competition, decreasing financial reimbursements for provided services and the need to closely monitor costs, healthcare managers and providers are being challenged to operate more like traditional businesses, weighing how their decisions impact the quality of healthcare while assessing them from a business perspective.”

The bachelor’s degree in healthcare management at Tusculum College intentionally combines business and healthcare administration courses with the goal of preparing graduates to take advantage of the healthcare industry’s movement towards a more traditional business model, according to Dr. Michael Dillon, dean of the School of Business and associate professor of business.

The program is designed for anyone who would like to begin a career or advance their current career in healthcare and is a particularly good opportunity for current healthcare employees who have already earned an associate degree in a healthcare technical field but require a bachelor’s degree to seek a managerial position.

According to a survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers within the healthcare management field are expected to grow nearly 17 percent through the year 2024, 10 percent faster than the total national employment average, which is 6.5 percent. Additionally, the survey notes the median pay for medical and health service managers is $94,000 per year.

Talent Development

Tusculum College will begin both a Bachelor’s degree program in talent development and a Master of Arts degree in education: talent development program. The master’s program was previously called the Human Resource Development program.

Applications are being accepted now for both programs for the first semester of the programs. The master’s program will be offered through the Graduate and Professional Studies program, while the bachelor’s degree program will be offered in both traditional and adult student programs.

According to Dr. Tricia Hunsader, dean of the school of education, career opportunities for persons holding this degree include corporate trainers, project managers, strategic planners, team developers, process analysts and performance improvement consultants, all of which are needed by a wide variety of organizations.

“The curriculum addresses the major segments of the talent development field by focusing on concepts, models, skills and methods. Courses are designed so that theoretical foundations are complemented with practice and application that enable students to build skills and competence,” said Dr. Hunsader.

The master’s degree program will be exclusively offered in a fully-online format.

The master’s level talent development program is designed to lead students to develop training materials and programs based upon curricular and instructional design best practices, assess organizational needs for enhancing performance, apply adult learning theory and the Instructional System Design model into practice for organizational learning needs, as well as evaluate learning and impact of learning and develop team behaviors and leadership.

The bachelor’s degree program will be offered in two formats, one a fully online program and the other a hybrid program composed of a combination of online coursework and in class instruction.

According to Dr. Hunsader, the bachelor’s degree in talent development at Tusculum College will prepare students to work in organizations as entry level training and talent development. As they work towards the completion of their degree, students will develop skills in human resource development and training, instructional design, curriculum design, leadership, employee evaluation and adult learning.

For more information on these programs, contact Katie Tassell, senior enrollment representative, at 888.488.7285.

 

Master of Accountancy

Tusculum College has announced a new Master of Accountancy program beginning fall 2017, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Graduates of the Master of Accountancy program have multiple career options including, but not limited to, forensic accounting, public accounting, auditing and compliance accounting, government accounting, and tax and payroll accounting.

According to Dr. Michael Dillon, dean of the School of Business and associate professor of business, earning a graduate degree in accounting is a common practice for those seeking attainment of a Certified Public Accounting license.

“The Tusculum College Master of Accountancy program was developed to provide students with a deeper and broader accounting education that prepares them for advanced career opportunities and preparation for the new set of CPA exams effective spring 2017,” said Dr. Dillon. “The Master of Accountancy program will be led by faculty that are highly qualified academically, but who also bring their extensive real world experience to the classroom.”

In the State of Tennessee, the requirements for application to complete the Certified Public Accounting examination were changed in March 2016, resulting in the requirement of 150 academic credit hours being removed. To sit for the CPA exam, candidates must now have a baccalaureate or higher degree with a major in accounting or a baccalaureate or higher degree with a major other than accounting which includes at least 30 semester credit hours in accounting (at least 24 credit hours in upper level coursework) and at least 24 semester credit hours in general business. The requirement of 150 academic credit hours is still required for the CPA license.

According to Dr. Dillon, the Tusculum College Master of Accountancy program curriculum was developed based on the announced changes to the 2017 CPA testing requirements.

“The program is an excellent option for new accounting undergraduates,” he said. “The program is also an excellent option for students who earned a business degree with some accounting coursework but need additional upper level accounting hours, or students who completed an undergraduate accounting program but have been out of the classroom for many years and need an up-to-date modern accounting curriculum.”

The Master of Accountancy program will be under Graduate and Professional Studies at Tusculum College.  While most Graduate and Professional Studies are designed for non-traditional, evening students, the Master of Accountancy program will be offered during the day.  Initially, the program will be offered at the Greeneville campus and at the Knoxville Regional Center simultaneously. The program is designed to be a one-year, full-time program beginning in the fall term and ending at the end of the summer term. The curriculum will be delivered during two afternoons each week.

 

Past scholarly approaches to ‘historical’ Jesus explored in first Theologian lecture

Dr. Travis Williams speaks during the first session of the annual Theologian-in-Residence series on Tuesday at Tusculum College.

The various ways that scholars have approached the gospels and their search for the “historical Jesus” were explored Tuesday during the first session of the annual Theologian-in-Residence lecture series.

Dr. Travis Williams, assistant professor of religion at Tusculum College, is presenting the series of lectures, “Jesus in Early Christian Memory: Remembering, Reconstructing and Rehearsing the Past.”  In its 26th year, the series is sponsored by Tusculum College with support from Ron Smith.

During the first session, Dr. Williams summarized beliefs about the Gospels and its accounts of Jesus during recent centuries and scholars “historical quests” for Jesus and the approaches they have taken in their studies.

“What I would suggest in this series is that there is an alternate approach, which applies insights from memory studies to the early traditions about Jesus,” he said.  “In this series, we are not going to focus on whether the gospels are authentic, but rather on this alternate approach to the gospels, a way to read the gospels better.”

Questions of how closely the Gospels reflect what actually occurred in the life of Jesus have divided Biblical scholarship for many years. However, Dr. Williams noted, both skeptics and apologists believe that the validity of the gospels is grounded in the accuracy of their transmission and the historical events they record.

Up until the time of the Enlightenment, this was not an issue as Christians considered the spiritual claims in the Biblical to be more important than the historical details and did not separate the two, he explained.

However, after the Enlightenment when reasoning was considered the ultimate source of authority, many scholars began to take a historical approach toward the gospels using critical methodologies of modern scholarship.  These scholars questioned whether the spiritual claims in the Bible are true if the historical details are inaccurate, Dr. Williams noted.

As a result, there have been a series of academic searches for the historic Jesus. During the first quest, which began around 1778, scholars were skeptical of the Jesus presented in the gospels and asserted that a search must be made beyond the gospels to find the true personage of Jesus. “Scholars thought that the Christ of faith was different than the Jesus of history,” he said. “They argued that the historical Jesus was concealed in multiple layers added by church tradition and dogma.”

One of the first books questioning how Jesus was portrayed argued that Jesus was a political figure rather than a spiritual figure and was espousing the overthrow of the Roman government.

As one would expect, Dr. Williams said, there were many repercussions to the publishing of the work. Two major groups formed in regards to how the gospels were viewed. One group, the supernaturalists, asserted that the gospels recorded events that actually happened in history even though some are of a supernatural character. These were opposed to the rationalists who argued that the gospels recounted natural, historic events that were misperceived or misinterpreted, and thus described as miraculous.

Then came the influential work of Strauss, who proposed a middle way, introducing the category of myth, which set up a new paradigm for looking at Jesus. Strauss described the gospels as a history-like story whose purpose is to convey a religious truth that is important rather than a record of historical events, he said.

The first quest was brought to an end by the publishing of a book by Albert Schweitzer in 1906, which pointed out that how Jesus’ life was described was a reflection of the ideology of the scholars who wrote them.

This began a period that lasted until 1953 in which most scholars were of the opinion that nothing concrete could be known about the historic Jesus and the focus should turn to the Christ of faith, Dr. Williams explained

However, in 1953, there were some scholars who began to argue there were some things that could be known about the historical Jesus – that a clearer picture could be obtained of Jesus if the distortions of later Christian interpretation could be cleaned away.

Thus began the second quest for Jesus, from 1953 through the 1980s. A first step in their efforts was the creation of a list of indisputable facts about Jesus, as well as a method for judging the authenticity of the gospel stories as ways to try to peel back the layers that have been added through tradition.

These efforts have led to the third quest, which is still in progress. Scholars now are espousing the study of Jesus in the Jewish cultural background of the time, Dr. Williams explained, and are using new methods to look at Jesus, drawing from other fields of study to adopt new approaches.

Scholars are using social-scientific approaches to look at the culture of the time and are using literary criticism to analyze Biblical narratives, and new source materials are helping build the picture of life in Jesus’ time such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, the apocryphal gospels and archeological finds.

Dr. Williams will begin looking at one of these new approaches in the next session on Tuesday, Feb. 14, as he discusses the various process involved in the cognitive formation of memory and the different ways that distortion would have shaped memories of Jesus. The lecture will begin at 10 a.m. in the Chalmers Conference Center in the Niswonger Commons on the Tusculum College campus. Reservations are requested. Please call 423-636-7304 to make a reservation or email eestes@tusculum.edu.

Tusculum College announces Master of Accountancy program

Tusculum College has announced a new Master of Accountancy program beginning fall 2017, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Graduates of the Master of Accountancy program have multiple career options including, but not limited to, forensic accounting, public accounting, auditing and compliance accounting, government accounting, and tax and payroll accounting.

According to Dr. Michael Dillon, dean of the School of Business and associate professor of business, earning a graduate degree in accounting is a common practice for those seeking attainment of a Certified Public Accounting license.

“The Tusculum College Master of Accountancy program was developed to provide students with a deeper and broader accounting education that prepares them for advanced career opportunities and preparation for the new set of CPA exams effective spring 2017,” said Dr. Dillon. “The Master of Accountancy program will be led by faculty that are highly qualified academically, but who also bring their extensive real world experience to the classroom.”

In the State of Tennessee, the requirements for application to complete the Certified Public Accounting examination were changed in March 2016, resulting in the requirement of 150 academic credit hours being removed. To sit for the CPA exam, candidates must now have a baccalaureate or higher degree with a major in accounting or a baccalaureate or higher degree with a major other than accounting which includes at least 30 semester credit hours in accounting (at least 24 credit hours in upper level coursework) and at least 24 semester credit hours in general business. The requirement of 150 academic credit hours is still required for the CPA license.

According to Dr. Dillon, the Tusculum College Master of Accountancy program curriculum was developed based on the announced changes to the 2017 CPA testing requirements.

“The program is an excellent option for new accounting undergraduates,” he said. “The program is also an excellent option for students who earned a business degree with some accounting coursework but need additional upper level accounting hours, or students who completed an undergraduate accounting program but have been out of the classroom for many years and need an up-to-date modern accounting curriculum.”

The Master of Accountancy program will be under Graduate and Professional Studies at Tusculum College.  While most Graduate and Professional Studies are designed for non-traditional, evening students, the Master of Accountancy program will be offered during the day.  Initially, the program will be offered at the Greeneville campus and at the Knoxville Regional Center simultaneously. The program is designed to be a one-year, full-time program beginning in the fall term and ending at the end of the summer term. The curriculum will be delivered during two afternoons each week.

 

Tusculum College donates science equipment to Greene County Schools

As Tusculum College settles into the new Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math, which opened for classes just after the holiday break, the Greene County School System is benefitting from a donation of science equipment from the old Tredway Hall.

According to Dr. Melissa Keller, assistant professor of biology and chair of the Department of Natural Sciences at Tusculum College, with the new building came the opportunity to purchase new equipment for the college’s science laboratories.

“Much of our new equipment has been custom installed and other items have been replaced with newer versions,” said Dr. Keller. “As a result, we are able to provide items such as microscopes and other equipment to the local school system.”

Dr. Keller added that the college is happy to be able to provide these items to local school science programs and support the work that is done by instructors and teachers in the Greene County School System.

“We realize that it would not have been possible to provide the thousands of dollars of equipment to the teachers without the generous donation by Tusculum,” said Steve Tipton, energy specialist with the Greene County School System. “The Greene County Schools are very appreciative, and much of the equipment has already been put to use in the classrooms.”

Some of the equipment was provided directly to the science departments at the four county high schools, while a “shop” was set up with other equipment that all county school teachers could access and take items that could be used in their classrooms.

 

Tusculum College has donated a variety of science equipment to the Greene County School System.

 

Students at West Greene High School display earth science instructional materials donated to the school by Tusculum College. From left are Sharnita Britt, Bayley Conkin and Jessica Cox.

Valentine’s Dinner and Swing Dance to benefit Tusculum College band program

There are still tickets remaining for the Tusculum College Pioneer Jazz Band Valentine’s Day Dinner/Swing Dance benefit on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the General Morgan Inn. The reception begins at 6 p.m. and dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. The event includes dinner and a performance of the Pioneer Jazz Band, along with special guests.

The Valentine’s Day event is a fundraiser to raise money for much-needed equipment for the entire Tusculum band program, according to David A. Price, director of music at Tusculum College.

“This will be our fourth year for this event and it has proven to be a popular and enjoyable way to celebrate Valentine’s Day,” said Price. “Each year we have had tremendous feedback on the quality of the food, as well as the fun of dancing the night away to the sounds of jazz standards.”

Ticket prices for the event are $55 per person or $400 for a table of eight guests. Both ticket and table purchases provide dance tickets, free dance lessons, an opening reception, dinner and a special dessert. Please call in advance to request a vegetarian substitution. A cash bar will be available and the Tusculum College Band Booster Club will be hosting a silent auction.

The deadline for ticket purchases is Friday, Feb. 10.

Dr. Bob and Christine Thorpe will teach dance lessons starting at 5:30 p.m.  the night of the dinner dance. This year, in preparation for the event, the college is also featuring swing dance lessons on Thursday Feb. 9, in the Chalmers Conference Center in the Niswonger Commons on the Tusculum College campus. The lessons are free to anyone that has tickets and has signed up to attend the event or $10 per person for those who have not purchased tickets to the event.

Valentine’s Day dinner benefit tickets are available for purchase at the General Morgan Inn or by contacting Price at 423-636-7303 or emailing daprice@tusculum.edu. A hotel package special is also available by contacting the General Morgan Inn at 423-787-1000.

Contact Price for special table reservations for larger group seating.

The Pioneer Band Program at Tusculum College began in 2010, with the creation of the Pioneer Pep Band. The Pep Band quickly became a much-enjoyed feature of the 2010 Pioneer football and basketball seasons as it performed at the Pioneer Club tailgate parties before each home football game and during pregame and half-time festivities.

Since that auspicious beginning a concert band, jazz band, marching band, handbell choir and several small ensembles have been added to the college’s original band program. These groups perform on campus several times each year in addition to the community events at which they perform.

 

 

A note from the President to parents regarding the implications of the recent immigration ban for Tusculum students

 

 

 

Dear Tusculum parents and family members:

Recent actions taken to promote national safety and security have resulted in concern and anxiety for members of our community due to the impact on individuals and the uncertainty at hand.  These actions afford all members of the Tusculum College community a special opportunity to stop and reflect on how our heritage, and current practice, of diversity and inclusion have enriched our ability to achieve our mission to provide “a liberal arts education in a Judeo-Christian and civic arts environment, with pathways for career preparation, personal development and civic engagement.”

Attainment of each of the elements of our mission is enhanced by the contributions of each member of our Tusculum community, our students, staff, faculty, alumni, board members, donors and others within the broader community. Each member of our community enrich the “Tusculum Experience.”  The loss of any member of our community is seen as a thread pulled from our rich tapestry. Therefore, while we are not aware of any students, staff or faculty connected to the immigration ban on citizens of the seven nations named, we are all anxious about this situation and are paying close attention to daily developments.

Currently, we are cautioning those considering international travel during this time of uncertainty to seek counsel and we ask that anyone experiencing difficulties can make us aware if we can be of assistance.  International students who have questions about their ongoing status should consult with Melissa Ripley in the Admissions Office, and anyone experiencing distress can contact the Student Affairs Office to speak with a counselor or discuss other means by which we can be of support.

Finally, I note that dissent and the civil exchange of differing perspectives are fundamental elements in developing critical thinking, and in expanding our understanding of and appreciation for others. The College believes in encouraging discourse and dialogue while also challenging and preventing that which evolves into discrimination and harassment. I ask that each of us look to our civic arts tradition in our daily interactions and that each of us take personal responsibility for preserving this rare environment where respectful exchange and the exploration of ideas not only contributes to our knowledge, but also to our social, physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual growth and development.

Sit Lux,

Dr. Nancy B. Moody, PhD

President

Family Nurse Practitioner White Coat Ceremony

Students in the Family Nurse Practitioner program celebrated a milestone with the official White Coat Ceremony. The white coats are bestowed to the students as they begin their clinical training. The cremony was held on Jan. 30, and the event was made possible through a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Tom Jessee.

 

Tusculum College healthcare management program enrolling for fall

Tusculum College has begun accepting applications for the new healthcare management degree program, which will begin fall 2017.

The Bachelor of Science in healthcare management is designed to prepare graduates for entry-level positions that manage day-to-day operations of healthcare organizations by giving them a firm foundation in the core disciplines of healthcare administration and management.

The program with be offered through both the traditional day program and the Graduate and Professional Studies program. The GPS program is a fully online program and may be completed in 21 months.

According to Dr. Lois Ewen, dean of the School of Nursing, Health Sciences and Human Services and professor of nursing, career opportunities for persons holding a Bachelor of Science in healthcare management can be found within a variety of healthcare organizations such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health agencies, outpatient facilities and doctors’ offices.

“Healthcare continues to be a dynamic and growing industry. Increased government involvement, new technology and changing population demographics have caused the business of healthcare to evolve, as well,” said Dr. Ewen. “With the industry facing a greater need for quality care, increased competition, decreasing financial reimbursements for provided services and the need to closely monitor costs, healthcare managers and providers are being challenged to operate more like traditional businesses, weighing how their decisions impact the quality of healthcare while assessing them from a business perspective.”

The bachelor’s degree in healthcare management at Tusculum College intentionally combines business and healthcare administration courses with the goal of preparing graduates to take advantage of the healthcare industry’s movement towards a more traditional business model, according to Dr. Michael Dillon, dean of the School of Business and associate professor of business.

The program is designed for anyone who would like to begin a career or advance their current career in healthcare and is a particularly good opportunity for current healthcare employees who have already earned an associate degree in a healthcare technical field but require a bachelor’s degree to seek a managerial position.

According to a survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers within the healthcare management field are expected to grow nearly 17 percent through the year 2024, 10 percent faster than the total national employment average, which is 6.5 percent. Additionally, the survey notes the median pay for medical and health service managers is $94,000 per year.