EducAtion

Throughout its history, Tusculum has been affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. First Presbyterian Church in Greeneville serves as Tusculum’s mother church. Students, faculty and staff of all faiths and those with no faith are welcome at Tusculum and receive multiple opportunities to grow spiritually.

The university has watched alumni achieve in their professional careers, as they attain prominent positions such as business owner, principal, doctor, lawyer and city administrator.

Some of the more notable alumni are Dr. Scott Niswonger, co-founder of Landair Services and creator of Forward Air Corp.; Dr. Larry Brotherton, founder of Ortec, a custom chemical manufacturing and research company; and Dr. Judith Domer, a retired higher education professor and administrator. All of them are members of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association Hall of Fame.

Others who have distinguished themselves in recent years include Kyle Cavanaugh, president of administration for the National Basketball Association, and Justin Phillip Reed, recipient of the National Book Award for poetry in 2018.

HELPING STUDENTS ACHIEVE THEIR EDUCATION

A Tusculum education is affordable. Tennessee students who are eligible for a full Pell Grant and qualify for the HOPE scholarship from the state do not pay for their tuition.

More than 90 percent of traditional undergraduate students receive financial aid. Tusculum supports students with abundant resources such as scholarships, grants, loans and work-study programs. The average annual amount a student receives is about $11,600 in institutional scholarships and $15,100 in external scholarships for a total of $26,700. This leaves only an average annual gap in tuition for Greene County students of less than $3,700 for commuters and less than $7,900 for residential students.

The university goes the extra mile with Greene County students with additional financial resources through the POP (Providing for Our Pioneers) scholarship, which helps dose any remaining tuition gap for students. Anyone who is interested in supporting this scholarship or creating one of their own can call the Office of Institutional Advancement at 423-636-7303 or email Kim Kidwell, associate vice president of institutional advancement, at kkidwell@tusculum.edu.

The university supports businesses in multiple ways. For example, employees of businesses who become a corporate partner with Tusculum are eligible for a 10% preferred tuition reduction.

TODAY’S STUDENTS AT TUSCULUM

Students engage in active and experiential learning during their Tusculum studies. Biology and chemistry students have participated since 2018 in research to find a new method to treat cancer and have conducted presentations on the subject at conferences and on campus. Five Tusculum students were selected as Ledford Scholars of the Appalachian College

Association in 2022 and performed stipendfunded research during the summer on varied subjects.

On the graduate level, one class in the Master of Business Administration program is the Comprehensive Business Project in which students study a need facing a company and present solutions. Savings companies have achieved from the results of these projects have ranged from tens of thousands to millions of dollars.

Active and experiential learning has blended with the civic engagement element of Tusculum’s mission in many instances. A group of students in the art and design program worked with their professor to create a custom graphics package for the Ford Mustang in partnership with Lennie Lawson, owner of Gateway Ford and Gateway Nissan in Greeneville.

History students and history and sociology professors have teamed to update a research study from the 1980s on the Horse Creek community of Greene County. Students and professors in the College of Business as well other Pioneers and community volunteers perform free income tax preparation services for individuals in the region.

Serving Students Holistically

As a faith-based institution, the university offers voluntary weekly chapel sessions during the academic year and hosts daily services during Holy Week leading to Easter. Campus ministries such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Breaking Bread are active, and many churches have “adopted” Tusculum’s athletic teams and support them throughout the year. A few churches hold worship services and Bible studies on campus.

Every February, the university holds its Theologian-InResidence series, an opportunity for the Tusculum family and the community to hear in-depth presentations from one or more speakers. A full-time campus minister supports the needs of students, faculty and staff and guides spiritual activities on campus.

The theme for Tusculum’s 2022-23 academic year is “Be the Light,” which comes from Matthew 5:14-16.

A Community Partner

Tusculum’s arts program has been a major connector between the university and the community. Many community members have joined students and staff members in theater productions, and local artists have held shows on campus.

The Tusculum University Community Band and the Tusculum University Community Choir hold regular performances in the Marilyn duBrisk Theatre of Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center.

Tusculum is also home to the Greenevi”e Flyboys of the Appalachian League and hosts the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Baseball World Series every year.

The breadth and depth of activity at Tusculum has a positive effect on the community, as noted in Tusculum’s conservative economic impact analysis. Here are the numbers: