{"id":32795,"date":"2026-08-19T16:52:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T20:52:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/?p=32795"},"modified":"2026-08-19T16:52:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T20:52:28","slug":"academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/","title":{"rendered":"Academic year underway at Tusculum for students shaped by the experience and preparation the university provides"},"content":{"rendered":"

GREENEVILLE<\/strong> \u2013 Enthusiasm is high at Tusculum University<\/a> with the start of classes for the academic year following an energetic three-day program that supported new students making their transition to college or a new higher education institution.<\/h3>\n
\"Malachi

Malachi Monroe, a new student, stands in his residence hall room after moving in his belongings.<\/p><\/div>\n

Fall semester classes began Monday, Aug. 17, for all traditional and online undergraduate students and those enrolled in master\u2019s programs. Most of the students who live on campus moved into the residence halls in the four days preceding the start of classes, but some of them arrived earlier because they are also athletes who play on one of Tusculum\u2019s teams<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are delighted to have the academic year under way,\u201d said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum\u2019s president. \u201cIt is always exciting to see our traditional students on campus, and we thoroughly enjoy connecting with our online students and those and in our graduate programs. Tusculum enriches personal lives through our active and experiential approach to education, and we look forward to helping our students achieve their academic and professional goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pioneer WOW<\/strong><\/p>\n

To help prepare our new traditional students \u2013 whether they are freshmen or transfers \u2013 Tusculum holds Pioneer WOW<\/a>, an acronym for Welcome Orientation Week. This traditional event occurred Thursday through Saturday before classes started this year with a number of activities designed to help new students become acclimated. Activities included a variety of games in which the students engaged in friendly competition as teams as well as an opportunity to make tie-dye shirts and enjoy free floats.<\/p>\n

Students also became more connected with Tusculum\u2019s commitment to civic engagement by completing an afternoon of service work. Additionally, they learned more about the multitude of resources available to them, such as the Office of Student Affairs<\/a>, The Thomas J. Garland Library<\/a>, the Center for Academic Success and Tutoring and the Office of Campus Safety.<\/p>\n

Local churches helped support the students by providing them a delicious lunch on move-in day and sharing how they can help these Pioneers deepen their spiritual lives.<\/p>\n

Perspective of new students<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kyliaunna Seaton, a freshman majoring in history education<\/a>, will be a commuter student since she lives close to campus. She has been associated with Tusculum since sixth grade as a participant in Educational Talent Search<\/a>, a program serving disadvantaged students with a number of programs that have a goal of leading participants to go to college. She said attending Tusculum has been her objective.<\/p>\n

\"Jayla

Jayla Werts created a tie-dye shirt during Pioneer WOW.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Students

Students perform work at Holston Home for Children during Freshman Day of Service.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always been my dream school,\u201d she said. \u201cI just like how close-knit everything is. At a bigger college, you don\u2019t get as familiar with as many people, but at a smaller college, you can know your professors, know the staff and everybody else, feel welcome and be more than just a number. You\u2019re an actual person.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to her studies, Seaton will be a thrower on the track and field<\/a> team. She enjoyed the opportunity to make some new friends at Pioneer WOW.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so excited,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m the type of person who loves coming to school, so I\u2019m thrilled to start my classes. I\u2019m also looking forward to track season starting up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Corey Robinson is a freshman from Detroit who will seek a bachelor\u2019s degree in sport management<\/a>. He will play basketball<\/a> in addition to his coursework.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my college experience, I want to cherish that moment,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are a lot of nice people and cool staff like my guy, Chuck, it\u2019s just a great environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chuck is Chuck Sutton, Tusculum\u2019s vice president of student affairs and retention. Sutton and his team in Student Affairs organize and run Pioneer WOW, and they are key players in checking on the well-being of Pioneers throughout the year.<\/p>\n

Robinson said Pioneer WOW enabled him to meet and know other people and be in front of people. He also relished that the university was welcoming him to the university. The beginning get-together for all of the new students was fun for Robinson as students spun around a bat, shot a basketball and then dribbled the ball to half court to pick up a bean bag.<\/p>\n

Kenzie Federico, another freshman, is pursuing a bachelor\u2019s in political science<\/a> pre-law with plans of becoming a lawyer. She comes to Tusculum from Denver and will play on Tusculum\u2019s beach volleyball<\/a> team. She really likes the campus and has enjoyed meeting her teammates, many of whom come from other countries.<\/p>\n

During Pioneer WOW, she met Dr. Jason DeVaux, assistant professor of political science, who will teach most of her classes in that field, as well as a statistics professor at the university. She said Pioneer WOW was beneficial.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been helpful learning about the resources here because there is a lot, like counseling and tutoring,\u201d Federico said. \u201cI learned where all my classes are, so I\u2019m not really nervous for anything. I\u2019m really excited to be playing beach volleyball, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lukas

Lukas Hoyle enjoys a float during Pioneer WOW.<\/p><\/div>\n

Lukas Hoyle comes to Tusculum as a transfer student after previously studying in Ohio. He is from Limestone and enrolled at Tusculum to complete his bachelor\u2019s in psychology<\/a> with ambitions to be a counselor, potentially in social services. He likes how organized and maintained Tusculum is and the campus\u2019 beauty.<\/p>\n

Prior to starting college, Hoyle worked a number of blue-collar jobs, but the physical nature of those jobs helped him decide that was not the best long-term path for him.<\/p>\n

Hoyle enjoyed the group activities and information that Pioneer WOW provided. He noted there is a lot of information students have to know about attending the university and that Tusculum provided it for everyone who attended Pioneer WOW. He was happy he had the chance to speak with his academic advisor, Dr. Adam Denton, who is an assistant professor of psychology.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I have everything in place that I need to have in place to be able to achieve,\u201d Hoyle said.<\/p>\n

Prior to the start of Pioneer WOW, Student Support Services<\/a> at Tusculum conducted the Cornerstone program. This program assists students who have been accepted into Tusculum but would benefit from additional preparation before the start of classes. Twenty-two students successfully participated in Cornerstone, which included further work in English<\/a> and mathematics<\/a> and important information about college life.<\/p>\n

Beginning of classes<\/strong><\/p>\n

The start of classes has begun in many standard ways, including professors detailing how the fall semester will go by reviewing the syllabi with their students. Faculty members are giving students a chance to meet each other further and to start collaborating on items.<\/p>\n

Soon, students will be highly engaged in their coursework, tackling research projects and working on other assignments that will position them for the next phase in their lives.<\/p>\n

\"Students

Students work on a project in a sales course on the opening day of classes.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Students

Students introduce themselves to each other in an English class.<\/p><\/div>\n

Emelia Eneme, a sophomore who is also majoring in psychology, said she was extremely happy to come back to Tusculum. After two weeks away during the summer break, she was ready to return to campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never had friends like these before,\u201d Eneme said. \u201cThe university is small but in a good way. I like the fact that it\u2019s not too big. I know most of the new students already, and they\u2019ve barely been here a week. I like that. The staff is also very friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, Eneme is thankful for her professors, who she considers understanding. She said they are helpful in being available to her if she needs to see them to discuss her school work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are grateful for all of our faculty and staff members, who are focused on helping students achieve their calling and purpose,\u201d Sutton said. \u201cThrough our caring Christian environment, we view the education of our students through a holistic lens. Pioneer WOW helps ease the potential nervousness of going to college, and the one-on-one attention we provide students helps them successfully navigate their studies and life on their way to a degree. We are one as the Tusculum family.\u201d<\/p>\n

More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GREENEVILLE<\/strong> \u2013 Enthusiasm is high at Tusculum University<\/a> with the start of classes for the academic year following an energetic three-day program that supported new students making their transition to college or a new higher education institution.<\/h3>\n

Fall semester classes began Monday, Aug. 17, for all traditional and online undergraduate students and those enrolled in master\u2019s programs. Most of the students who live on campus moved into the residence halls in the four days preceding the start of classes, but some of them arrived earlier because they are also athletes who play on one of Tusculum\u2019s teams<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are delighted to have the academic year under way,\u201d said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum\u2019s president. \u201cIt is always exciting to see our traditional students on campus, and we thoroughly enjoy connecting with our online students and those and in our graduate programs. Tusculum enriches personal lives through our active and experiential approach to education, and we look forward to helping our students achieve their academic and professional goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the full article…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[131,91,7,19,142,169,146,1,6,148,147,149,172],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nAcademic year underway at Tusculum for students shaped by the experience and preparation the university provides :: Tusculum University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Academic year underway at Tusculum for students shaped by the experience and preparation the university provides :: Tusculum University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"GREENEVILLE \u2013 Enthusiasm is high at Tusculum University with the start of classes for the academic year following an energetic three-day program that supported new students making their transition to college or a new higher education institution. Fall semester classes began Monday, Aug. 17, for all traditional and online undergraduate students and those enrolled in master\u2019s programs. Most of the students who live on campus moved into the residence halls in the four days preceding the start of classes, but some of them arrived earlier because they are also athletes who play on one of Tusculum\u2019s teams. \u201cWe are delighted to have the academic year under way,\u201d said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum\u2019s president. \u201cIt is always exciting to see our traditional students on campus, and we thoroughly enjoy connecting with our online students and those and in our graduate programs. Tusculum enriches personal lives through our active and experiential approach to education, and we look forward to helping our students achieve their academic and professional goals.\u201d Read the full article...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY NEWS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-19T20:52:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/Tusculum-1-300x292.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jim Wozniak\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jim Wozniak\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/\",\"name\":\"Academic year underway at Tusculum for students shaped by the experience and preparation the university provides :: Tusculum University\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-19T20:52:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-19T20:52:28+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/21b61c94e78ce303ab780be8b1e62dd7\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"News and Information\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Academic year underway at Tusculum for students shaped by the experience and preparation the university provides\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/\",\"name\":\"TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY NEWS\",\"description\":\"News for Alumni, Parents and Friends\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/21b61c94e78ce303ab780be8b1e62dd7\",\"name\":\"Jim Wozniak\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d61ad3ea2d16960d99f5aea77c2329e?s=96&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d61ad3ea2d16960d99f5aea77c2329e?s=96&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jim Wozniak\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/author\/jwozniaktusculum-edu\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Academic year underway at Tusculum for students shaped by the experience and preparation the university provides :: Tusculum University","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Academic year underway at Tusculum for students shaped by the experience and preparation the university provides :: Tusculum University","og_description":"GREENEVILLE \u2013 Enthusiasm is high at Tusculum University with the start of classes for the academic year following an energetic three-day program that supported new students making their transition to college or a new higher education institution. Fall semester classes began Monday, Aug. 17, for all traditional and online undergraduate students and those enrolled in master\u2019s programs. Most of the students who live on campus moved into the residence halls in the four days preceding the start of classes, but some of them arrived earlier because they are also athletes who play on one of Tusculum\u2019s teams. \u201cWe are delighted to have the academic year under way,\u201d said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum\u2019s president. \u201cIt is always exciting to see our traditional students on campus, and we thoroughly enjoy connecting with our online students and those and in our graduate programs. Tusculum enriches personal lives through our active and experiential approach to education, and we look forward to helping our students achieve their academic and professional goals.\u201d Read the full article...","og_url":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/","og_site_name":"TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY NEWS","article_published_time":"2026-08-19T20:52:28+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/Tusculum-1-300x292.jpg"}],"author":"Jim Wozniak","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jim Wozniak","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/","url":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/","name":"Academic year underway at Tusculum for students shaped by the experience and preparation the university provides :: Tusculum University","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-08-19T20:52:28+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-19T20:52:28+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/21b61c94e78ce303ab780be8b1e62dd7"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2026\/academic-year-underway-at-tusculum-for-students-shaped-by-the-experience-and-preparation-the-university-provides\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News and Information","item":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Academic year underway at Tusculum for students shaped by the experience and preparation the university provides"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/","name":"TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY NEWS","description":"News for Alumni, Parents and Friends","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/21b61c94e78ce303ab780be8b1e62dd7","name":"Jim Wozniak","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d61ad3ea2d16960d99f5aea77c2329e?s=96&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4d61ad3ea2d16960d99f5aea77c2329e?s=96&r=g","caption":"Jim Wozniak"},"url":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/author\/jwozniaktusculum-edu\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32795"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32795"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32802,"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32795\/revisions\/32802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}