Fall enrollment numbers up from previous year

The first weeks of Tusculum College enrollment for 2016-2017 has passed last year’s numbers. This year’s entering residential class totals 368 incoming freshman and transfer students, an increase of 15 percent over 2015-2016.

The official registration total was announced by LeAnn Hughes, vice president for enrollment management and marketing and director of the Graduate and Professional Studies program for Tusculum College, who said that the number includes 296 entering freshmen, 52 transfer students and 20 new international students.

“Tusculum College’s residential program continues to grow for a number of reasons,” said Hughes. “Our unique Civic Arts focus takes the liberal arts a step further in a nationally recognized approach to educating individuals of integrity and ideals. Additionally a wide range of majors – from museum studies to nursing – are combined with service learning and travel opportunities to create a completely unique environment.”

Officials at the college are pleased to see the fruits of its expanded enrollment and retention efforts, furthering the goal of serving the region with accessible, affordable higher education opportunities.

Dean of Students David McMahan also reported that housing numbers are up for this fall at the college.  There are currently 792 in-residence students, up 46 from fall 2015.

“Tusculum College was founded in 1794 to serve a population that had no other access to the opportunities of higher education,” said Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of Tusculum College. “Today we continue that tradition by continuing to provide access and opportunity to many students who would not otherwise be able to further their dreams through higher education.”

Hughes said the college will continue to recruit new students and is still accepting applications and registrations for students who will be able to start classes in either Block Two or in January, the beginning of the spring semester.

Enrollment numbers also reflect an increased focus on keeping enrolled students on campus until graduation. Tusculum’s support service for students provides everything from tutoring to book loan programs to help students achieve their dream of a college education. To this end, Tusculum College retained 68.2 percent of the first-time, full-time undergraduate students who enrolled during fall 2015.

“We are reassured that students and their parents are realizing that even in difficult economic times, an education is a valuable investment, and we are pleased that so many of those families have chosen Tusculum College as a place where they feel confident their student can be successful,” said Hughes.

In addition to the college enrollment, Tusculum College currently has 63 students from high schools across the region enrolled in dual enrollment courses. Tusculum offers a variety of courses and course options for high school students wanting to get a head start in their college career or needing specific classes. The courses are offered online, a convenience for students in not having to drive to campus during the school day, and scholarship and financial aid assistance is available.

Anyone interested in enrolling at Tusculum College, may still register. For registration information, contact the Office of Enrollment at 423-636-7374.

 

Tusculum College’s Travis Williams publishes several articles

Tusculum College’s Dr. Travis B. Williams, assistant professor of religion, will have several academic articles published in the next few months.

“Intertextuality and Methodological Bias: A Prolegomena to the Evaluation of Source Materials in 1 Peter” will be published in the December issue of the “Journal for the Study of the New Testament,” while “Reciprocity and Suffering in 1 Peter 2,19-20: Reading Xάρις in Its Ancient Social Context,” is scheduled to appear in the upcoming issue of “Biblica.”

He has also been invited to contribute an essay to a forthcoming reference series, “The Reception of Jesus in the First Three Centuries” (Bloomsbury T&T Clark). His contribution will be entitled, “The Reception of Jesus in the Petrine Epistles and Jude.”

“Intertextuality and Methodological Bias: A Prolegomena to the Evaluation of Source Materials in 1 Peter” attempts to expose some of the methodological problems surrounding the consensus view on the similarities of 1 Peter and other New Testament epistles, and seeks to establish reliable criteria which can be used to determine literary relationships between New Testament documents.

“Reciprocity and Suffering in 1 Peter 2,19-20: Reading Xάρις in Its Ancient Social Context” looks at the ancient social dynamics which underlie 1 Peter 2:19-20. By interpreting χάρις within the framework of reciprocity and gift-exchange in the Greco-Roman world, the study not only brings fresh perspective to a problem which has long divided scholarship, it also suggests a new direction for understanding the letter’s theology of suffering.

Williams has taught for the college since 2010 and has several previous books and articles written on 1 Peter. Williams’ received a Ph.D. in New Testament from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

 

Tusculum receives $381,170 ARC grant for new facility

Tusculum College has received a $381,170 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to purchase instructional equipment to enhance the academic programs housed in the new Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math.

The grant will be used to purchase equipment for programs in biology, chemistry, environmental science, math, geology, physics, computer science and nursing, according to Michelle Arbogast, director of foundation and donor relations at the college.

“This contribution from the Appalachian Regional Commission will have a tremendous impact on the region for years to come,” said Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of Tusculum College. “The purchase of state-of-the-art instructional equipment will allow Tusculum College to enhance the educational programs and achievements of students to strengthen the capacity of the Appalachian Region to compete in the global economy through workforce and economic development.”

The Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math will replace Tredway Hall, long known as Science Hall, on the Tusculum College campus as the home of science and math. Tredway was constructed in 1928 for a much smaller student population, at a time when scientific research and instrumentation was much different.

The new Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math will also bring changes to the teaching of math and the sciences at Tusculum College. More spacious classrooms will accommodate students comfortably, with ready access to technology. Labs will incorporate the latest instrumentation and safety features. With additional labs, all students will have the opportunity for hands-on experiences in scientific research.

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.

 

Make plans to attend Family Weekend Sept. 23-24

Parents, siblings, grandparents and others who have been significant in the lives of Tusculum students  are invited to be special guests on campus September 23 and 24 for Family Weekend festivities.

Make plans today to attend this fun weekend on campus. You can register by visiting this link.

The schedule for the weekend includes:
Friday, Sept. 23
11 a.m.-4 p.m. – Family registration in Pioneer Perk

11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Registration for Zombie Tag, hosted by Tusculum Activities Board

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. – Lunch in the café with your student
2-4 p.m. – Campus tours given by the President’s Society departing from Niswonger Commons
7 p.m. – Pioneer volleyball vs. Queens in Pioneer Arena

7 p.m. “Clue,” a mock crime scene/murder mystery hosted by Lambda Alpha Epsilon Criminal Justice Association in the Library Bowl
7:30 p.m. – Jonesborough Repertory Theatre – “Camelot” (call 423-753-1010 for ticket information)

Saturday, Sept. 24
10 a.m.-Noon – Family registration at Pioneer Club Tailgate Tent
11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Cornhole tournament  sponsored by Bonner Leaders, next to Pioneer Club tailgate tent in front of Pioneer Field, $5 per team to enter
11:45 a.m.  –  Campus tours given by the President’s Society departing from Niswonger Commons.
12-1:30 p.m. – Pioneer Club tailgate – Located under large tent in front of Pioneer Field.
1:30 p.m. – Pioneer football vs. Newberry College

2 p.m. Pioneer volleyball vs. Catawba
2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. – Jonesborough Repertory Theatre – “Camelot” (call 423-753-1010 for ticket information)
8 p.m. Outdoor Movie presented by the Pioneer Anime Club

On Sunday, families are encouraged to attend the church service of your choice. First Presbyterian Church of Greeneville (110 N. Main Street, Greeneville, TN 37743) is the mother church of the College. Its early service is at 8:30 a.m., Sunday School at 9:30 and the traditional service at 10:45 a.m. Learn more at www.firstpresgreeneville.org.

Tusculum Access Grant at Tusculum College now available for high school students

Students considering dual enrollment options at Tusculum College have additional financial assistance available with the announcement of the Tusculum Access Grant being offered by the college.

The grant is specifically for students who have already taken or who will have completed two dual enrollment courses through Tusculum College and would cover the $400 gap in state funding that students who are eligible receive.

Tusculum offers a variety of courses and course options for high school students wanting to get a head start in their college career or needing specific classes. The courses are offered online, a convenience for students in not having to drive to campus during the school day.

High school students have the opportunity to earn both high school and college credit through the dual enrollment program at Tusculum College. Through the program, high school students can take a variety of courses, including in English, math, history, psychology, sociology, art history, computer science, religion and speech.

Students are eligible to participate in the dual enrollment program beginning the summer before their junior year in high school. Individuals must maintain a 3.0 grade point average in their dual enrollment college course work.

While the Tusculum Access Grant is specifically for students who are seeking to take their third or fourth dual enrollment course at Tusculum College, other financial assistance may be available for others who are interested in Tusculum’s dual enrollment program.

For more information about the new program or to apply, please visit http://web.tusculum.edu/dualenrollment. Individuals may also call 423-636-7349 or email bhenley@tusuclum.edu to learn more about the program.

 

Acclaimed storyteller performs at local school through Doak House Museum partnership

Storyteller Oba William King performed for students at Doak Elementary School on Sept. 15, engaging the students through an interactive style that included rhythm, singing and hand motions. King performed at Doak through a partnership between the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough and the Museums of Tusculum College. As part of the partnership, storytellers in the center’s Tellers in Residence program perform for local school children each year. King, who is the Teller in Residence this week at the International Storytelling Center is known as the “Poetic Storyteller” and tours nationally presenting programs of story, song and drum for all ages. His school- and library-based assembly presentation and Family Reading Night program have received acclaim nationally.

Nearly 700 put in day of service as part of Tusculum College “Nettie Day”

Getting the prop room organized and cleaned out was the task of volunteers who assisted with the Theater Guild of Greeneville.

 

Nearly 700 students, faculty, staff and alumni fanned out into the region on Wednesday to provide a day of service through helping others and improving the community.

All freshmen and first-year transfer students participated in Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day as part of the Tusculum Experience course. Many other students, faculty, staff and alumni also pitched in totaling 651 participants, the largest group to take part in a decade, according to Ronda Gentry, director of the Center for Civic Advancement and coordinator of the event.

Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day is one of the longest-held traditions on the Tusculum campus and involves students spending time in service to others. Some of the projects that the students will undertake include working with local non-profit organizations and schools.

“Today we celebrate what Tusculum does,” said Gentry. “Nettie Day serves as an introduction to our new students and a reminder to our entire community of the importance and value of community involvement.”

In the morning kick-off session, Gentry told the group that what they would do today would impact tens of thousands of lives.

This year, Nettie Day participants helped numerous organizations, including Rural Resources, the Greeneville Boys and Girls Club, the Greeneville/Greene County Humane Society, local parks and several schools. Service activities will be conducted at all the Tusculum sites and campus in Greeneville, Knoxville and Morristown.

Additionally, one group of students travelled to Johnson City to help set up the city’s first Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Nettie Fowler McCormick Service Day, which is conducted under the auspices of the Center for Civic Advancement, honors the memory and altruistic way of life of Nettie Fowler McCormick, widow of reaper inventor Cyrus McCormick, who was a 19th century supporter and advocate of Tusculum College. The McCormicks, staunch Presbyterians from Chicago, learned of Tusculum College through Tusculum graduates who attended their McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago and became some of the most significant donors in the college’s history.

Nettie McCormick is recognized as the college’s first Benefactor, a term that in Tusculum usage denotes a donor whose cumulative gifts total at least $1 million. Nettie McCormick funded construction of several of Tusculum’s historic structures, including Haynes Hall, Rankin Hall, Welty-Craig Hall, Virginia Hall and McCormick Hall, which is named after the McCormick family.

McCormick Day, now often informally called Nettie Day at the college, began as a day of cleaning the campus in reflection of Nettie McCormick’s insistence on clean living environments. The day has evolved to take on a more generalized community service emphasis.

This year’s Nettie Day was made possible through a gift from the estate of Nancy and Leon Leslie. Leon “Moose” Leslie was a key member of the last football team at Tusculum College prior to it being reinstated in the 1990s. He graduated from Tusculum in 1951 with a major in economics. He married his Westwood, New Jersey high school sweetheart, the former Nancy Hill. Mr. Leslie was elected a trustee of his alma mater in 1990 and served with distinction on the Athletic Committee until his death in 1996. Mr. and Mrs. Leslie served in the Bicentennial Campaign as members of the East Coast Advance Gifts Committee. In recognition of their generous support of Tusculum College throughout the capital campaign, the Leslie Resident Apartment in Craig Hall was named in their honor.

Members of the Tusculum College Men’s Tennis Team and their coaches worked with community volunteers to install new landscaping at the Greeneville-Greene County Tennis Center.

Volunteers clear headstones at the Oak Grove Cemetery.

Nettie Day volunteers repainted structures on the playground at the Boys and Girls Club of Greeneville and Greene County.

Finding art in the everyday world to be topic of lecture Sept. 20 by Dr. Deborah Bryan

“False Turkey Tail” by Dr. Deborah Bryan, associate professor of art at Tusculum, is an example of the topic of her lecture on Tuesday, Sept. 20, which will encourage audience members to “see” the art around them. Dr. Bryan’s lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in the Behan Arena Theatre in the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building on campus.

Discovering inspiration for art in everyday surroundings will be the topic of a lecture by professor and artist Dr. Deborah Bryan on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at Tusculum College.

“Looking: Art Around You” will be the topic for a presentation by Dr. Bryan, associate professor of art at Tusculum. The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in the Behan Arena Theatre on the lower level (side entrance) of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building.

Dr. Bryan’s presentation is the first for this academic year in the Cicero Lecture Series, which is part of the Acts, Arts, Academia performance and lecture series. Acts, Arts, Academia is a program of Tusculum College’s Arts Outreach that features outside performers and lecturers, as well as those from the college, for the enrichment of campus and community.  The Acts, Arts, Academia series is supported by the late Dr. Sam Miller in memory of Agnes Ault Miller, Hearts for the Arts, the Tennessee Arts Commission, Arts Outreach and generous donors and volunteers.

In her lecture, Dr. Bryan will encourage audience members to “see” things in their surroundings that they might typically ignore through showing them artworks based on those ignoble things. She will also introduce the audience to art media with which they may be unfamiliar and demonstrate some of the technical side of those media.

A professor at Tusculum since 2007, Dr. Bryan teaches such courses as Introduction to Art, Drawing, Printmaking, Service Learning in the Arts and Art History. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree in printmaking from East Tennessee State University. She also holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from Kent State University and was a practicing clinician before deciding to make a career change. Prior to coming to Tusculum, Dr. Bryan taught for several years as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Art and Design at ETSU and worked as a studio artist specializing in etchings, monotypes and book arts.

Cirsium Negatives, aquatint reversal with chine colle

Her work has been shown in over one hundred regional, national and international juried exhibitions and is in numerous private, university and museum collections. Dr. Bryan has exhibited at the Red Clay Survey at the Huntsville Museum of Art, the New Orleans Triennial at the New Orleans Museum of Art, Prints USA at the Springfield Museum of Art, the Wrexham Print International in Wrexham, Wales, the Society of American Graphic Artists Juried Members’ Exhibition in Prague, the Halpert Biennial at the Turchin Center in Boone, North Carolina, the International Biennial Juried Print Exhibition at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in Taichung, Taiwan, and the Southeastern Juried Exhibition at the Mobile Museum of Art in Mobile, Alabama. Examples of some of her artwork can be found at www.deborahbryanprints.com.

Admission for the lecture is $7. For more information about the lecture, call Tusculum College Arts Outreach at 423-798-1620, or email jhollowell@tusculum.edu.

Tusculum College receives $100,000 Tusculum First gift from Eastman Credit Union

Tusculum College has received a $100,000 gift from Eastman Credit Union to be used for the new Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math. The gift is part of the Tusculum First capital campaign.

The gift will assist with the construction costs of the new 100,000 square foot, state-of-the-art Meen Center for Science and Math. The gift also helps to bring the Tusculum First campaign to more than $23.3 million in commitments.

“The new center will enhance academic programs with the goal of graduating students who will strengthen the capacity of the people of Appalachia to compete in the global economy through STEM education,” said Heather Patchett, vice president of institutional advancement at Tusculum College. “Strengthening STEM education requires engaging instruction from learned and innovative faculty in a flexible and well designed facility.”

The Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math will replace Tredway Hall, long known as Science Hall, on the Tusculum College campus as the home of science and math. Tredway was constructed in 1928 for a much smaller student population, at a time when scientific research and instrumentation was much different.

“We appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this great facility. With a new branch in Greeneville, it’s important to us that you realize our dedication and desire to support the growth of Greene County,” said ECU President and CEO Olan O. Jones. “I think it will be.”

Jones explained that he is supportive of Tusculum College as a member of their Advisory Board, and that the Meens for whom the building is named were long-time ECU members.

According to Patchett, in spite of the limitations of the current building, science majors at Tusculum College have gone on to successful and distinguished careers in scientific research, health-related fields. “Our students have been admitted to first-rate graduate and professional programs and have contributed to the body of knowledge in their chosen profession. They have made discoveries that have improved lives and have saved lives thanks to the quality education received from dedicated professors at Tusculum College.”

The new Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math will also bring changes to the teaching of math and the sciences at Tusculum College. More spacious classrooms will accommodate students comfortably, with ready access to technology. Labs will incorporate the latest instrumentation and safety features. With additional labs, all students will have the opportunity for hands-on experiences in scientific research.

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.

Chairman of the ECU Board Fielding Rolston (left) and President and CEO Olan O. Jones present a $100,000 gift to Tusculum College President Nancy B. Moody. The gift will support the construction of the Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math.

 

 

Doak House Museum to host wool rug hooking workshop on October 8

The Doak House Museum will offer a workshop in October to teach the American folk craft, wool rug hooking. The workshop will teach the basics of this rug-making technique.

The workshop will be Saturday, Oct. 8, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

“Overlooked and undervalued for almost two centuries because they were produced by poor women, hooked rugs are an important part of American history and culture. Hooked rugs have persisted as a craft since the mid-19th century but were not appreciated as works of art until the 1970s” said Dr. Angela Keaton, instructor for the workshop. “In fact, many scholars consider hooked rugs to be America’s only original folk art.”

The cost is $25 per person and all materials are provided. Class members will start a project and take home enough materials and a rug hooking tool to finish the piece on their own. Space is limited, registration is required. Contact Boyd at 423-636-8554 or dboyd@tusculum.edu for more information or to pre-register.

 

A note to parents from the President

 

 

 

There are a wide variety of college ranking systems and criteria, and Tusculum College is always pleased to be listed among them; however, recently we were notified that we had ranked highly on a list that I think is of critical importance, particularly to the parents of our students.

Tusculum College has been ranked 23rd among the “Best Bang for the Buck” Colleges in the southern category of the 2016 Washington Monthly College Rankings. Washington Monthly rates institutions based on three criteria: social mobility, research and civic engagement. The ranking also includes colleges that are doing the best job of helping students attain marketable degrees at a reasonable cost.

This breaks down to comparing the cost of attending college and the marketability of those who graduate in the job markets.  It’s value – getting the most for what you pay to receive. There are so many considerations when choosing a college home. Considering value is a critical component. When you choose Tusculum College, it is an investment you make in the rest of your life or your child’s life. Additionally, we are very proud of how well our students do after graduation. Many of our recent graduates have gone on to very promising careers at places such as PriceWaterhouseCooper, Forward Air, Presbyterian College and Mountain States Health Alliance. Others go on to graduate schools in places such as the University of South Carolina, Columbia University, the University of Southern California, the University of the Virgin Islands and many others.

From the very beginning students at Tusculum are supported by our robust Career Services Office. Through the Pioneer Certified program students gain valuable experience related to job hunting, portfolio development, interviewing, networking, internships, meal etiquette, job shadowing, career fairs and professionalism. In short, we believe these rankings recognize the work we are doing to help your students be successful while they are here, and when they leave us.

For anyone interested, the full rankings can be found at www.WashingtonMonthly.com/college_guide/.

Sincerely,

Nancy B. Moody, Ph.D.

President of Tusculum College

First class to graduate from Tusculum College in fully online degree program

The first students to complete a fully online degree program at Tusculum College are set to graduate in December with a Master of Arts in education, human resource development concentration.

According to Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of the college, this will be the college’s first graduates in a fully-online degree program, although Tusculum has a successful history of the delivery of online coursework.

Graduates will include 24 students from a variety of locations in Tennessee, from Memphis to the Tri-Cities, as well as one student from Fairburn, Georgia. In the online format, the program participants are able to complete the program in 12 months.

The HRD concentration is designed to prepare professionals with the practical wisdom they need to be effective in helping organizations, groups and individuals work more effectively. As part of their degree program the students completed a consultant/client focused capstone project.

“One of the wonderful things about the HRD program is the variety of experiences our students bring,” said Dr. Jeff Burleson, assistant professor of education. “Our HRD students bring unique skills from local and global companies including Eastman Chemical Company, McGhee Tyson Air Force Base, Pepperidge Farms, the U.S. Pentagon, Jewelry Television, Wilderness of the Smokies, Knox Catholic Schools, Whirlpool, and many more. This diversity creates an engaging learning environment. Their client/consultant capstone projects are always interesting. There is always something new.”

The curriculum addresses the major segments of HRD 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. And while the curriculum is identical to the program taught in the traditional in-class format, the entire program has been transitioned to an online delivery system.

“The current trends in education and the need to provide accessible programs to adult and non-traditional students have led the college to decide that the time had come to develop a program that could be offered fully online,” said Dr. Moody. “Tusculum is making strong investments to offer fully online degree programs. Over the last three years, the college has spent $2.2 million dollars on technology, including software programs and data management systems, as well as the hardware to support college-wide wireless access.”

The online format has been popular with adult students as well.

“Being an older adult student at Tusculum College has been an amazing experience for me because I did not expect to feel so welcomed by the entire student body due to my advanced age as an enrolling freshman.,” said Lori Vance, a master’s program student who is part of the group graduating in December as the first fully-online degree recipients from Tusculum. “Deciding to stay to do my graduate studies was an excellent choice for my educational and career goals, as well as my very busy family life because the program had very supportive instructors and it was 100 percent online.”

For more information on any of Tusculum’s academic offerings or degree programs, contact the Tusculum College Admission Office at 1-800-729-0256.