 |
|
|
|
|
Rah, Rah, Rah
Money may be tight this fall, but Holston colleges are finding other reasons to celebrate. Announcing: a 168-acre land purchase, a $1.8 million technology grant, and two presidential inaugurations.
EMORY & HENRY: Land purchase gives school ‘room to dream’
By E&H Public Relations
EMORY, Va.– The purchase of 168 acres of land has doubled the size of the Emory & Henry campus, giving the college “more room to dream”as it plans for the future.
The new land encompasses most of the area surrounding Exit 26 on Interstate 81 and adjoins the original 165-acre campus on its southern border.
“This is a very significant event in the history of the college, perhaps the most significant land purchase since the college was founded,” said E&H spokesman Dirk Moore. “Through this purchase we will be able to preserve the beauty and the history of this campus while acquiring significantly more room to dream for our future.”
The college has no immediate plans for the additional property, which currently is used as farmland. Moore said the college will reexamine its comprehensive plan in light of the land purchase.
The land was purchased from descendants of the late John A. Blakemore, a onceprominent figure in Washington County and the Emory community. Blakemore, the father of six, was a graduate of Emory & Henry. Three of his children – Mary Blakemore Johnston, Marty Blakemore McCrary, and Sarah Blakemore Drummond – also attended Emory & Henry.
Over a three-year period, President Morris talked with the family members about the purchase. The family and the college shared a common interest in preserving and developing the property in a manner consistent with the rural setting of the campus and the nearby Blakemore house.
“We believe this new land will contribute not only to our environment, but also to the long-term prosperity of the college and the community around us,” Morris said. “We are thankful to have had the opportunity and the resources to take this important step for the future of the institution.”
TWC & Hiwassee: New presidents installed during inaugural events
From press releases
Two of the conference’s three colleges will inaugurate new presidents during ceremonies falling within days of each other in October.
Thomas Armstrong, 19th president of Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens, will be installed Saturday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m. James Noseworthy, 21st president of Hiwassee College in Madisonville, Tenn., will be installed on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 10 a.m.
Armstrong has served as Tennessee Wesleyan president since January 2003, while Noseworthy has led Hiwassee since February 2003. Combined with other college events, the inaugural ceremonies are official acknowledgements of new leadership.
At Tennessee Wesleyan, the inaugural theme is “Celebrating a Spirit of Unity: Tennessee Wesleyan College and Athens.” Most of the college-sponsored activities in the inaugural calendar will be free and open to the public, spokespersons said.
Tennessee Wesleyan’s inaugural activities include a Celia Whitler concert on Sept. 30, the Wesley Institute’s “Wesley & the Poor” seminar Oct. 6-8, and a “Downtown Fiesta” Oct. 11.
Inaugural day, Oct. 18, begins with an “Athletic Hall of Fame Breakfast” at 8 a.m. in Sherman Dining Hall, followed by the inaugural procession at 9:45 a.m. at McMinn County Courthouse. The presidential installation begins at 10 a.m. in Townsend Auditorium, with the address delivered by Rep. Kay Granger of Texas.
At Hiwassee, Noseworthy’s inauguration is a three-week celebration beginning with a community concert at 7 p.m., Oct. 21, at Butcher Auditorium of the Barker Learning Center. Featured performers include Noseworthy’s daughter, Miss Nebraska 2003 Jane Noseworthy, Doug Richesin of Sweetwater, and instrumental group 3MB.
Inaugural day, Oct. 22, begins at 10 a.m. in Buckner Memorial Hall. The address will be presented by the Rev. Roger Ireson, founding president of the International Association of Methodist-Related Schools, Colleges and Universities.
Tennessee Wesleyan’s full calendar of events is available at www.twcnet.edu/celebration or contact the office of institutional advancement at (423) 746-5210.
To attend Hiwassee’s inaugural events or for more information, call (423) 420-1225.
HIWASSEE COLLEGE: Technology grant expected to ‘transform’ campus
By Kristi Cain
Hiwassee Public Relations
MADISONVILLE, Tenn. – The U.S. Department of Education notified Hiwassee College that it will be awarded a five-year $1.8 million federal grant to upgrade technological resources at the college and strengthen academic programs.
“The significance of this award to the college is monumental,” said Hiwassee College President James Noseworthy. “Over the next five years, students, faculty and visitors will see the entire campus transformed by state-of-the-art technology.”
The $1.8 million award will be funded by a five-year “individual development grant” established under the Higher Education Act of 1965. Hiwassee College was one of 74 out of 307 applicants awarded funding under this grant.
Over the five-year period, about $1.2 million of the award money will be used to integrate technology resources with academic programs, including the installation of a wireless network with enhanced Internet access, construction of eight technology-enhanced (or “smart”) classrooms, a new faculty information technology (IT) lab with multimedia equipment, upgraded science equipment and technology for laboratories, laptops for all college faculty, six multimedia carts for classroom usage, faculty training programs, and technical support.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Education is providing $356,000 in dollar-for-dollar matching endowment funds. This will have a lasting impact on growth in college enrollment and endowment levels. (To make a contribution to Hiwassee's endowment, call the Office of Institutional Advancement at 423-420-1222.)
“Students are the primary focus of this grant,” said Charlie Robbins, Hiwassee director of institutional research and soon-to-be grant coordinator, who led the grant application process. “The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of the learning process through enhanced interaction with faculty.”
One of the biggest components of the grant will be the installation of a wireless network in all dormitories, classrooms and administrative buildings. This technology allows users to connect to network and Internet resources from anywhere on campus, without ever having to use an outlet. The grant will provide Hiwassee students and faculty with the necessary hardware to access this system.
Integrated with faculty technology programs and Internet faculty resources, the wireless network will enable students to e-mail professors, review videos of classroom lectures or go over lecture notes online whenever and wherever they choose.
“This means that a Hiwassee student could go down to the student center with his or her notebook computer, pick up some lunch, sit down at any table and check on his or her class assignments,” said Paul Barker, Hiwassee assistant professor of computer science and computer center director.
Once the grant activities are completed, Barker said the day-to-day academic environment of the college both in and out of the classroom will be transformed.
“By the end of the five-year period, professors will be able to prepare instructional technology ahead of time, such as PowerPoint presentations, videos, a video conference, or a Web site visit,” said Barker. “Then, they'll be able to walk out of their office with their laptops, go into the classroom and deliver a technology-enhanced lecture using a multimedia projector. Afterwards, they can make that same PowerPoint presentation or video available on the Web for students to review after class.”
Barker said there is no end to the ways this technology will help students and faculty expand opportunities for learning and personal interaction. “Students that miss class due to illness or schedule conflicts with athletic tournaments or creative performances can have 24-hour access to their lecture notes and course assignments. Foreign language professors can videotape pronunciations and science professors can record live experiments and demonstrations.”
To see this vision to its fruition, the college has mapped out a five-year timeline for the implementation of the grant.
The first year's priority is to provide all of the faculty with new laptops, establish wireless access in three dormitories, begin installation of the faculty IT lab, begin upgrading science laboratories, fully upgrade the business computer lab and begin developing faculty training programs.
In 2004-2005, wireless networking will be installed in all classrooms and administrative buildings, the IT lab will be completed, a faculty resource Web site will be developed, 20 percent of faculty will have begun technology training and two classrooms will begin to transition into “smart” classrooms.
top |
|
|
Bishop's Perspective
Cover Story
Faith Explosion
and
New Executive Assistant to Bishop
Rah, rah, rah
About Alzheimer's
District Roundup
National & World News
Back to The Call Home Page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
