Members of the inaugural Advisory Council for the Center for Global Studies at Tusculum College have been named by Interim President Dr. Russell Nichols.

According to Nichols, the immediate charge of the Advisory Council will be to create the portion of the strategic plan which pertains to present and future international experiences of all types, for both faculty and students. Additionally, the Advisory Council will have a role in designing the initiatives for grant proposals, refereeing those proposals and monitoring the follow up.

Named to the organization in addition to Nichols are: Dr. Kim Estep, provost and vice president of academic affairs; Jacqui Elliott, vice president for enrollment management; Dr. Geir Bergvin, associate professor of marketing and director of the Center for Global Studies; Dr. Antonio Bos, professor of business administration; Dr. DiAnn Casteel, associate professor of education; Dr. Greg Church, associate professor of biology; Dr. George Darko, associate professor of economics; Robin Fife, assistant professor of social science; Dr. Tom McFarland, associate professor of business administration; Dr. Taimi Olsen, professor of English; Dr. Joel Van Amberg, associate professor of history, and Dr. Ian Van Lare, associate professor of biology.

Front Row(L-R): Theresa Maddron, Jacquelyn Elliott, Vice President of Enrollment Management; Jeanette Shanks Shotwell ’45; Dorothy Fahrenholz Brier ’50; Carol Eckard; Judy Self; Susan Vance ’91, Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement; and Dr. William E. Story 72.

Back Row(L-R): Dallas Maddron ’50; Clifton Shotwell ’47; Harry Brier ’47; Bob Eckard ’66; William Self ’59; Interim President Dr. Russell Nichols; and Frank Leroy O’Neal ’67.

Back Row (L-R): Susan Vance ’91, Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement; Thomas Hilt ’69; Anthony Heberton ’66; Julie Stewart; John Mueller; and Robert’s mother, Mildred Kleinertz.

Front Row (L-R): Janet Aberdeen Mueller ’63; Ginny Alexander; Robert Kleinertz ’76; and Judy Johnson (friend of Robert and Ginny).

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.

The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations is pleased to present our brand new newsletter site. The site will allow us to keep you better informed about your Alma Mater. We hope you’ll bookmark us and check our site regularly!

Tusculum College School of Business Professor Dr. Michelle Freeman was recognized this week for her recent publication of two articles in national publications. Freeman is an assistant professor of business administration at the College.

The first article, “PollEverywhere.com: Turning Cell Phones into a Tool for Student Engagement,” was published in the December 2008 edition of The Teaching Professor. The article was co-authored by Kent Schneider of East Tennessee State University.
The article offers that cell phones often are a source of distraction in the classroom, particularly with the proliferation of text messaging, but suggests that rather than fighting the texting, instructors can engage students by encouraging them to text about the class subject matter.

Freeman ran a pilot program in her classroom and reported the results as part of the published article. In the experiment, Freeman utilized a Web site called polleverywhere.com that allows students to text in answers to questions, and then the Web site tabulates those answers and presents the findings back in chart form.

In the article, Freeman states, “Our classes enjoy watching their multiple-choice answers appear in the form of a bar graph that constantly changes as the number of responses increases. The free text
form is also a wonderful option. It allows teachers to solicit both questions and answers from students. It offers a safe way for reluctant students to speak in class.”

“It’s a little like the audience polling on ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire,’” Freeman said. “The students really enjoyed working with the program and it gave us as instructors a moment to speak their language.”

Freeman said that while there will certainly always be times in the classroom where cell phone use will be inappropriate, there are many ways to incorporate them into learning activities that enhance the curricula.

The Teaching Professor is a targeted professional publication that focuses on educational teaching methods.

The second article, “Analyzing the TJ Maxx Data Security Fiasco: Lessons for Auditors,” was published in the August 2008 edition of The CPA Journal. Co-authored with Schneider and Gary Berg, also of ETSU, the article addresses the January 2007 breach of the TJ Maxx retail chain’s computer system that resulted in massive theft of customer information, including 94 million Visa and MasterCard accounts.

Freeman said the article’s target audience is that of controllers of corporations and auditors who advise corporate clients. The article addresses what went wrong with TJ Maxx’s security and applies the lessons learned to help auditors provide the companies they serve with improvement steps that will reduce the chances of the same scenario occurring at their companies, whether large or small.

Freeman said, “If they haven’t addressed the issue of data theft, these companies could be open to liability. They need to be prepared for any possible contingency.”

The article recommends three primary precautions:

• First, check to see if there is wireless access to the company network. Even if company policy prohibits wireless routers, a renegade router installed by an employee may be connected.
• Second, evaluate the company’s data storage practices and security for stored customer data. Ascertain that the company complies with PCI security standards and is not retaining excess data scanned from customer credit and debit cards.
• Finally, review the company’s data-retention policies and practices. Make sure the merchant does not retain customer data any longer than permitted by the card issuers. Even better, do not retain data any longer than necessary to document the underlying transaction.

The CPA Journal is a national professional journal for accounting professionals.

Tusculum College, the oldest college in Tennessee and the 28th oldest in the nation, is a civic arts institution committed to developing educated citizens distinguished by academic excellence, public service and qualities of Judeo-Christian character. About twenty-four hundred students are enrolled on the main campus in Greeneville and four off-site locations in East Tennessee. The academic programs for both traditional-aged students and working adults served through the Graduate and Professional Studies program are delivered using focused calendars whereby students enroll in one course at a time.

Tusculum College, as part of a unique Appalachian partnership in open source Web learning, has earned an award, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation announced today. The College is part of LAMP, the Learning Asset Management Project, one of the 2008 Mellon Awards for Technology Collaboration.

“Tusculum College has benefited greatly from our participation in the LAMP consortium,” said Dr. Kim Estep, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “The faculty uses this platform to provide online enhancements to their courses, to collaborate for committee work and tasks forces and to share ideas and training opportunities with other schools in the Appalachian Colleges Association.”

LAMP is a partnership of 16 schools in the Appalachian College Association (ACA), including Tusculum College. The schools use Sakai, software that professors and students access through their Web browsers. Sakai allows professors to set up courses and projects online and then collaborate with colleagues and students on coursework, research and other projects.

Dr. Estep added, “The LAMP consortium has provided enrichment to us technologically and through the relationships we have built with faculty at other institutions through this collaboration. We are delighted that the consortium has received a grant to replicate this model elsewhere.”

In recognizing the Appalachian College Association’s work in creating and leading the LAMP project, the MATC Award Committee noted the importance of new sustainability models to the long-term success of open and community source software initiatives,” said Ira Fuchs, Vice President for Research in Information Technology.

“ACA/LAMP has shown the higher education community that it is possible for institutions having limited resources to install, operate, and sustain even the most sophisticated software, provided that they work together to meet their common challenges.”

Tusculum College, the oldest college in Tennessee and the 28th oldest in the nation, is a civic arts institution committed to developing educated citizens distinguished by academic excellence, public service and qualities of Judeo-Christian character. About twenty-four hundred students are enrolled on the main campus in Greeneville and four off-site locations in East Tennessee. The academic programs for both traditional-aged students and working adults served through the Graduate and Professional Studies program are delivered using focused calendars whereby students enroll in one course at a time.

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 on Saturday.

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.”

Tusculum College, the oldest college in Tennessee and the 28th oldest in the nation, is a civic arts institution committed to developing educated citizens distinguished by academic excellence, public service and qualities of Judeo-Christian character. About twenty-four hundred students are enrolled on the main campus in Greeneville and four off-site locations in East Tennessee. The academic programs for both traditional-aged students and working adults served through the Graduate and Professional Studies program are delivered using focused calendars whereby students enroll in one course at a time.

Members of the inaugural Advisory Council for the Center for Global Studies at Tusculum College have been named by Interim President Dr. Russell Nichols.

According to Nichols, the immediate charge of the Advisory Council will be to create the portion of the strategic plan which pertains to present and future international experiences of all types, for both faculty and students. Additionally, the Advisory Council will have a role in designing the initiatives for grant proposals, refereeing those proposals and monitoring the follow up.

Named to the organization in addition to Nichols are: Dr. Kim Estep, provost and vice president of academic affairs; Jacqui Elliott, vice president for enrollment management; Dr. Geir Bergvin, associate professor of marketing and director of the Center for Global Studies; Dr. Antonio Bos, professor of business administration; Dr. DiAnn Casteel, associate professor of education; Dr. Greg Church, associate professor of biology; Dr. George Darko, associate professor of economics; Robin Fife, assistant professor of social science; Dr. Tom McFarland, associate professor of business administration; Dr. Taimi Olsen, professor of English; Dr. Joel Van Amberg, associate professor of history, and Dr. Ian Van Lare, associate professor of biology.

According to Estep, many of those named to the Advisory Council have had firsthand experience in working international programs into their educational programs and curricula. Several have studied abroad or have taken students on international study programs, including Van Lare, who has taken students on international study experiences to Costa Rica for 13 years.

“According to our most recent data, only six percent of our seniors report engaging in an international experience while enrolled at Tusculum College,” Estep said. “Our goal is to increase this number to 50 percent over the next five years, and this program will allow us to move this process forward and begin to lay the groundwork for future international connections.”

Bergvin added, “Having the Advisory Council in place is a step forward in our overall goal of increasing the number of international opportunities for our students, faculty and staff. As we develop the strategic plan, we can see our vision emerge as a plan of action.”

The Center for Global Studies was formed in spring 2008 and is located in the Pilloni Office on the ground floor of the Thomas J. Garland Library. The mission is to “enhance the capacity of individuals and organizations to address local and global challenges through building relationships with communities, institutions of higher learning and organizations globally.” For more information on the Advisory Council or the Center for Global Studies, visit http://www2.tusculum.edu/studyabroad/.

Tusculum College, the oldest college in Tennessee and the 28th oldest in the nation, is a civic arts institution committed to developing educated citizens distinguished by academic excellence, public service and qualities of Judeo-Christian character. About twenty-four hundred students are enrolled on the main campus in Greeneville and four off-site locations in East Tennessee. The academic programs for both traditional-aged students and working adults served through the Graduate and Professional Studies program are delivered using focused calendars whereby students enroll in one course at a time.

Participating in a department wide service project, the staff of Tusculum College’s Office of Institutional Advancement collected items from the Free Will Baptist Family Ministries “Wish List” over the past few months and presented their collection to Dr. James Kilgore, President and CEO of Family Ministries. Items collected by the office included office and school supplies, food items, clothing, blankets and toys to be used at Family Ministries’ group homes. Pictured with Kilgore are Kim Kidwell, associate director of development and Susan Vance, interim vice president of institutional advancement.

Receptions were held this week at all four Tusculum College Graduate and Professional Studies sites in order to recognize winter graduates.

Sponsored by the College’s Alumni and Parent Relations office, December graduates in the Tri-Cities, Greeneville, Morristown and Knoxville were recognized for their efforts and provided an opportunity to celebrate with each other at their home sites.
“With more than 325 students finishing their programs in the Graduate and Professional Studies program this winter, we wanted to recognize their efforts and congratulate them on reaching their goals through graduation,” said Rebecca Muncy, associate director of advancement at the College.”

She added, “These receptions are our way of welcoming each of these graduates into our alumni family and sharing with them in this happy time.”

More than 30 GPS graduates attend the events at all four campuses.

More than 360 students are expected to be graduated Saturday during two winter commencement ceremonies at Tusculum College.

The first ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. in the Pioneer Arena located in the Niswonger Commons. The second ceremony will be held at 2:30 p.m.

Robin Aiken and Mark Strange will present brief student addresses on behalf of the graduating class in the 11 a.m. ceremony, and Brody Wells will provide the student addresses in the 2:30 p.m. ceremony. The baccalaureate sermon, entitled “Why It Is Better to Be Poor Than Rich” will be presented by Campus Chaplain Dr. Stephen R. Weisz. Also addressing the graduates will be Dr. Russell Nichols, interim president of the college.

Convening the commencement ceremony will be J. Clement Allison, faculty marshal. Conferring the degrees will be Dr. Nichols and Dr. Kimberly K. Estep, provost and academic vice president.

Two bagpipers, Jon Shell and Ben Pollard, will lead the commencement processional, as is traditional at Tusculum College. Organist James Winfree will provide musical accompaniment, with vocal music led by Dr. Estep and Jill Jones, director of academic advising for the residential college.