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College moves forward with new academic programsThe Board of Trustees of Tusculum College hasconceptually approved three new academic programs,including a master’s degree program in businessadministration and undergraduate programs in nursing andcriminal justice.The new programs were recommended to the Board ofTrustees after the completion of faculty-led comprehensivefeasibility studies. The programs were deemed to alignwell with the civic arts/community service portion ofTusculum’s mission and core values and to have strongpotential for the recruitment of new students to the Collegein the social/behavioral and natural sciences.The proposed degree programs are contingent uponthe approval of the Southern Association of Colleges andSchools Commission on Colleges and upon approval of theTennessee Board of Nursing for nursing.The Master of Business Administration will bea transition from the existing Master of Arts inOrganizational Management. Based on the feasibilitystudy, projected employment for students with the MBAcredential is positive, and Tusculum’s graduate businessfaculty members are well poised with experience,resources and organizational capacity to transition theMAOM into a MBA.The feasibility study for the nursing program showeda number of local and national factors support the valueof the College providing undergraduate students theopportunity to complete an undergraduate nursing degreeeither as first-time freshmen or as registered nursesseeking to complete a bachelor’s degree. Prospectivestudent data collected via Tusculum’s Office of EnrollmentManagement documents that the number of studentsconsidering the College who are also seeking nursing havetripled since 2009.In preparation for beginning the nursing program thisfall, Dr. Lois L. Ewen has been named the College’s deanof nursing.“This is a major step forward for Tusculum College andthe nursing program, and we are thrilled that we are ableto engage Dr. Ewen as our Dean of Nursing at TusculumCollege, as she brings all the skills, talent and heart thatwill be necessary to build a program that will impact somany lives for many years to come,” said Dr. Nancy B.Moody, president of Tusculum College.Dr. Ewen comes to Tusculum from Capital RegionalMedical Center in Tallahassee, Fla., where she servedas director of education. She has more than 12 yearsof academic dean’s experience at her three previousinstitutions and has extensive experience working withfaculty and students.The criminal justice undergraduate program will be an15addition to the School of Arts and Sciences. This majorprovides students the opportunity to enter a variety ofgovernment, security and justice-related occupations.The feasibility study revealed that prospective studentinterest in the major has been steady over the last few years,and state employment trends indicate sustained employmentopportunity for those seeking work in policing, correctionsand other security/justice-related positions.“A great deal of thought and effort has been putinto creating these new programs by our faculty andadministration,” said Moody. “We are committed toincreasing academic options for students, while continuingto support the programs already in place.”Local hospitals sign agreementsto support nursing programLaughlin and Takoma hospitals signed clinicalaffiliation agreements on January 19 to serve aseducational sites for the new nursing program.“Tusculum College is dedicated to meeting this needin our area, and we are proud to move forward on thiseffort with community partners such as Laughlin andTakoma hospitals, which are critical to our success,”said Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of the college.Chuck Whitfield, president of Laughlin Hospital, andDaniel Wolcott, president of Takoma, both commentedon their commitment to the College’s nursing programand to excellence in health care for Greene County andthe region.The clinical agreements with the hospitals outline themutual benefits of the provision of clinical experiencefor students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science inNursing program at Tusculum.Dan Wolcott, president of Takoma, Dr. Nancy B. Moody,president of Tusculum College, and Chuck Whitfield,president of Laughlin Memorial Hospital, (from left)sign clinical agreements for the new nursing program.