GREENEVILLE – Tusculum University has embarked on a $110,000 campaign to ensure an enjoyable and comfortable living space on campus for its traditional residential students by providing an updated look and feel.
Bob Kleinertz, left, president of the Tusculum Alumni Executive Board, and student Laikin Smith stand inside the lobby of the Charles Oliver Gray East residence hall.
The university has launched the Dorm Refresh Campaign. This opportunity for the community will help Tusculum continue to provide quality residence halls that complement the active and experiential learning the university provides.
Among the items the campaign will fund are replacement furniture, flooring and ceiling fans as well as fresh paint and enhanced lighting. The campaign will impact residence halls throughout Tusculum. The university seeks to have some of the initial projects completed by the start of the fall semester in August.
“Residential life at Tusculum is an enriching part of the university experience,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president. “Within the residential halls, memories are made and life-long friendships are formed. The shared experience connects current students to generations of alumni who have lived there before. We are grateful for those who are supporting our students by refreshing the dorms to provide them with a great learning and living environment.”
Student leaders and Tusculum alumni have embraced the campaign.
“In the fall, I will have lived in every space that a female student can reside on campus, and each dorm has its own unique environment,” said Maggie Vickers, a senior pursuing majors in history and English and the Student Government Association president. “I have gained many of my opportunities from residential life. While living in the dorms, I met my current best friends and created a home for myself in a place that I thought would never feel like home. A refresh of the dorms is so important for the comfort of our students.”
Investing in the residence halls will enhance student retention, Vickers said. A residence hall is a major component of a traditional student’s collegiate experience, and this campaign will strengthen the bonds students will establish at the university, she said.
Many individuals have already donated to the campaign. Justin Jeffers, a 2004 Tusculum graduate; his father, Richard Jeffers; and his aunt, Sharon Jeffers Hill, have contributed $15,000 for a study room in the Charles Oliver Gray East residence hall. The donation is in honor of Justin Jeffers’ grandmother, Helen Gillespie Jeffers, a 1941 Tusculum graduate, and her sister, Louise Gillespie Seaver, a 1936 Tusculum graduate. Tusculum will hold a ceremony Thursday, July 20, at 3 p.m. to unveil the study room.
“We wanted to do something in memory of my grandmother since she passed away,” Justin Jeffers said. “When we heard about the Dorm Refresh campaign, we saw that as the opportunity we were seeking. Since she was an educator, we thought the study room would be the most appropriate way to incorporate her memory into the campaign. We also knew she would not want to be honored by herself and would prefer that her sister be included as a fellow alumna.”
In addition, Dr. Scott Niswonger, a 1987 Tusculum graduate and a member of the university’s Board of Trustees, as well as a prominent businessman, civic leader and philanthropist, has donated $10,000 to the campaign. It is the latest sizeable donation he has made to Tusculum and aligns with his extensive commitment to education as founder of the Niswonger Foundation.
“This campaign is an excellent initiative because it contributes to the overall learning that takes place in college,” said, Dr. Niswonger, who was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2006 by Tusculum. “The friendships and collaborative atmosphere in residence halls bolster a student’s personal and academic development. I am enthusiastic about the way this campaign will stimulate a fun and inviting environment in the residence halls and help students progress in their studies.”
Student Laikin Smith, left, and Bob Kleinertz, president of the Tusculum Alumni Executive Board, stand on the outside steps of the Charles Oliver Gray East residence hall.
Two alumni have organized a special event to support the campaign and the students. Bob Kleinertz, president of the Alumni Executive Board, and Carol Eggert, both of whom are 1976 graduates, will hold a yard sale from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, July 22, at the university’s Welcome Center, which is across the Erwin Highway from Tusculum Baptist Church. The church is located at 775 Erwin Highway in Tusculum.
All proceeds from the yard sale will benefit Tusculum’s residence halls. Anyone who would like to contribute items to the yard sale can contact Belle Kemp, director of alumni and community engagement, at bkemp@tusculum.edu or 423-636-0565. She will work with interested individuals to set up a date and time for bringing the items to the university.
“We’re proud to assist the students who have followed us at Tusculum, and we wholeheartedly support the Dorm Refresh Campaign,” Kleinertz said. “Alumni have wonderful memories of living on campus and treasure that period in their lives. We want today’s students to have a terrific time as Pioneers, and the updated look through the Dorm Refresh Campaign will be another contributing factor to what makes Tusculum an outstanding university.”
Anyone who is interested in supporting the campaign can donate by visiting www.tusculum.edu/giving. Donors can also mail a check, made payable to Tusculum University, to the Office of Institutional Advancement at P.O. Box 5040, Greeneville, TN, 37745. Please note that the check is for the Dorm Refresh Campaign.
Additional information about the campaign is available at https://site.tusculum.edu/dorm-refresh/. Further detail about Tusculum’s residence halls is accessible at https://site.tusculum.edu/housing-2/. To learn more about the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu.