By Richard Edwards
The Daily Post-Athenian

ATHENS, Tenn. – Serving as president at Tennessee Wesleyan College has been a "great experience," President B. James Dawson said.

And with his departure as Wesleyan's president approaching, Dawson hopes his successor will lead the college to an even brighter future. The opening at Wesleyan comes at a time when an incoming president can generate new excitement about the United Methodist Church-related college, Dawson said.

"Ultimately, that's what I want for Tennessee Wesleyan College," Dawson said. "I have a love for this institution and the people who serve it. I want the next president to come in and be the best ever."

Dawson announced in March he's leaving Wesleyan to become the president at Coker College, a private school in Hartsville, S.C. He'll take over the presidency of the South Carolina college July 1.

Although he's in the final few weeks of his seven-year tenure at Wesleyan, Dawson continues to be interested in the college's well-being. That includes supporting the Annual Fund campaign, which officially began April 15 with a goal of $315,000.

"The number one need for all institutions like this, and especially Tennessee Wesleyan College, is unyielding support of alumni, friends and the community to help provide the resources necessary to make the college an insti- tution that prospers in the next century and a half," Dawson said.

Dr. Shelley Griffith, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Board member Robbie Ensminger are leading the Annual Fund campaign, Dawson said. The official campaign kickoff happened in April.

Wesleyan's needs are ongoing, he said, with the greatest being scholarship assistance for students. Donations help underwrite those scholarships. Another ongoing need is the identification and recruiting of faculty and staff members, which also requires financial support.

"What has happened over the course of the last few years is Tennessee Wesleyan College has enjoyed growth in enrollment and that has necessitated additional faculty and staff," Dawson said. "The marketplace has become much more competitive for talented individuals."

Raising money is a necessity for private colleges, which don't receive financial support from tax dollars. During Wesleyan's homecoming last October, the college celebrated the success of a $10 million capital campaign, led by Regenia Mayfield.

Dawson said the campaign's success "felt very good" and one of the best projects was the renovation of Banfield- Durham Hall.

"That is one of the older buildings on campus and represents the classic architecture of the college," he said.

While building renovations draw the public's attention, though, Dawson said some of his proudest moments have been the accomplishments made by the college's students.

"That's really what Tennessee Wesleyan College is all about," he said. "There are few institutions where the president daily interacts with the students. That is what has made this a delightful opportunity."

Dawson said another opportunity he's enjoyed is the community support shown toward him and his wife, Karen. "That, too, is somewhat unusual," he said. "Sometimes there is a strain between what we call the town and gown relationship. And that is not the case here."

Despite the warm feelings he holds toward Athens, Dawson said he decided to explore other career options and that led to his appointment as the new president at Coker College.

"You come to a point in your career when you have to make difficult decisions regarding your future," he said. "Mine was driven by age more than anything else."

The average tenure of a president at a private college is less than seven years, Dawson said. Realistically, he said, he believes a president should be able to effectively serve a college for seven to 10 years.

At age 57, if he was going to move to another institution, it was time to do so. In looking at other possibilities, Dawson said the criteria included going to a college where he would be able to interact with the students as he's been able to at Wesleyan.

"Coker College was that kind of institution," he said.

Dawson added he's had experience at large institutions as well as schools like Wesleyan. He said he can say without hesitation that students receive more attention and have a greater opportunity to develop at schools such as TWC. Besides student accomplishments and facility improvements, Dawson said he believes one of the most important accomplishments that occurred during the past seven years was the reaffirmation of TWC's status as an accredited school by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

There are areas, however, where he would have liked to have seen greater progress.

One of those is the college's endowment. While the endowment has grown from around $3.2 million to approximately $8.5 million, he said it still needs to be larger.

"I would like to see that continue to grow," he said. "And we have not been able to increase salaries to the level the faculty deserves."

Still, Dawson believes Wesleyan has become stronger over the past seven years. "The endowment has grown, the enrollment has grown and the net worth of the institution has almost doubled," he said. Dawson presided over commencement exercises for the final time at Wesleyan on May 11.

Reprinted with permission, The Daily Post-Athenian.

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