GREENEVILLE – Some Tusculum University faculty and staff members are helping students who remain on the Greeneville campus experience a little extra love while they are away from their families during these unprecedented times due to the coronavirus.
Ashley Edens delivers gift bags for Tusculum University students who remain on campus.
Ashley Edens, Tusculum’s director of financial aid, brought gift bags filled with snacks and beverages Tuesday, March 31, to supplement meals the university is providing students. Dr. Michael Bodary, an associate professor of English, indulged the students’ sweet tooth two days earlier by delivering triple-chocolate brownies. Kim Kidwell, managing director of the Office of Institutional Advancement, said members of her team have also donated food items and some of their personal funds to Tusculum to back the cause.
Additional measures from other faculty and staff members will support about 20 students who have been unable to return home for a variety of reasons and continue to live in a university residence hall.
“We want the students to feel at home while they are here on campus and know we are fully behind them,” said Edens, who has received help from multiple people to make the gift bags a reality. “A lot of them don’t have cars to head to the store to get additional items they might want, so this is a way to help them.”
Joining Edens in this initiative were Dr. Ramona Williams, vice president of enrollment management and financial aid; Edens’ mother-in-law, Kelly; Kelly’s employer, Amedisys Hospice; and the parents of some other Tusculum students with whom Edens is friends.
The bag contains items such as cookies, crackers, chips, granola bars and soft drinks. Edens said the group plans to bring these gift bags weekly to the campus for the Office of Student Affairs to deliver.
Dr. Bodary said it was important for him to provide a delicious snack to the students.
“Baked goods are kind of a universal comfort food, and I made triple-chocolate brownies because sometimes double chocolate is not enough,” Dr. Bodary said. “Along with the food, we’re sending the message to the students that we care about them and understand their situation. We’re reaching out with empathy. Tusculum is a university, but it’s also a family.”
He said faculty members have communicated with each other about how the transition to online courses as well as the requirements of social distancing have not only impacted them but also their students.
“We want to make the transition as smooth as possible,” Dr. Bodary said. “In the absence of their ability to go home, we want to show them they are part of an extended family.”
Kidwell said IA staff members were pleased to join their university colleagues in helping the students.
“We encourage others to support our students as they continue their studies during this period,” she said. “Our students are the next generation of leaders in the community, and all of us can make a positive difference in their lives.”
Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president, said this demonstration by members of the university family illustrates the kindness that permeates the campus.
“Our students are the heart of Tusculum, and it’s impressive, but not surprising, to see our faculty and staff members rise to this occasion,” Dr. Hummel said. “Their sensitivity to students’ personal needs reinforces how we are attentive to our students’ overall well-being, and how much we value them.”
Anyone who wants to support these efforts should contact the Office of Student Affairs at 423-636-7315 or Dr. Lisa Johnson-Neas, dean of students, at ljohnson@tusculum.edu. People can also provide monetary donations by going to www.tusculum.edu/giving and selecting the student emergency fund option.