By Jon M. Heatherly
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Tennessee Wesleyan College has seen its fair share of record-breaking, and this year has been no different. Only two years following its 150th anniversary, Wesleyan is bulging at the seams because of the immense growth in not only its student body, but in what it offers both the campus and surrounding communities. In fact, TWC is now #34 among Baccalaureate Colleges in the Southeast United States, as ranked among other colleges by the “U.S. News & World Report”. Some of the most notable changes include a boom in student enrollment, increases in available technologies, and stronger efforts in the beautification of the Athens campus.
Central to the expansion of TWC is its record student enrollment. “T-Dub”, as how many students lovingly refer to their campus, has literally ballooned into a student body of 1070, a first in Wesleyan history. Pam K. Davis, Human Resources Director at Tennessee Wesleyan, had this to say:
“Today when you walk on campus, you feel the ‘excitement’ in the air. [That] excitement [stems] from students wanting to be at TWC, from faculty as they help students in their studies, and staff members who are here providing support to everyone.”
Perhaps because of these exciting times, there seems to be a stronger morale among both students and faculty; or maybe it is the other way around. [TWC] “has been discovered”, to quote the words of Dr. Stephen Condon, President of Tennessee Wesleyan. Around the East TN region and beyond, one can recognize the ‘buzz’ that surrounds TWC. From Knoxville to Chattanooga, the beloved alma mater of over 6000 Wesleyan graduates can be seen on billboards, heard on popular radio stations, and discussed among potential students.Also a direct result of Wesleyan’s record enrollment is its expansion of student activities. New interest is being found in student groups – including athletics, the fine arts, student publications, and more. This brings a stronger competition among students and potential students, and higher quality organizations. “T-Dub” is seeing stronger involvement in many student groups. Mike Poe, Men’s basketball and golf coach, commented that, “The growth of the student population”…“has made TWC a popular place to be.”
With a stronger and expanded student body, special efforts have been made by Wesleyan to provide more technology its students. In the classroom, alone, students have access to “SMART rooms” – complete with smart boards and related technologies. This allows students to make full use of software like Microsoft PowerPoint, giving them a resource that allows for a deeper immersion into their respective studies.
Outside the classroom, students have available to them Wi-Fi access in the majority of campus buildings, multiple computer labs, and printers in those computer labs that allows students to print their work at no additional cost. With these strained economic times, every chance a student is given to further employ technology makes Wesleyan more apt to outperformits competition. Technology is and always will be a necessary part of higher education, and TWC is coming up to par with other colleges and universities in the region.
One of the most noticeable aspects of TWC is its push for campus beautification. Some of the most obvious changes in the past few years – as stated by Traci Williams, Registrar and Chief Information Officer – include the following:
“Centennial [Hall] was renovated to become Elliott Hall, Wesley Commons was built”…“and a parking lot was added.”
Employees at Tennessee Wesleyan realize the importance of having a beautiful campus. Ms. Williams had also commented on the scenic Nocatula Gardens – it having become a centerpiece of the Athens Campus.
More closely, the students are realizing the importance of a beautiful campus. For example, Circle K – a student branch of the local Kiwanis Club – has long coordinated a recycling program on campus. This group realizes that there is a heavy consumption of paper products, and their efforts to recycle waste paper assures us that excessive waste does not go unnoticed. This helps to prove the dedication of students to a healthy campus and environment.
The Student Government Association – the administrative body to all student organizations atWesleyan – also intends to do its part in “beautifying” the Athens Campus. This year, the SGA has announced its plans to participate in Tree Campus USA, a program begun by the Arbor Day Foundation. The goal is to be a leader among private liberal arts colleges in the region for this program, making Tennessee Wesleyan one of the first of its kind to adopt it.
Tree Campus USA is a program designed to coordinate efforts between institutes of education and their respective, surrounding communities. The Arbor Day Foundation utilizes this program in a way that provides service-learning opportunities to students and community members, and it furthers efforts to create what it describes as “urban forests”. For more information, visit http://www.arborday.org/.
Tennessee Wesleyan College is truly up and coming as a leader in private, liberal arts colleges. The growth it has seen – due to its all-time high enrollment, available technologies, and campus beauty – assures students and faculty, alike, that they are more than just numbers. The heart of Wesleyan remains unchanged – it being a quality student-oriented institute of higher education. TWC has stood the test of time, and it will only continue to prove itself as time progresses. This gives all a dedication and love towards the valuable treasure of the United Methodist Holston Conference.
