The Greeneville-Greene County Human Resources Association is continuing its support for Tusculum College students through its sponsorship of annual scholarships. The association provides two scholarships annually to juniors or seniors from Greeneville or Greene County majoring in business.

Pictured in the photo above, from left, are Susan Vance, interim vice president of Institutional Advancement for Tusculum College; Kim Kidwell, associate director of development for Tusculum College; Tabatha Smith, Tusculum College student and recipient of the $1,000 scholarship; Danelle Sells, vice president of the GCHRA and payroll officer and benefits administrator for the Town of Greeneville, and Michelle Myers, president of the GCHRA and human resource generalist at Huf North America.

Former Tusculum College cross country coach Dr. Jim Fields will return to guide the Pioneer harrier program announced Director of Athletics Frankie DeBusk.

Fields served as head coach of the Tusculum cross country program for five seasons (2000-04) as his runners garnered All-South Atlantic Conference honors 11 times, including two SAC Freshman Runners of the Year and the 2003 SAC Female Runner of the Year. The Tusculum women’s program recorded three third place finishes in the conference (2001, 2002, 2003), while the men’s squad posted a sixth place showing at the 2003 SAC Championship.

Fields was responsible for bringing in two of the best cross country runners in the history of program in All-Region harriers Amanda Musick and Sue Lewis. In 2001, Musick and Lewis became the first Tusculum student-athletes to compete at a NCAA Division II national championship event.

Musick advanced to the NCAA National Championship three times in her career (2001, 2003, 2004), while also earning All-Region distinction an amazing four times. In 2003, she was the SAC Runner of the Year as she won a remarkable five events that season. She still holds the school record with 10 individual titles.

During Fields’ tenure as cross country coach, the Pioneers captured eight team championships and 14 individual titles.

“I’m very happy to have Coach Fields back with us at the helm of our cross country teams,” said DeBusk. “He is committed to making Tusculum one of the premier cross country programs in the South Atlantic Conference and I look forward to working with him once again.”

He also mentored two-time All-SAC runner Ross Lewis (2002, 2003). Lewis posted some of the best 8K times in school history, including his personnel best 27:08 at the 2003 SAC Championship. Lewis recorded three individual title wins, while guiding the team to a pair of meet championships.

“I’m excited about returning to coach at Tusculum,” said Fields. “Working with college cross country runners is extremely rewarding because of their self discipline and goal setting. I have always enjoyed interacting with the runners and seeing their continued improvement as runners, students, and human beings.”

From 1996-98, he served as Director of Athletics at Tusculum. He ushered in an era of growth for the Pioneer athletics program. Under his watch, Tusculum achieved NCAA Division II membership, opened the new Pioneer Arena, while completing TC’s initial steps for admission to the South Atlantic Conference.

He also served as the College’s Faculty Athletics Representative during the 1995-96 year before assuming the athletic director’s post.

Following high school, the Spring Grove, Va. native served three years in the U.S. Navy, specializing in communications. After the Navy, he attended Virginia Tech where he earns his Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education in 1972. He later earned his Master’s from Virginia State in 1977 and an Ed.D from East Tennessee State University in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in 1993.

Fields replaces Phil Roberts, who served as Tusculum cross country coach from 2005 to this past fall.

Coach Fields is married to the former Gayle Gilliam of Greeneville and they have two grown children, Kenneth and Melody. They are also the proud grandparents of two grandsons, Kenton (3) and Kade, who was born this past November.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn. is a affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference which is comprised of nine colleges and universities in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

All students who are interested in attending college, as well as their parents, will have the opportunity to get a head start learning about college financial aid and will have the opportunity to explore higher education options during the College Day and Financial Information Night at Tusculum College on January 20, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“No matter which college or university a student plans to attend, this college night and financial aid information session is designed to assist them and their parents,” said Melissa Ripley, director of admissions operations and marketing for residential admission at the College.

“Representatives from area colleges and universities will be on hand to answer questions about college admission and the financial aid processes,” Ripley said. “There will also be a special guest representative from the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation.”

Information will be provided about the Tennessee Lottery, Pell Grant information and various grants and scholarships from participating schools.

The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to allow parents as well as students to learn about the many different options available to young people to continue their education following high school graduation. The event will take place in the Pioneer Arena, and there is no admission charge. Door prizes will be given away to attendees.

Although the event is sponsored by Tusculum College, each year, a wide variety of colleges and universities as well as vocational schools set up displays that provide information about the institutions’ academic programs. Most also have representatives on hand to answer specific questions about programs or the school.

Last year, 40 colleges, universities, technical schools and the military had displays at the College Fair, and the participants included schools from Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia and across the state of Tennessee. There has already been a great response from exhibitors for this year’s event who are eager to come share information with students, said Ripley.

The College Fair, coordinated by the Tusculum College Department of Admission, has grown in size in recent years, and the department is appreciative of the opportunity to bring this service to area students and their families.
The event is represented on the official Tennessee Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers calendar.
For more information about the College Fair, please contact the Office of Admission at 1-800-729-0256 ext. 5374 or 423-636-7312, or e-mail mripley@tusculum.edu.

Mark Persaud, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., has been recognized as “Student of the Block” at Tusculum College for his campus leadership.

The college’s Office of Student Affairs recently recognized Persaud with its “Student of the Block” award for the third block of the fall semester during a brief ceremony. He was presented a plaque detailing his achievements and campus involvement by Jacqui Elliott, vice president for enrollment management. The plaque will be displayed on the “Wall of Honor” outside of the Student Affairs Office.

Persaud is described on the plaque as having achieved “the pinnacle of engagement and involvement as a highly regarded leader, motivator, and supporter of Tusculum College.” Elliott, who nominated Persaud for the award, said of him, “He truly cares about other people and puts others needs in front of his own. He lives the mission of the college as it should be. He has single-handedly improved student engagement on so many levels … spending countless hours volunteering his time and talent.”

A senior pre-physical therapy and sports science major, Persaud encourages his fellow students to take an active interest in their educational experience through involvement and engagement in activities and organizations on campus. He leads by example. He is president of the Student Activities Board, co-captain of the college’s Cheerleading Squad, and a member of the President’s Society.

Persaud is also manager of the Tusculum College pool, student intern in the Office of Student Affairs, and a senior work study student for the college’s Bookstore. He served as a student intern in the Office of Student Affairs last summer and has been an orientation leader for the past four years. He was voted 2008 Homecoming King by his fellow students.

Persaud’s ambition is to become a physical therapist and a massage therapist. He also intends to have a later career in hospitality and hotel management.  After graduating in December, Persaud has joined the Tusculum staff as a student life coordinator in the Office of Student Affairs, where his responsibilities will include coordination of intramural recreational opportunities for students.

The “Student of the Block” award is a program of the Office of Student Affairs to honor Tusculum students who excel not only in their academics but are also active on campus and in service to the community. Nominations for the award are sought from the campus community. A student is recognized each academic block. Tusculum operates on a focused calendar in which students take one class per a three-and-a-half week period, a block. The academic year is divided into eight blocks, four per semester.

Tusculum College is pleased to announce the implementation of “Pioneer Alert” by SchoolCast, our new emergency alert and notification system. SchoolCast delivers rapid, multi-platform messages in the event of an emergency to students, faculty members, and staff. This will be your best source for timely information and instructions on what to do in the event of any campus emergency.

You will receive an email with your unique username and password which will allow you to log into the Pioneer Alert Dashboard to edit the information we already have on file for you. Please stay tuned for more information regarding this exciting new system designed to built a better informed, safer community. We thank you for your interest and invite you to contact Student Affairs at x5820 with any questions you may have.

Countless hours spent studying textbooks, writing papers and doing research came to fruition Saturday for 347 individuals who received degrees during Tusculum College’s winter commencement ceremonies.

One hundred and seventy nine earned Bachelor of Science degrees in organizational management during a morning ceremony. During an afternoon ceremony 64 earned Master of Arts degrees in education and 104 received Bachelor of Arts degrees.

The new graduates were issued challenges to excel not only in obtaining material success, but also in seeking to fulfill a higher purpose in their careers and lives by student speakers, the campus chaplain and Interim President Dr. Russell Nichols.

Robin Aiken Proffitt of Campbell County and Mark Strange, a police officer in Gatlinburg, who both earned Bachelor of Science degrees in organizational management (BSOM), were chosen by the faculty as speakers to represent their classmates in the morning ceremony. Proffitt spoke of the importance of teamwork she had learned through her degree program. “I challenge you to be the best you can be, and I have learned through the BSOM program that you can do even more with the help of others.”

Strange recalled how he had promised his parents he would earn a college degree when they allowed him to enter the U.S. Air Force after his high school graduation. After his military career, he returned to his native Newport as a police officer and decided to go back to school, finding success with the help of his family, fellow classmates and professors and staff at Tusculum. He told his fellow graduates, “Let’s not let the door of our education close today. Learning is a never ending journey.”

In the afternoon ceremony, Brody Wells, a native of Tazewell who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics education, was chosen to address his fellow classmates. Reading from Ecclesiastes in the Bible, Wells commented that Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest man of his time, and he found his earthly success to be empty but his true fulfillment came from following God. He challenged his fellow graduates to not seek earthly gain, but to find true success in following God – “with God all is good and pleasing.” Speaking on the topic, “It is Better to Be Poor Than Rich,” Dr. Stephen Weisz, campus chaplain and associate professor of religious studies, shared the story of the rich young ruler who came to Christ.

Dr. Weisz said he was not bringing a message against obtaining material wealth because it can be used to help others, rather his was a message of encouragement to seek a higher purpose.

“I want to challenge you to become another (John D.) Rockefeller,” he told the graduates. “The paradox is you can be another Rockefeller without being as wealthy as he was, but you have to put others before yourself as he did.”

Dr. Nichols shared six hopes he had for the graduates. “I hope you will always act ethically and morally in all you do,” he said. “Second, I hope you listen, read and think critically. Third, I hope you will be a life-long learner. Fourth, I hope you will be a responsible citizen in both your local and global community. Fifth, I hope you will live, work and play for a higher purpose than yourself. And, sixth, I hope you will act ethically and morally in all you do. Did I say that before? There must be a reason. If you do good, you will do well.”

Former Tusculum College cross country coach Dr. Jim Fields will return to guide the Pioneer harrier program announced Director of Athletics Frankie DeBusk.

Fields served as head coach of the Tusculum cross country program for five seasons (2000-04) as his runners garnered All-South Atlantic Conference honors 11 times, including two SAC Freshman Runners of the Year and the 2003 SAC Female Runner of the Year. The Tusculum women’s program recorded three third place finishes in the conference (2001, 2002, 2003), while the men’s squad posted a sixth place showing at the 2003 SAC Championship.

Fields was responsible for bringing in two of the best cross country runners in the history of program in All-Region harriers Amanda Musick and Sue Lewis. In 2001, Musick and Lewis became the first Tusculum student-athletes to compete at a NCAA Division II national championship event.

Musick advanced to the NCAA National Championship three times in her career (2001, 2003, 2004), while also earning All-Region distinction an amazing four times. In 2003, she was the SAC Runner of the Year as she won a remarkable five events that season. She still holds the school record with 10 individual titles.

During Fields’ tenure as cross country coach, the Pioneers captured eight team championships and 14 individual titles.

“I’m very happy to have Coach Fields back with us at the helm of our cross country teams,” said DeBusk. “He is committed to making Tusculum one of the premier cross country programs in the South Atlantic Conference and I look forward to working with him once again.”

He also mentored two-time All-SAC runner Ross Lewis (2002, 2003). Lewis posted some of the best 8K times in school history, including his personnel best 27:08 at the 2003 SAC Championship. Lewis recorded three individual title wins, while guiding the team to a pair of meet championships.

“I’m excited about returning to coach at Tusculum,” said Fields. “Working with college cross country runners is extremely rewarding because of their self discipline and goal setting. I have always enjoyed interacting with the runners and seeing their continued improvement as runners, students, and human beings.”

From 1996-98, he served as Director of Athletics at Tusculum. He ushered in an era of growth for the Pioneer athletics program. Under his watch, Tusculum achieved NCAA Division II membership, opened the new Pioneer Arena, while completing TC’s initial steps for admission to the South Atlantic Conference.

He also served as the College’s Faculty Athletics Representative during the 1995-96 year before assuming the athletic director’s post.

Following high school, the Spring Grove, Va. native served three years in the U.S. Navy, specializing in communications. After the Navy, he attended Virginia Tech where he earns his Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education in 1972. He later earned his Master’s from Virginia State in 1977 and an Ed.D from East Tennessee State University in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in 1993.

Fields replaces Phil Roberts, who served as Tusculum cross country coach from 2005 to this past fall.

Coach Fields is married to the former Gayle Gilliam of Greeneville and they have two grown children, Kenneth and Melody. They are also the proud grandparents of two grandsons, Kenton (3) and Kade, who was born this past November.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn. is a affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference which is comprised of nine colleges and universities in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The pleasure of fresh air in a beautiful landscape, the camaraderie of friends and the challenge and excitement of combining personal skill and speed to project an object toward a target are all part of the attraction of golf, but on the Tusculum College Campus, they are part of the draw of the newest hybrid of the sport, disc golf.

According to Kenny Lawson, former student life coordinator and current assistant baseball coach at the College, Disc Golf will become the newest intramural sport on campus, but is also a game that can be played recreationally by students, staff and faculty for health and entertainment.

Goals for the new campus course were installed by the College grounds crew in November, and tee boxes are currently going up, Lawson said. The course is located on campus, directly behind visitor side of the football stadium.

According to Lawson, the course has been in the works for the last couple of years, as the right location was sought. Now that it is in place, it will be the first disc golf course in Greeneville. There are nine holes with regulation tee boxes and disk baskets that would allow the College to host club or collegiate tournaments.

And while there are some regional club teams in the Tri-Cities and in Morristown, there are none in Greeneville at this point, said Lawson.

Disc golf is a lot like traditional “ball” golf, except players use specially made plastic flying discs instead of balls and clubs, and throw them for par at an above-ground target instead of a hole in the ground. There are different types of discs used for different purposes, much like ball golfers use different clubs.

There will be between 50-75 sets of discs available to be check out from the Student Activities Center located in the Pioneer Gym, Lawson said, and scorecards will be available with layouts, distances and par for each hole.

For more information on disc golf or the campus course, contact Stephanie Rhea at 638-7300, Ext. 5830. Rhea, senior student life coordinator, said the Grand Opening of the course will be held during the spring semester. There will also be events throughout the semester at the course for students and the community.

The pleasure of fresh air in a beautiful landscape, the camaraderie of friends and the challenge and excitement of combining personal skill and speed to project an object toward a target are all part of the attraction of golf, but on the Tusculum College Campus, they are part of the draw of the newest hybrid of the sport, disc golf.

According to Kenny Lawson, former student life coordinator and current assistant baseball coach at the College, Disc Golf will become the newest intramural sport on campus, but is also a game that can be played recreationally by students, staff and faculty for health and entertainment.

Goals for the new campus course were installed by the College grounds crew in November, and tee boxes are currently going up, Lawson said. The course is located on campus, directly behind visitor side of the football stadium.

According to Lawson, the course has been in the works for the last couple of years, as the right location was sought. Now that it is in place, it will be the first disc golf course in Greeneville. There are nine holes with regulation tee boxes and disk baskets that would allow the College to host club or collegiate tournaments.

And while there are some regional club teams in the Tri-Cities and in Morristown, there are none in Greeneville at this point, said Lawson.

Disc golf is a lot like traditional “ball” golf, except players use specially made plastic flying discs instead of balls and clubs, and throw them for par at an above-ground target instead of a hole in the ground. There are different types of discs used for different purposes, much like ball golfers use different clubs.

There will be between 50-75 sets of discs available to be check out from the Student Activities Center located in the Pioneer Gym, Lawson said, and scorecards will be available with layouts, distances and par for each hole.

For more information on disc golf or the campus course, contact Stephanie Rhea at 638-7300, Ext. 5830. Rhea, senior student life coordinator, said the Grand Opening of the course will be held during the spring semester. There will also be events throughout the semester at the course for students and the community.

A Financial Aid Night and College Day at Tusculum College that was cancelled due to weather conditions has been rescheduled for Feb. 12.

On the new date, all students who are interested in attending college, as well as their parents, will have the opportunity to get a head start learning about college financial aid and will have the opportunity to explore higher education options. The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“No matter which college or university a student plans to attend, this college night and financial aid information session is designed to assist them and their parents,” said Melissa Ripley, director of admissions operations and marketing for residential admission at the College.

“Representatives from area colleges and universities will be on hand to answer questions about college admission and the financial aid processes,” Ripley said. “There will also be a special guest representative from the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation.”

Information will be provided about the Tennessee Lottery, Pell Grant information and various grants and scholarships from participating schools.

The event will allow parents as well as students to learn about the many different options available to young people to continue their education following high school graduation. The event will take place in the Pioneer Arena, and there is no admission charge. Door prizes will be given away to attendees.

Although the event is sponsored by Tusculum College, each year, a wide variety of colleges and universities as well as vocational schools set up displays that provide information about the institutions’ academic programs. Most also have representatives on hand to answer specific questions about programs or the school.

Last year, 40 colleges, universities, technical schools and the military had displays at the College Fair, and the participants included schools from Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia and across the state of Tennessee. There has already been a great response from exhibitors for this year’s event who are eager to come share information with students, said Ripley.
The College Fair, coordinated by the Tusculum College Department of Admission, has grown in size in recent years, and the department is appreciative of the opportunity to bring this service to area students and their families.

The event is represented on the official Tennessee Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers calendar.
For more information about the College Fair, please contact the Office of Admission at 1-800-729-0256 ext. 5374 or 423-636-7312, or e-mail mripley@tusculum.edu.

If you intend to make a gift to Tusculum College before the end of the tax year, the Office of Institutional Advancement would like to remind you of a few things to keep in mind.

Online giving is both easy and efficient. However, for your gift to be accepted as a 2008 calendar year gift, please submit your online gift no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern time, on Monday, December 31, 2008. Because IRS laws dictate that gifts must be in our control by December 31st for same-year tax credit, provisions will be made to ensure that on-line gifts are processed on the day they are received. Gifts made after 3:00 p.m. on December 31st will be posted to your record as of January 1, 2009. Online gifts can be made with VISA, MasterCard or Discover Card (Tusculum College does not accept American Express) at http://www.tusculum.edu/giving.

If you are sending your gift through the United States Postal Service, it will need to be postmarked no later than December 31, 2008. We do not suggest using Federal Express or UPS since gifts that come from these carriers are not considered in our control until we actually receive them, whereas a postmark on US Post is the point where the IRS considers a gift in the recipient’s control.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your gift to the College or this communication, please call the Office of Institutional Advancement at 423-636-7303.

Several administrative offices at Tusculum College will be open on an abbreviated schedule over the Christmas Holiday in order to meet the last minute needs of our students, alumni and friends.

Campus Safety will continue to provide 24-hour on-site coverage.

The offices of Institutional Advancement, Admissions, Financial Aid, GPS, Student Affairs and the Business Office will have staff coverage on an abbreviated schedule from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the following days during the College’s Christmas Holiday, December 22 through January 2:

• Monday, December 22
• Tuesday, December 23
• Monday, December 29
• Tuesday, December 30
• Friday, January 2

The Office of the Registrar, Information Systems, Maintenance and Housekeeping staff will be on-call over the break if an emergency arises.