Tusculum graduate programs to host multiple Open Houses

Tusculum will host a series of open houses focused on showcasing business and education graduate degree programs for those interested in changing careers or leveling up their current careers.

Open Houses are scheduled for Greeneville on March 27 and April 24; in Morristown on March 28 and April 25, and in Knoxville on March 29 and April 26. Each Open House will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Greeneville events will be held in the Boardroom of the Meen Center for Math and Sciences. The Morristown events will be held at the site at 420 West Morris Blvd. and the Knoxville events will be hosted at the Knoxville Regional Center.

The open houses are designed to provide prospective students an opportunity to meet with Tusculum faculty, academic advisors, and enrollment and career services staff. These faculty and staff form the academic support team for each graduate student.

“This is a great opportunity to meet faculty and staff and learn not only about admission requirements, but also to ask practical questions about courses, graduate student advising, and the career outlook for completing the graduate degree,” said Dr. Jo Lobertini, assistant vice president of academic affairs.  “We are very proud that 94 percent of our graduate students are from the Appalachian region and our programs are in high employment demand areas.”

Additionally, according to Dr. Lobertini, anyone who attends will have the opportunity to have a resume created or reviewed at no charge.

Tusculum graduate program offerings include both the online or on-site MBA, the Master of Arts in talent development (online), the Master of Arts in teaching and the Master of Arts in education (online).

To learn more about the Open Houses or to register, visit www.tusculum.edu/gradopenhouse.

Tusculum Associate of Arts degree now fully online

Tusculum has begun offering an associate degree program fully online and enrollment in the program is now open.

“Tusculum College is continually serving the region by providing degree programs that meet the educational goals of the students we serve,” said Dr. Jason Pierce, vice president for academic affairs. “With the associate degree program, we are recognizing that many of our students are first-generation college students and the idea of a four-year degree may be intimidating. This new program gives students a milestone for measuring their success, combined with the convenience of an online delivery system.”

The program, which is offered to both residential and adult students, offers the opportunity to earn an Associate of Arts in general studies degree, which may also be applied to any four-year program.

Students in the program take all general education courses, as well as a minimum of 19 hours of elective courses that can be concentrated in a major area or taken in a variety of major areas as a way of exploration of potential career paths. All of these courses are offered in an online format.

“The associate degree can introduce students to the college process and academic coursework,” said Dr. Pierce. “When they complete the program, they may choose to enter the employment market or apply their associate degree toward a four-year program. We are excited about giving prospective students another option to begin their journey into higher education.”

Students enrolled in the online associate degree program will have the same benefits and eligibilities as those enrolled in four-year programs, including access to athletics, student support services, tutoring and financial aid. All veteran’s benefits, including the Yellow Ribbon Program, may be used toward the associate degree.

In addition to federal financial aid options, the Hope Scholarship, as well as Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect funding, may be used toward the Tusculum associate degree program.

“Students interested in starting Tusculum’s associate degree program will apply in the same manner as any of our other programs,” said Dr. Paul Pinckley, vice president for enrollment management and marketing. “This program is another offering we have that extends our spectrum of academic programs. Students may choose this option, a four-year program and later an advanced degree. All of the admissions counselors are happy to meet with prospective students and provide guidance about which options are best for their goals.”

Dr. Pinckley added that this is also a way to make a student’s choice of education affordable. “Students who wish to attend Tusculum may now do so in the associate degree program and apply Tennessee Promise or Tennessee Reconnect dollars toward that degree.”

Anyone interested in enrolling in the Associate of Arts in general studies program should contact the Tusculum’s Office of Admission at 423.636.7312 or visit www.tusculum.edu to apply.

Dr. Tricia Hunsader elected president-elect of the Tennessee Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Dr. Tricia Hunsader, dean of the School of Education at Tusculum, has been elected president-elect of the Tennessee Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

The TACTE is a state affiliate of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and has a membership role of most of the 39 educator preparation programs in the State of Tennessee. TACTE provides leadership on issues related to professional education, with primary focus on teacher education and promotes effective public policy regarding professional education, enhances and improves professional education programs at member institutions, and enhances the professional effectiveness of members.

Dr. Tricia Hunsader

Dr. Hunsader will hold the position for two years then automatically transition to president in February 2020 and to past-president in 2022.

Dr. Hunsader joined Tusculum College in 2016. She is a graduate of the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in finance, a Master of Arts in elementary education and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with a cognate in elementary education and specialization in mathematics education.

She came to Tusculum from the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee where she served as coordinator of assessment for the College of Education, chair of the Quality Enhancement Plan Committee, president of the Faculty Senate and vice president of the USF System Faculty Council.

Prior to her academic career, she worked as an asset manager for a commercial real estate investment group, an elementary and high school mathematics teacher and controller and event coordinator for Hunsader Farms.

Dr. Hunsader has co-authored two books, “Mathematics: A Good Beginning, 7th ed.” (2013) and “Mathematical Literacy: Helping Students Make Meaning in the Middle Grades” (2008). She has published more than 20 articles and book chapters, has presented her research in mathematics assessment nationally and internationally and serves as a reviewer for national and international mathematics education journals.

Human Trafficking is topic of upcoming lecture featuring Greeneville native Dr. Hannah Britton

Tusculum’s Acts, Arts, Academia’s series continues on Tuesday, March 20, with the lecture, “Upstream Approaches to Preventing Human Trafficking.” The featured speaker will be Greeneville native Dr. Hannah Britton, director of the Center for the Study of Injustice and of the Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Initiative at the University of Kansas.

Dr. Hannah Britton

The lecture will be held on Tuesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. in the Behan Arena Theatre, lower level (on the parking lot side) of Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building on the Greeneville campus and is part of the Cicero Lecture Series hosted by Tusculum’s Arts Outreach program.

Dr. Britton is known globally for her work and research in the area of human trafficking. She is an associate professor in the departments of political science and women, gender, and sexuality studies at the University of Kansas.

Dr. Britton’s scholarship focuses on women and politics, gender and African politics, the prevention of gender-based violence and human trafficking. In her role as director of the Center for the Study of Injustice at the Institute of Policy & Social Research, she coordinates KU’s Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Initiative, which is a working group of faculty and students engaged in teaching and research about slavery, labor exploitation, and commercial sexual exploitation.

She is the lead researcher on a project in the Midwest examining the factors that may leave someone vulnerable to exploitation. She also coordinates a working group of faculty and graduate students using qualitative research methods in their teaching and scholarship.

Much of the current scholarship and research focuses on the prosecution of traffickers; however, Dr. Britton’s research team “works to identify a range of vulnerabilities that may leave someone open to extreme exploitation, including labor abuse and commercial sexual exploitation. These may include housing insecurity, poverty, lack of employment opportunities, undocumented status and limited English skills, just to name a few.”

While prosecutions are essential to eradicating trafficking, Dr. Britton argues that “by moving upstream to identify risks before exploitation has happened, policy makers and service providers can stop trafficking before it occurs.” Her research also explores “how different political policies can increase risks for exploitation, including cuts to vital social services, educational funding and poverty alleviation programs.”

Dr. Britton encourages policy makers and concerned citizens to expand what they think human trafficking is. She states that “much of the contemporary media attention around human trafficking focuses on the idea that people who are trafficked are abducted, are held in secret or are physically constrained in one location. In fact, much of the contemporary trafficking is occurring in plain sight. Training of law enforcement, medical providers, educators and social workers is essential to identify trafficking as it is happening.”

General admission tickets are $7 and will be available in the Behan Arena theatre lobby on the evening of the lecture. For more information, contact Tusculum Arts Outreach at 423-798-1620, or email jhollowell@tusculum.edu.

Tusculum hosts local high school students for College Summit

Students from the four county high schools were given information to help them prepare for the college application process during the annual College Summit at Tusculum on Thursday, March 8.

Eleventh graders from North Greene, South Greene, West Greene and Chuckey-Doak high schools attended the event at Tusculum, presented by Advise TN and hosted by Tusculum.

Advise TN is a college advising and capacity building program developed by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Office of Governor Bill Haslam. Advise TN aims to increase the number of Tennesseans accessing higher education by partnering with high schools and providing college advising services to up to 10,000 junior and senior students across Tennessee.

“The ultimate goal of the program is to develop a college-going culture in the Greene County School System,” said Ruth Ann Tipton, a college advisor for Advise TN. “We want every high school student to know they can go to college and that through Tennessee Promise, the financial resources are available to them to make it happen.”

Welcoming the high school students to campus, Dr. James Hurley, president of Tusculum, encouraged the juniors to pursue education following graduation whether it is at a technical school, a community college, a state university or a private college.

Following the opening session, the students met with enrollment representatives who discussed college admission test preparation, college interviews, financial aid, admission processes and college life.

Area business participating in the summit included Emergency Medical Services, Universal Machine and Tool, American Greetings, John Deere Power Products, the Greene County Partnership, HUF North America and the Greeneville-Greene County Center for Technology.

The Greene County 2018 College Summit at Tusculum College is made possible through a TnACHE grant. The TnACHE program promotes the idea that postsecondary summits are an efficient way for high school juniors and seniors to hear presentations from a large number of postsecondary schools in a short time.

 

Students from the local county high schools participated in College Summit on the campus of Tusculum on Thursday. Participants had the opportunity to explore both higher education and career opportunities through a variety of workshops and lectures, as well as a Career Fair.

Tusculum hosts regional History Day competition; announces winners

Nearly 40 students will be representing northeast Tennessee at Tennessee History Day next month. These students placed first or second in their categories at the regional contest on Monday, March 5, 2018.

Tennessee History Day participants entered projects in five categories: documentaries, exhibits, performances, websites and papers. While projects must relate to the annual theme, students are encouraged to be creative when choosing a topic. This year’s theme was “Conflict and Compromise in History.” Thirty-nine students received medals for their efforts and two students were awarded special prizes.

This year, Tennessee History Day will be held Saturday, April 7, in Nashville.

“I am proud of all our students,” said Northeast Tennessee History Day coordinator Dollie Boyd. “I’m impressed by how they turn themselves into experts on their selected topics and how they incorporate constructive feedback into each revision of their projects. They are learning how to examine sources critically and how to present their findings to a sophisticated audience.”

The judges at Monday’s competition – including university professors, graduate students, high school teachers, librarians, archivists and other public historians – picked the winners from the 33 submitted projects. The Museum Studies Program of Tusculum College coordinates the regional contest. MaryAnn Rush serves as the outreach coordinator.

Since 1974, History Day has grown from a small local competition in Cleveland, Ohio with about 100 students into an event that attracts about a half million students nationwide each year. For more information about the program in Tennessee, visit the National History Day website or contact Jennifer Core, National History Day’s statewide coordinator for Tennessee, at (615) 741-8934 or via e-mail at historyday@tennesseehistory.org.

 

The medal winners from Saturday’s Tennessee History Day competition are:

 

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SPECIAL AWARD WINNERS

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SPECIAL AWARD

Best Project on Women’s History

Sponsored by the Greene County Heritage Trust

Junior Individual Exhibit

The Tragedy at Salem

Riley Ottinger

Nolachuckey Elementary

Teacher: Joshua Arrowood

 

SPECIAL AWARD

Best Project on American History

Sponsored by George and Lois Banks

Senior Individual Documentary

Pigeon River Project

Leah Murray

Cosby High School

Teacher: Hillary Griffin

 

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CATEGORY AWARD WINNERS

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JUNIOR INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTARY

1st

A Divided State: The Civil War in East Tennessee

Chloe Helton

Chuckey-Doak Middle School

Teacher: Matt Hensley

 

2nd

Civil War: Fort Sumter

Braylin Brown

Chuckey-Doak Middle School

Teacher: Matt Hensley

 

JUNIOR GROUP DOCUMENTARY

1st

The Irish Potato Famine

Madison Fletcher, Dakota Goins

Chuckey-Doak Middle School

Teacher: Matt Hensley

 

JUNIOR INDIVIDUAL EXHIBIT

1st

The Tragedy at Salem

Riley Ottinger

Nolachuckey Elementary

Teacher: Joshua Arrowood

 

2nd

Vietnam War: Told Through the Eyes of the Soldiers

Hayden Sampson

Chuckey-Doak Middle School

Teacher: Matt Hensley

 

3rd

Norfolk Southern: America’s Railroad

Jacob Jarnigan

Nolachuckey Elementary School

Teacher: Joshua Arrowood

 

JUNIOR GROUP EXHIBIT

1st

The Thalidomide Crisis

Rachel Phillips, Kaylee Casteel

Chuckey-Doak Middle School

Teacher: Matt Hensley

 

2nd

The Rise and Fall of Al Capone

Ryan Lehan, Damian Garland, Kaine Morris

Chuckey-Doak Middle School

Teacher: Matt Hensley

 

3rd

We’re All Jews Here

Olivia Boutin, Breanna Casteel

DeBusk Elementary School

Nathan Darnell


 

JUNIOR GROUP PERFORMANCE

1st

Donner Party: A Shortcut to Disaster

Addison Williams, Braylee Woods, Anna Ottinger, Carson Reaves, Ashley Waddell

Nolachuckey Elementary

Teacher: Joshua Arrowood

 

2nd

“The Battle of Maldon”

Natalie Ripley, Laney Ricker, Kaylee Brooks, Kalee Delotto

Chuckey-Doak Middle School

Teacher: Candice Arrowood

 

JUNIOR INDIVIDUAL WEBSITE

1st

The Conflict and Compromise of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings

Jocelyn Paysinger

Chuckey Doak Middle School

Teacher: Matt Hensley

 

2nd

Tiananmen Square Incident

Jonathan Fulford

DeBusk Elementary

Teacher: Nathan Darnell

 

JUNIOR GROUP WEBSITE

1st

THE MANHATTAN PROJECT: THE MORALS BEHIND SPLITTING THE ATOM

Zane Garrison, Daniel Foister, Cooper Ward

Chuckey Doak Middle School

Teacher: Matt Hensley

 


 

SENIOR INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTARY

1st

Pigeon River Project

Leah Murray

Cosby High School

Teacher: Hillary Griffin

 

SENIOR INDIVIDUAL EXHIBIT

1st

Spaniards vs. Aztecs

Kailey Gaines

Cosby High School

Teacher: Hillary Griffin

 

SENIOR GROUP EXHIBIT

1st

Hitler’s Rise to Power

Easton Ball, Nick Ball, Lauren Ford, Carly Wines

Cosby High School

Teacher: Hillary Griffin

 

2nd

Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Phoebe Grooms, Tessa McGaha, Bralyn McGaha

Cosby High School

Teacher: Hillary Griffin

 

SENIOR INDIVIDUAL WEBSITE

1st

Women’s Suffrage Movement: War to Victory!

Rebecca Cox

South Greene High School

Teacher: Colleen Bowman

 

SENIOR INDIVIDUAL PAPER

1st

Conflict and Compromise Evaluating Abraham Lincoln’s Leadership during Presidency

Kynslee Dykes

Cosby High School

Teacher: Hillary Griffin

 

Special Award Winner for Best Project in Women’s History sponsored by the Greene County Heritage Trust – Riley Ottinger for her exhibit “Tragedy at Salem.”

 

Special Award Winner for Best Project in American History sponsored by George and Lois Blanks- Leah Murray for her documentary “Pigeon River Project.”

Limited artisan and crafter booths available for Old Oak Festival; deadline is March 30

There are limited spaces still available for artisan and crafter booths for the 2018 Old Oak Festival, which returns to the Tusculum campus April 20-22.

Deadline for vendor applications is March 30 or until all spaces are filled.  Participants will find a form at www.oldoakfestival.org or may request one by calling 423.636.7303.

“We still haven’t heard from a few of our old favorites,” said Jimmy Rader, coordinator of the artisan and crafter booths for the festival. “We have a tremendous variety of vendors, but we don’t want anyone to miss this opportunity, especially if they have been with us through the years.”

This year’s festival will feature a wide variety of music, food and fun, the Old Oak Festival will span across three days, featuring something for everyone, be it live music, theater, arts and crafts or fabulous festival food.

Throughout the weekend on stage, the festival will present the sounds of the region, with a wide variety of music from bluegrass to jazz featuring local vocalists and instrumentalists.

This year’s special events will include an art show at Allison Gallery, theater performances by GLAWPIGT (Great Literature Alive, Well and Playing In Greeneville Tennessee) and literary readings.

The Allison Gallery will feature recent work by Clem Allison with a focus on aspects of the Tusculum campus. Allison previously served as art department chairman and director of the Division of Arts and humanities until his retirement as professor emeritus of art in 2000. He continues to produce his own art and is presently preparing for an exhibit of his recent works in April at Tusculum‘s Shulman Center.

The youth theater group, GLAWPIGT, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, will showcase the young talent of the Greeneville and Greene County school systems with special performances each day during the festival.

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. to 4 p.m. For more information, contact Price at 423-636-7303. Entertainment and food continues into the evening.

Service animals are welcome; however, paperwork is required and no pets allowed. Coolers, firearms and alcohol are also prohibited on Tusculum College campus property during the festival. Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged.

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

 

Tusculum College program to provide free tax preparation services

Time is running out to take advantage of free tax preparation services through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program offered locally through Tusculum.

Six weeks remain in a free program, implemented through the efforts of Tusculum that provides free tax preparation services in Greene and surrounding counties.

The IRS-certified tax preparation program will host appointments at Tusculum’s Greeneville campus, where trained volunteers will be available to assist members of the public with the preparation of their tax returns.

Appointments are being booked now and are offered each Thursday through April 12.

The program is sponsored in partnership with the Appalachian Community Federal Credit Union, a long-time partner with the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program in the area.

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 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.

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.

“Tusculum is thrilled to be part of the VITA program this year and hopes to expand the service to reach more people in the region,” said Dr. James Hurley, president of Tusculum College. “With service to community so ingrained in our mission as a college, the VITA program is an additional way that we can engage our community through service in an area that is a significant need in our region.”

Under the supervision of Dr. Branstrator, a former IRS employee, 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.

According to Dr. Branstrator, “The East Tennessee VITA program has become one of the strongest in the Southeast.” He added, “We see this as a ministry of justice to low and moderate-income taxpayers, our volunteers (mostly Tusculum students) are competent, courteous and respectful and we have a near-zero error rate, much lower than the average for paid preparers.”
Dr. Branstrator said the program has also helped students, particularly those in business-related fields of study, utilize classroom skills to acquire needed real world practice.

Appointments are required. To schedule an appointment, call (800) 378-3778 and wait for the operator, or register online at http://web.tusculum.edu/vita.

 

Old Oak Festival returns to Tusculum April 20-22

The Old Oak Festival will return to Tusculum campus April 20-22.

Featuring a wide variety of music, food and fun, the Old Oak Festival will span across three days, featuring something for everyone, be it live music, theater, arts and crafts or fabulous festival food.

Throughout the weekend on stage, the festival will present the sounds of the region, with a wide variety of music from bluegrass to jazz featuring local vocalists and instrumentalists.

There are limited spaces still available for artisan and crafter booths. Deadline for reserving a booth is March 30, or until all spaces are filled.

“This year’s festival will feature great arts and crafts, performances and opportunities to enjoy a variety of fine arts experiences,” said David Price, director of music and band programs at Tusculum.

This year’s special events will include an art show at Allison Gallery, theater performances by GLAWPIGT (Great Literature Alive, Well and Playing In Greeneville Tennessee) and literary readings.

The Allison Gallery will feature recent work by Clem Allison with a focus on aspects of the Tusculum campus. Allison previously served as art department chairman and director of the Division of Arts and humanities until his retirement as professor emeritus of art in 2000. He continues to produce his own art and is presently preparing for an exhibit of his recent works in April at Tusculum‘s Shulman Center.

The youth theater group, GLAWPIGT, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, will showcase the young talent of the Greeneville and Greene County school systems with special performances each day during the festival.

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. to 4 p.m. For more information, contact Price at 423-636-7303. Entertainment and food continues into the evening.

Service animals are welcome; however, no pets allowed. Coolers, firearms and alcohol are also prohibited on Tusculum College campus property during the festival. Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged.

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

 

Limited edition Clem Allison Tusculum Arch prints available

Several copies of a limited edition print from the painting, “Tusculum Arch,” completed by former Tusculum art professor Clem Allison in 2017, are available to the general public for purchase.

Allison produced the painting as a gift to the college with the hope that donations will be encouraged by having these museum-quality prints available for purchase by alumni and friends of the college.

Prints may be obtained with a gift to Tusculum of $1,000. Each print is signed and numbered by the artist and available for a limited time.

To place an order, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 423.636.7303.

Allison previously served as art department chairman and director of the Division of Arts and humanities until his retirement as professor emeritus of art in 2000. He continues to produce his own art and is presently preparing for an exhibit of his recent works in April at Tusculum‘s Shulman Center.

 

Tusculum ranks high in teacher preparation ratings in Tennessee

Tusculum is among the Tennessee institutions doing a good job in producing public school teachers according to a recent report in Tennessee.

Tusculum received a 3 on a 4-point scale in the just-released 2017 Tennessee Teacher Preparation Report Card from the Tennessee Department of Education.

The report card, released Thursday, ranks 39 schools with an overall performance grade, based on a composite of candidate profile, employment and program impact.

Tusculum received a grade of three overall, as well as a three in both employment and program impact.

According to Dr. Tricia Hunsader, dean of the College of Education, this year’s score is a marked improvement over the 2 received in this rating the previous year.

“We are pleased to see this significant improvement and are proud to be ranked above many other programs in our region. Our continuous improvement efforts are ongoing, and we are working hard to ensure that all of our graduates are prepared to be highly effective teachers,” said Dr. Hunsader.

She added, “The mission of the education/interdisciplinary studies major and professional education programs at Tusculum is to prepare teachers who are committed to excellence in education and who are confident in their abilities to assume leadership as educators and citizens in the communities where they live and work.”

The full list and background information, including 2016 scores, is available online at http://teacherprepreportcard.tn.gov/.

For more information on Tusculum’s education programs, call 423.636.7312 or visit www.tusculum.edu.