TWC ARCHES Spring 2013

Moving Forward
A message from the President
Dear TWC Family and Friends,
Over the last 18 months, we have been working diligently to plan for the next phase
of growth and improvement at the college. Like many of the various organizations you
are involved in, Tennessee Wesleyan does not have the luxury to sit still during this
phase of transformation in the higher education landscape. Changing demographics,
increased competition and the promise of technology are ushering in major changes
in higher education. Thankfully we are well poised to begin a new era of achievement
which will expand our impact to a greater number and a greater diversity of students.
A dedicated group of faculty, staff and trustees have developed a vision that has been
embraced by the college, which affirms our commitment to become recognized as an
“exemplary model of a comprehensive church-related institution that is centered in
faith and reason that inspires and prepares students to become servant leaders in their
community and our world.”
The centerpiece of our future plans to attain this vision is the development of new
academic programs that prepare students to lead and serve through their professions.
I am proud of our faculty and their recent work to offer several new undergraduate
programs such as legal studies, forensics, fine arts and gender studies. As you may have heard, we are now offering our first graduate
degree in the field of education. In the next year, we will be announcing plans to launch several other graduate degrees in business,
criminal justice and nursing. All of these new offerings will allow us to have a broader reach and greater impact.
In addition to new graduate programs, Tennessee Wesleyan is leveraging the use of technology to bring more convenience to
students through our interim-session online courses and our fully online degree completion program in nursing. While technology
can never replace the campus experience, it can help us educate older students as well as other non-traditional students who are
geographically remote from our campuses in Athens and Knoxville.
While the college prepares for new graduate degrees and technologies for online learning, Tennessee Wesleyan has also renewed its
commitment to being a faith-centered academic environment. We have recently appointed Stan Harrison as the new administrative
director of the Center for Christian Education and Outreach. Stan has served this institution for more than 30 years in both athletics
and academics and he will now lead our effort to develop programs that will provide online and on-grounds training to lay church
professionals throughout the region with the assistance of our Chaplain, Dr. Chris Dover, and our religion faculty.
Our ambitious plans for Tennessee Wesleyan’s future will honor our proud heritage and chart a course to ensure we remain vital
and continue to serve this region and beyond. With your faithful support in the years ahead, we will ensure that our efforts come to
fruition and we will continue to learn, serve, lead…and believe.
In your service,
Harley Knowles, Ed.D
President