More than 100 people braved the stormy weather to participate in an Interfaith Candlelight Prayer Service held at Tusculum College on Wednesday, Aug. 19.

Each person was asked to light a candle during the service to symbolize the college’s commitment to community, to one another and to efforts to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

According to Tusculum President Nancy B. Moody, the event was the first of several planned to kick off the Individual Wellness through Community Engagement Initiative. The prayer service was planned as a campus-wide program with the primary purpose of encouraging the Tusculum community—including students, faculty, staff and alumni—to lead and maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

The program included several religious leaders from a variety of faith traditions who spoke and prayed to promote spiritual health among all people.

“Wellness is a lifelong pursuit and often requires peer encouragement,” said Wayne Thomas, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and one of the architects of the new program. “As such, our aim is to indoctrinate its importance and approaches on our campuses through continuous communal activities that reach our entire population and focus on social, physical, intellectual, emotional and/or spiritual health.

“Additionally, we recognize that people succeed better if every aspect of their lives is attended to, thus addressing our students’ wellness and satisfaction significantly improves retention.”

Participating in the program were: Mark Stokes, chaplain of the Presbyterian-affiliated Tusculum College; Rev. Linda Bass, pastor, Christ United Methodist Church; Rabbi Arthur Rutberg, of the B’nai Shalom Congregation in Blountville; Taneem Aziz, president of the Islamic Center in Johnson City; Dr. Nancy Thomas, English professor at Tusculum College and a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church, and Marina Munjal, president of the Appalachian Dharma and Meditation Center in Johnson City.

Each of the participants offered a prayer or blessing and encouraged those present to walk in friendship and unity.

“There is far more that unites us than divides us,” said Rabbi Rutberg.

Rev. Bass offered prayers for guidance, love, protection and grace and the ability for all to use their gifts to change the world.

Aziz told the group that in today’s world, we are “shoulder to shoulder in our uniqueness” and added that everyone, given the opportunity to do good, should do so without qualification or the expectation of receiving anything in return.

Munjal, who is Buddhist, said that she sees her religion as kindness and offered a traditional Buddhist blessing, “The Metta Prayer,” which is a prayer for the well-being and happiness of all beings.

“The spiritual, however it is practiced, is a part of each of us,” said Dr. Moody. “For some, it is how one finds peace, for others it is how they find meaning and purpose in life. Meditation, prayer, study, exercise and fellowship can all be part of our spiritual caretaking and, tonight if you have not already, I hope you will begin your journey to find how to nourish your spiritual self.”

Participants in the Tusculum College Interfaith Candlelight Prayer Service each lit a candle to symbolize the college’s commitment to community.

Brad Allen has been selected to act as Tusculum College’s enrollment representative military liaison. His new duties will include the recruitment and marketing of Tusculum College to active duty military, veterans and their dependents.

Allen will serve as a point of contact for all military personnel, coordinating with other departments to provide academic and financial advice for current and prospective students. As a component of the position, he will be responsible for representing Tusculum throughout the region at veteran related events and helping to foster and grow military related groups and community on Tusculum’s campuses throughout the region.

Brad Allen

“Brad is a valuable part of our recruitment team, and we are confident that he will continue to excel at providing service to our veterans, active duty service men and women and their families,” said Lindsey Seal, director of Graduate and Professional Studies enrollment.

Allen is a native of Greeneville, where he attended Greeneville High School. He served as a noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Navy. He received numerous awards and commendations for his service, including being selected as the Atlantic Fleet’s Sailor of the Quarter.

After completion of his service, he attended East Tennessee State University as an honors student, where he double majored in history and English. He went on to complete the Master of Arts program in history at Appalachian State University, and he is currently pursuing his master’s degree in mental health counseling at Lincoln Memorial University.

Allen has been with Tusculum College since 2012, when he began as an admissions representative for the residential college. He transitioned to become an enrollment representative for Tusculum’s Graduate and Professional Studies Knoxville campus in fall of 2014. Allen currently resides in Knoxville.

An informational workshop for Center for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship will be held on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. at Tusculum College.

The session will be held in the Niswonger Commons building of the college’s main campus in Greeneville. Signups are not required but encouraged.

Due to the financial support of the community, attendants and program participants will not be charged a fee in any CEDE events and programs.

The Center for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship offers a wealth of resources for entrepreneurs, small business owners, small farmers and non-profit organizations. The workshop will provide information on these resources, as well as opportunities to interact with CEDE leaders, student monitors and Tusculum faculty.

Specifically, participants will receive information on the upcoming “Help Me Help You” (HMHU) course. This nine-week program includes modules on market definition, cost administration, pricing, marketing and sales strategies, body language in business, financing, legal issues, networking and business presentations.

In the last four years, the HMHU course has assisted dozens of small business and organizations to reach their goals including retail operations, restaurants, service providers, artists, non-profit and community organizations.

Participants will also learn about the business consulting opportunities offered by the CEDE in the areas of business planning and operations. These individualized consultations are tailored to the specific needs of each small business.

CEDE has the support of the Tusculum College administration, the Tusculum College School of Business and the Center for Civic Advancement. CEDE has also partnered with the Greene County Partnership, Main Street Greeneville, Rural Resources, the Cocke County Partnership, the Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce and Crossroads Downtown Partnership.

Dr. Antônio Bós, professor of economics, is the CEDE director and Erin Mills, a senior in the business program, is the CEDE coordinator.

Participants should be prepared to provide names, contact information and business information if applicable at the event. Registration and additional information are available by calling (423) 636 7300 x5256, by e-mailing cede@tusculum.edu and by visiting web.tusculum.edu/cede.

Construction continues on the Dr. Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Mathematics on the Tusculum College campus.

According to David Martin, director of facilities for Tusculum College, the water taps have been placed and water connected to the building site. “We have also received the bar joists and decking, which we will be installing vertically,” said Martin. “We are trying to expedite these so we can bring up the flooring as we go.”

He added that the stair and elevator towers are now completed and a portion of the north side retaining wall has been poured.

Anyone interested in watching construction progress for the Meen Center for Science and Math may do so via web cam feed on the Tusculum website http://my.tusculum.edu/cam/.

The Meen Center for Science and Math will be a four-story structure of approximately 100,000 square feet. Interiors include wings for biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science and environmental science. There will also be lab space and research areas for both faculty and students.

The ground floor features the environmental science wing with a loading dock, as well as large general classroom spaces and classrooms equipped for distance learning programs. A large lecture hall will be included on the ground floor. Space is also allocated to house the bachelor of science degree program in nursing and at least one other graduate level health-related program.

The contractors, Rentenbach Constructors Incorporated, began work in early May.

The building’s construction is part of the Tusculum First Campaign, which seeks to provide students with the best possible living and learning communities, innovative and responsive academic programs, and expanded opportunities for students to become engaged as global citizens. For more information on how to contribute to the campaign, contact Heather Patchett, vice president for Institutional Advancement, directly by calling 423-636-7303 or 1-800-729-0256 ext. 5303 or by emailing hpatchett@tusculum.edu.

Toby auditions for the role of “Edison,” the Potts’ family dog in Theatre-at-Tusculum’s upcoming production of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” Auditions for his fellow human cast members will be held Aug. 25-28 at Tusculum College. From left are the show’s choreographer, Kim Berry Toby, the musical’s assistant director Brian Ricker and the show’s director Marilyn duBrisk.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!

Theatre-at-Tusculum announces auditions Aug. 25 – 28 for its annual fall production. This year, director Marilyn duBrisk and her team will bring Ian Fleming’s fantastical tale about a magical flying car to the stage as Theatre-at-Tusculum presents Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

duBrisk and her production team are looking for actors, singers, and dancers to fill a cast of approximately 35 adults and 30 children. The cast includes 10 leading roles and around 15 supporting roles for men and women of varying ages as well as an ensemble of singers and dancers.

Auditions will be held in the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building on the Tusculum College campus, and will span three days with possible call-backs being held on a fourth day.

Adult auditions, for those ranging in ages from high school students to senior citizens, will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 25 and Thursday, Aug. 27. Registration on both days will begin at 5:30 p.m. The auditions will start at 6 p.m.

Youth auditions, for second through eighth graders, will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Registration will start at 3:30 p.m., and auditions will begin at 4 p.m.

Possible call-backs will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28, as needed.

No prepared pieces are required for any of the auditions, but those auditioning are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and footwear. No flip-flops please.

Auditions will consist of readings from the script, and singing selected music from the show’s score. Vocal auditions will be lead by musical director Angie Clendenon and accompanist Kasie Shelnutt. Those auditioning will also participate in a brief choreography audition lead by the show’s choreographer, Kim Berry.

Technical director Frank Mengel will also be looking for several dedicated volunteers to assist with set construction and the elaborate technical aspects of the show in addition to possible backstage crew members. Set construction work calls are scheduled for Wednesday and Friday evenings from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Anyone interested in assisting with construction must be aged 18 years or older. Those under 18 years are welcome to attend but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is willing to assist as well.

The production will be directed by duBrisk and produced with the help of Arts Outreach staff and many generous community volunteers. In addition to duBrisk, Clendenon, Shelnutt,
Berry and Mengel, the production staff includes assistant director Brian Ricker, costume director Barbara Holt, box office manager Jennifer Hollowell and stage managers Jim Holt and Suzanne Greene.

Based on Fleming’s novel Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car, this fun, fast-paced musical comedy is the stage adaptation of the 1968 film starring Dick Van Dyke and with music by renowned Disney composers, Richard and Robert Sherman. The Sherman Brothers provided scores for many of Disney’s most popular musicals including “Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book,” “Charlotte’s Web,” “The Aristocrats,” “ Bedknobs and Broomsticks” and “The Parent Trap.”

The show features songs from the movie including “Toot Sweets,” “Me Ol’ Bamboo,” “Doll on a Music Box” and the Academy Award nominated, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”

Performances are scheduled for November. 13-15 and 19-22 with rehearsals on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings, as well as some Sunday afternoons.

Anyone wishing for more information regarding auditions, or possibly volunteering to help with the production crew are asked to call Tusculum College Arts Outreach at 423-798-1620 or e-mail Arts Outreach Coordinator Jennifer Hollowell at jhollowell@tusculum.edu or Arts Outreach Assistant Director Brian Ricker at baricker@tusculum.edu.

Students enrolled at Tusculum College who started their college journey at a Tennessee community college may be eligible to receive their associate’s degree through a program called Tennessee Reverse Transfer.

Reverse Transfer makes it possible for students who transferred from a Tennessee community college before earning a two-year degree to retroactively receive that credential when requirements are met in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree.

“Tusculum College is committed to providing seamless transitions for our transfer students. We are very pleased to announce our participation in the Tennessee Reverse Transfer program,” said Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of Tusculum College. “This complements our existing articulation agreements with regional community colleges and offers prospective students an opportunity to complete both their associate and bachelor degrees.”

The program represents a partnership involving the state’s three public and private higher education systems and is an example of Tennessee’s commitment to helping more students earn college degrees. Approximately 2,300 students transfer each year from Tennessee’s community colleges to four-year colleges and universities, with at least 45 of the 60 credit hours required for most associate degrees.

“The process allows students who early-transfer the opportunity to have their completed four-year courses and grades combined with their completed community college courses and grades to determine if they meet the requirements for an associate degree,” said Gloria Gammell, project coordinator for Tennessee Reverse Transfer and program manager for the University of Tennessee System.

Eligible transfer students are those admitted and enrolled at Tusculum College and who have earned a minimum of 15 college-level credits from a Tennessee community college, transferred before earning an associate degree and completed a combined total of 60 college-level credits post-transfer.

Participating students will be contacted in the late fall by their former community college and notified if the degree will be awarded or if courses for an associate degree are lacking. Eligible transfer students will be identified and notified each semester.

“The benefits of a Tennessee Reverse Transfer degree include having a credential that matters in the world of work, serving as a motivator to complete the bachelor’s degree and having the satisfaction of receiving a degree already earned,” said Gammell.

The program is funded by a State of Tennessee appropriation and a “Credit When It’s Due” grant from Lumina Foundation, an Indianapolis-based private foundation dedicated to expanding access to and success in education beyond high school.

For more information about Tennessee Reverse Transfer, visit www.tnreversetransfer.org or contact the Tusculum College Admissions Office at 800.729.0256.

Tusculum College History Professor Angela Keaton has been published in the June/July issue of “The Teaching Professor.”

Dr. Keaton’s work was based on her involvement with the Tusculum College Professionalism Initiative. The article, “Professionalism Isn’t Just for the Workplace,” reports Dr. Keaton’s efforts to incorporate the professionalism initiative into each of her courses.

Dr. Keaton reports in the article that on the first day of class, she explained to students why professionalism would be part of each student’s overall class grade. Graded behaviors and attitudes would include commitment to excellence, comportment, integrity, among others.

She explains that these will be expectations in the workplace, and the classroom can, and should be, a training ground for students as they prepare to enter the professional workforce. Accordingly, eight professional values are listed and defined on course syllabi. These behaviors and attitudes are derived from my college’s professionalism initiative and are commitment to excellence, honesty and integrity, expertise, humility, respect, compassion, awareness of interpersonal boundaries and comportment.

By covering both academic and co-curricular activities, the Professionalism for Leadership Initiative at Tusculum College seeks to help students establish what behaviors are associated with professionalism. Students have opportunities provided by Tusculum College that will promote professionalism and success, such as etiquette dinners, resume workshops and practice job scenarios. Several courses also have assignments that tie into the professionalism that should be exhibited by professionals of that area of study. The Professionalism for Leadership Initiative was implemented with support from the Niswonger Foundation and is chaired by Dr. Joel Van Amberg, associate professor of history.

During her courses, Dr. Keaton regularly asked students to write a short paper on the professional code of conduct or ethics for their specific discipline. She also created assignments that let them demonstrate their professionalism, such as debates or a group project.

Dr. Keaton reports, “As a result of these changes in my courses, student behavior has improved immensely.” One student confessed, “I have failed to exhibit the values of professionalism because I never arrived to class on time and I turned in one of my papers late.” The paper reports that other students admitted that they knew their behavior would be unacceptable to other professors and employers.

Dr. Keaton concludes, “We do not have to dismiss inappropriate behavior as a sign of youthful immaturity or let it exasperate us. We can instead help students develop the skills, attitudes, and behaviors they need to chart a successful course as students and soon to be professionals.”

Dr. Keaton currently serves as associate professor history and commons at Tusculum College. She earned her Ph.D. in history from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She received her master’s of arts degree in history from Marshall University and her bachelor’s of arts degree in history from Concord University. She specializes in the topics of United States social and cultural history, gender history and childhood history.

Tusculum College is now part of the coalition of Adult Learning Focused Institutions (ALFI). As a member of ALFI, the college will have the opportunity to participate in workshops with other successful colleges and universities in an effort to continuously advance programs and services for adult students, evaluate their adult degree programs and share best practices.

“Tusculum College has a long tradition of developing innovative ways to help improve the educational opportunities for our adult students. By being a part of the ALFI coalition, we can continue to have the most cutting-edge and effective programs,” said LeAnn Hughes, vice president for enrollment management and marketing.

Tusculum continues to be a leader in education today. The college was the first east of the Mississippi to adopt a focused calendar and the first institution of higher education in East Tennessee to provide degree programs specifically designed for working adults.

The Graduate and Professional Studies program is designed to accommodate adult students’ family and career responsibilities. Graduate and Professional Studies classes meet in locations throughout East Tennessee, with locations in Greeneville, Kingsport, Morristown and Knoxville.

This uniquely focused and practical program has enabled thousands of men and women to obtain the degrees they need to succeed professionally and personally. Tusculum College’s Graduate and Professional Studies offers flexible scheduling, convenient locations, reasonable tuition and quality programs that help students meet their goals.

According to Dr. Carl Larsen, assistant to the president for planning and institutional effectiveness, “The ALFI coalition is an alliance of members of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning who demonstrate their commitment to improving their services to adult learners by completing the ALFI surveys.”

These surveys will assist colleges and universities on ways to best serve adult learners by identifying and comparing how students, faculty, staff and administrators value the services offered by the institution.

Dr. Larsen added, “The data identifies institutions’ strengths and challenges to plan strategically for the future, to help institutions allocate resources for the greatest impact. The data also serves as a baseline, enabling an institution to establish consistent measurements for the impact of their adult programs.”

By Stephanie Turner

senior journalism and professional writing major from Shelbyville