Tennessee Wesleyan University

Since 1857, Tennessee Wesleyan University has been providing quality Christian education to students in Athens, Tennessee. They boast an 11:1 student to faculty ratio and an 87% job placement rate within 6 months of graduation. For students who don’t want to stray far from home, TWU is a great option for a local education.

Tennessee Wesleyan’s New President

On July 1, Tennessee Wesleyan University hired a new president—Dr. Tyler Forrest who was previously the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration for UT Chattanooga. Dr. Forrest is an Athens native, and he graduated from McMinn County High School. He has big shoes to fill, following

previous president Dr. Harley Knowles, but Dr. Forrest is up for the challenge.

He described the past several months at TWU as “one of the greatest experiences of [his] professional life.” He explained that TWU touches a lot of areas beyond just Athens and McMinn County—from Polk, Bradley, and Hamilton Counties in the South; Monroe County in the East; Meigs County in the West; to Loudon, Knox, and Blount Counties in the North.

Dr. Forrest said, “We really do touch the region, which is one of the most exciting things for me because I’ve always been a proponent of rural America and pushing rural growth.” Dr. Forrest has a wife, Emily, and two children, Caroline and Benjamin, and he’s glad to be living and working in his hometown.

“I’ve always been an Athens guy,” he said. “The Athens community is a great place to be—there’s a lot going on here, it’s a wonderful place to raise a family, it has a terrific school system, and I do think having Tennessee Wesleyan University right in the middle of it is probably one of the biggest pluses that we have… What we can do for the local economy and the region is something we really do focus on every day.”

One of his former colleagues at UT Chattanooga said, “This is a bittersweet transition at UTC because we are all so proud of Dr. Forrest and grateful for what he has meant to this institution. He has not only been an extremely effective leader but a friend, and he is a model of what our institution represents… This is a wonderful opportunity for TWU and the Forrests, and we wish them the very best.” Dr. Forrest has a Ph.D. in Learning and Leadership, an MBA, and a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Tennessee Wesleyan’s Nursing Department In Athens and Farragut

Tennessee Wesleyan University has many wonderful programs including their nursing department. They also have a nursing campus in West Knoxville.

TWU is in the process of rolling out an expedited program starting next fall which will give students the option of earning their degree in just three years instead of four. Nursing is a difficult job, but with shortages across the country, they’re needed now more than ever.

New Graduate Programs

TWU also plans to launch new graduate programs in the near future— a Master of Science in Education, a Master of Science in Project Management, and a Master of Science in Sports Leadership.

Tennessee Wesleyan’s Dental Hygiene Program

TWU’s Dental Hygiene program is designed to give students an entry-level bachelor of science in dental hygiene. The Class of 2021 boasted a 100% pass rate on the clinical and written board exams. Dr. Forrest described it as, “one of our most successful programs.”

The men’s lacrosse team, ranked No. 7 in the NAIA, went on the road for the first time this season. The schedule took the Bulldogs on the road to face the Point University Skyhawks in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) game

The baseball team, ranked No. 3 in the NAIA, closed the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) series against the Columbia International University Rams.

TWU SPORTS

If you love sports, you’ll be excited to know that TWU has 20 sports teams! The Bulldogs are competitive too, garnering multiple conference and national championships in men’s and women’s sports. In fact, two baseball players signed major league contracts in 2022 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Several sports are included in the top ten national rankings including Softball, Baseball, and Men’s and Women’s Tennis. In March, 2023, Paige Manney won the NAIA National Championship in the Triple Jump and earned All-American honors in other track events.