With a recent study suggesting the need for more than 1.6 million nursing professionals nationwide by 2020, Tusculum College’s nursing program is gearing up to meet the demand, according to officials at the college.

While Tusculum College’s nursing program is new, its first graduating class this May will help address the growing need for nurses in the East Tennessee region.

The study, “Nursing: Supply and Demand Through 2020,” was published by The Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University. The report analyzes the dynamics affecting demand and supply of active nursing professionals, including changing demographics, impact of the Affordable Care Act and educational obstacles.

“We are about to graduate our first class of 14, so that’s 14 new nurses in our community,” said Dr. Lois Ewen, dean of the School of Nursing, Health Sciences and Human Services. “Our goal at Tusculum is to meet the needs of our community for baccalaureate educated nurses, which is why Tusculum has invested so much time into starting a new nursing program,” said Dr. Ewen.

New as it may be, Tusculum’s program is growing, and next year’s graduating class will consist of 26 nurses, nearly double the size of the first nursing class. “Our goal is to graduate at least 30 to 40 students each year to meet the needs of our community,” said Dr. Ewen. “We can’t address the entire shortage across the country, but we can certainly work towards addressing the needs of our community.”

The article points out the lack of adequate faculty at colleges and universities and the lack of facilities for clinical experiences. During clinicals, students are trained in local medical facilities through opportunities to work with patients. However, many colleges and universities are attracting a large number of applicants for nursing programs at all levels.

“Along with the nursing shortage is a shortage of nursing faculty. Bedside nurses need an associate’s degree or baccalaureate degree to practice nursing, but nursing instructors have to have a master’s degree if not a doctorate, so there are less instructors than bedside nurses,” said Dr. Ewen.

She added that many of the current educators are over the age of 50 and will to retire as the need for nurses rises. “If we do not fill these positions with a younger faculty then this shortage will continue to be a strain on educational programs,” said Dr. Ewen.

The other issue that impacts the shortage is the reduction in hospital beds due to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, said Dr. Ewen. “There is less opportunity to train nurses at the bedside because there is less opportunity to place students in hospitals.”

As one example, Dr. Ewen noted that one Northeast Tennessee hospital has in the past allowed Tusculum to put eight to 10 nursing students in their facility for clinical experience, but now have decreased it to four. The hospitals in Northeast Tennessee and Knoxville have students in their facilities seven days a week, which can be difficult for both the staff and students.

“There are so many schools trying to admit students to meet the need for nurses, but there are only so many facilities to place students for training, and students must complete clinical experience to be eligible for licensure,” said Dr. Ewen.

“All of these issues fit hand in hand with one another. It’s not so much that schools want to turn away students, but they must,” said Dr. Ewen.

She added that currently Tusculum is not turning away students and the program is growing. For more information on the Tusculum College nursing program, contact the Office of Admission at 1-800-729-0256 or the nursing office at 423-636-7430.

By Ashley Bell, senior journalism and professional writing major from Nashville

Several fire department training sessions were held at Tusculum College in late March and early April, prior to the removal of two former residences on the campus. The buildings are being removed to make room for the planned construction of the Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math.

The training will be offered through a partnership between Tusculum College and the Tusculum and Greeneville fire departments and will be offered to other municipal and county fire departments, volunteer fire departments in the region and to the Northeast Tennessee Fire Training recruit class.

The buildings slated for removal are the Dean Reed and McClain homes formerly used for student housing, said David Martin, director of facilities at Tusculum College. A smaller outbuilding located near the McClain home will be removed and relocated, he added.

According to Marty Shelton, fire chief of the Tusculum Fire Department, several training sessions were held at the buildings between March 17 and the first week of April.

“The two structures offer numerous fire departments and regional fire recruits to experience very realistic training related to residential structures,” said Shelton. “The training involved victim search and rescue, and the firefighter safety training included how to properly bail-out of a structure, thermal imaging camera training and numerous other drills.

Greeneville Fire Chief Mark Foulks said that training will conclude by the first week of April to allow for removal of the buildings.

“Training related to new structural firefighting tactics and techniques was emphasized on two of the days and utilized flow path control, fast water and thermal imaging to enhance firefighter safety and improved fire control.”

He added that the training was very similar to training that was conducted last September in a structure owned by the Town of Greeneville, and these types of training are important to the implementation of the new tactics.

He also expressed appreciation to the Oak Ridge Fire Department for providing temperature monitoring and other support for this training.

“The partnership with the Tusculum and Greeneville fire departments allows us to provide valuable training opportunities for firefighters and provides a way for the loss of these two buildings to serve an important purpose,” said Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of Tusculum College. “This is another step forward toward the construction of our new science and math facility that will be a signature building along the Erwin Highway.”

Watercolors and woodcraft and everything in between will be featured as part of this year’s Old Oak Festival, returning to the Tusculum College campus April 17-19.

The arts and music festival will span three days and will feature something for everyone, including crafts, music, art, theater, storytelling and area authors, as well as gallery and museum exhibits.

The festival will feature an extensive variety of crafted products, from walking sticks and wooden puzzles to Christmas ornaments, soft sculpture, pencil drawings and llama fiber products. Other crafts include scrollsaw wood art, dolls, baby items, tobacco stick art and signs, polymer jewelry, lotions and soap, quilts, needlework, baskets, stained glass, crochet items, bath and body products, handmade ironworks and dulcimers, gourds, rustic art, herbs, handprints, photography, bows, scarves and purses.

“We are expecting a wide variety of artists, including painters, craftsmen and sculptors, whose work will be available for purchase. Arts will include pottery, woodcrafts and folk art,” said David Price, festival coordinator and director of music at Tusculum College.

Demonstrations will also be conducted in pottery, blacksmithing and carving by the Evergreen Woodcarvers.

Musician Sharon Babb will be hosting mountain dulcimer workshops each day of the festival. Babb has been teaching dulcimer for many years, and there is no fee to attend the workshops. The workshop schedule will be Friday, April 17, 2-3:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 18, 10-11:30 a.m. and 2-3:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 19, 2-3:30 p.m. She will be teaching traditional and modern songs, with some in-between. Babb also builds mountain dulcimers, which she will have available for purchase at the festival.

If you have a dulcimer in need of strings or minor repair, stop by the blacksmith/dulcimer booth before class. There will be a small fee for repairs and strings. If you do not have a dulcimer, you may sign up to borrow one for class. Supply is limited.  If you have questions, call Babb at 865-919-7214.

The Walnut Ridge llamas, previous favorites of the festival, will visit the Tusculum College campus over the weekend, and products made from llama fiber will be available.

The Doak House Museum will sponsor a batik workshop during the three days of the festival. Participants will learn how to make stunning designs on natural fiber cloth using the wax-resist dyeing method. Reservations and advance deposits are required. The workshop will be held in the heart of the festival on the main campus. Contact Leah Walker at 423-636-8554 or lwalker@tusculum.edu for reservations and more information.

There are limited spaces still available for artisan and crafter booths. Deadline for reserving a booth is Wednesday, April 8, or until all spaces are filled.

“With three stages and special performances at the Doak House Museum, the musical acts this year will provide a wide variety to suit all musical tastes, with some top rate performances on all three days,” said Price.

The Fiddlin’ Carson Peters Band and the Old Time Travelers, a duo from Chattanooga Tennessee, will perform on the Doak House lawn on the Saturday of the festival, and will be featured during the festival on the main stage.

Other scheduled performers include Richard and Eva, Stem Winder, Charles Tunstall, Thursday Night Boys, Steve Brown, Mike Joy, Shiloh Road, the Tusculum College Alumni All-Star band, My New Favorites, the Threetles, the Tusculum College Jazz Band, the Tusculum College Concert Band, the Tusculum College Handbell Choir, Jim and Curtis Moneyhun, John Vandiver, the Step Cousins, Fuse Worship, Josh Miller and Joyce Carroll.

In addition to artist vendors and music performances throughout the day on Friday and Saturday, there will be three performances during the festival of “5X10,” presented by Tusculum students under the direction of Wayne Thomas, the interim dean of the arts and sciences, Frank Mengel, Arts Outreach technical director and instructor, and Brian Ricker, Arts Outreach and assistant.

Performances will be held in the Behan Arena Theatre in the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center. Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. To reserve tickets, contact Arts Outreach at 423-798-1620.

The college’s Allison Gallery will be open throughout the weekend, featuring a faculty and family spotlight exhibition by Dr. Deborah Bryan, associate professor of art at Tusculum.

Several writers will be presenting works throughout the festival weekend. Authors include Carolyn Gregg, Emory Rhea Raxter, Joe Tennis, Keith Bartlett, Lisa Hall, Matilda Green, Shirley Butler, Claudia Ware, James Campbell, Tom Yancey, Rick Toomey, Charles Tunstall, Bill Nance and George Ryan.

Both the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library and the Doak House Museum will be open to visitors during the festival and will have special activities from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 1-4 p.m. on Sunday.

For the length of the festival only, the museum will open its collections storage to display never before exhibited Appalachian chairs and other furnishings, titled “Sittin’ Pretty: Selections from the Doak House Furniture Collection.” Admission is free and donations are appreciated.

The President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library will sponsor a 19th Century Toys and Games booth in the children’s area. Come and play with traditional folk toys and make-and-take your very own toy as a souvenir. In addition to the museum’s activities, the education department at Tusculum College will be hosting children’s activities, which will be led by Kathryn Crumm, assistant professor of education.

The festival will feature children’s activities on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and again on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Food selection will include festival favorites, such as homemade strawberry shortcake, Philly cheese steak and Mennonite doughnuts. Food vendors include Rural Resources, Mr. Turkey Leg, Mac’s Fine Foods, Creamy Cup, TopDog HotDog, Cold Water Farm, Auntie Ruth’s and Carly’s Kettle Korn. Music and food will be available until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and until 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Tusculum students will be participating in a Marble Pursuit Board Game Tournament hosted by the Tusculum College Band Program. The first round begins Friday April 17, at 6:45 p.m. in the Pioneer Perk in the Niswonger Commons. Spectators are welcome

There is no fee to attend the festival. Art vendor hours will be Friday from noon until 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, contact Price at 423-636-7303.

Coolers and alcohol are prohibited during the festival.

The festival is being coordinated by a committee of college and community representatives who are working to promote arts and music in the East Tennessee region.

For updates and more information, visit the website at www.oldoakfestival.org or on Facebook at www.facebook/OldOakFestival.

usic, arts, crafts, theater, authors, food and children’s activities will be the highlights of three-days of fun during Tusculum College’s Old Oak Festival in April.

After months of  study by students, faculty and staff, the Tusculum College Board of Trustees convened Monday, March 23, and approved changes to the general education curriculum and course delivery calendar. With the approved changes, motivated students may complete their degrees in three years.

The Board accepted recommendations, approved by a faculty committee tasked to address policy and procedural matters, to provide increased flexibility in course scheduling and improve students’ ability to transfer into Tusculum College.

“Tusculum’s faculty, staff, students and trustees have been working for more than a year to identify changes to meet the needs of today’s and future students who are impacted by the ever increasing cost of a college education. Recent changes reviewed by interdisciplinary work groups, town hall meetings, faculty and students and approved by the Board also help ensure the success of our students, the primary reason for any college or university to exist,” said Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of Tusculum College.

“Preparing students to be the new leaders in our ever changing world has been the goal of Tusculum College since its founding in 1794,” said Dr. Moody. “We are excited about the opportunities for our students as we address the changes we are seeing in higher education. The Board’s approved changes will make it easier for students to transfer to Tusculum and earn their college degree. Governor Bill Haslam’s Tennessee Promise program makes it possible for more Tennessee students to begin their college careers. Tusculum’s changes are designed to help them complete their college education and compete for the jobs available in today’s world.”

“As the governing body of this institution, it is critical that we continue to reshape Tusculum College in ways that will make our students more successful while we also look after the future of the college,” said Dr. Kenneth A. Bowman, chair of the Board and 1970 alumnus of the college. “These improvements are necessary as we align Tusculum College’s curriculum with other colleges and universities in our country, while we keep the distinctiveness of the block schedule that is uniquely Tusculum’s.”

Dr. Bowman added that these changes are part of the overall strategic efforts of the college. These include the $25 million Tusculum First capital campaign launched in October and the upgrading of facilities, telecommunications and other technology at the Greeneville campus and locations in Knoxville, Morristown and Kingsport.

“As a Board, we usually meet in the summers to update and expand our strategic plan, as opportunities and threats continually arise,” said Dr. Bowman. “These changes are a result of that process.”

Also approved during the October 2014 Board of Trustee meeting was the transition to a 120-hour graduation requirement and three-hour course format as part of the overall effort to reposition Tusculum College to meet the needs of its students. A transition period is planned for current students.

“During the transition period, all students will have increased access to individualized academic advising,” said Dr. Ron May, vice president for academic affairs. “All students will have their academic plans reviewed to ensure continued academic progress toward graduation without delaying their timeline for completion. Students will also have the opportunity to maximize their course options by moving to the new 120-hour graduation requirement and the three-hour course format.”

Additionally on Monday, the Board approved changes to the general education curriculum effective no later than Fall 2016. Some former commons courses, previously required of all students, will be included in major course offerings, thus providing students with the option of taking these courses, as well as the added flexibility of selecting other electives. This general education curriculum reduces the required general education courses to 41-credit hours, as approved and recommended by the Tusculum faculty.

Under the new course delivery system, students may continue to take one course per day scheduled to meet two days a week. Students may also take a course over the entire semester on Wednesday morning with the afternoons being reserved for academic and student engagement activities, including service projects and special topic lectures. The new calendar will allow two to five classes to be taken in each eight-week period, up to 18 hours per semester for those receiving financial aid.

“The culminating effect of these changes in credit hours per course, credit hours required for graduation, change in the general education requirements, the modified delivery format and more opportunities for online courses will allow students the option of completing their baccalaureate degree in three years should they choose that option,” said Dr. Bowman.

“Throughout her 220-year history, Tusculum College has continually transformed herself. The transformations have included name changes when merging with other institutions, creating programs to meet the needs of non-traditional adult students, adopting a unique focused calendar and even how we teach,” said Dr. Moody. “Recent actions by the faculty and Board allow Tusculum College to once again adapt to change and move forward while continuing to make an impact on the world through the success of her graduates.”

The Tusculum College Pioneer Fishing Club traveled to the Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tenn. from March 14 and 15, for the Cabela Collegiate Big Bass Bash and brought home the top prize.

Corban Rood, a junior, business administration major from Knoxville, led the team to victory. Rood and his boat mate Corey Neece, a freshman, environmental science major from Bristol, and their teammates Nick Hatfield, a junior, business administration major from Greeneville, and Justin Reagan, a junior, computer science major for Johnson City, beat more than 200 boats from both Division II and Division I schools in the southeast competition.

Rood’s bass weighed in at 8.58 pounds and was in the number one spot overall on Day 1 and 2 of the competition.

In addition to pleasure outings, this is the club’s second year of competing in collegiate tournaments. This competition is the second out of 10 events that they will be competing in this year.

“We are excited to be participating in competitions now,” said Hatfield. “If we do well enough, we can build up points toward the School of the Year title.”

Members of the fishing club are hoping to build the program to where it would become a club sport competition team. “I have fished all my life and really love it,” said Hatfield. “I wanted to continue on the college level and maybe one day see this club transition into a sports team.”

The club sponsor is Dr. Jason Jones, assistant professor of physical education. Anyone  interested in the club should email nickhatfield.nh@gmail.com.

Tusculum College’s Fishing Club took top honors in the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing tournament. From left are Corey Neas, Justin Reagan, Coban Rood and Nick Hatfield.

By Corrine Absher, senior digital media major from Kingsport

Newsletter – March 2015