Twenty-one years ago, Tusculum College took a pioneering step to meet the educational needs of adult learners, and the results of those efforts can be seen today in the activity at the college's Knoxville Regional Center.

The Graduate and Professional Studies program for working adults has grown to include bachelor and master degree programs in Education and Organizational Management. One of its busiest class sites is the Knoxville Regional Center on Centerpoint Boulevard at the intersection of Lovell Road and Pellissippi Parkway.

Growth in enrollment has been complemented with expanded student support services designed specifically for working adults, as well as additional faculty positions. In the fall of 2005, a Director of Adult Career Advancement Services and Community Relations and a Director of the Adult Learning Development Center will be housed at the Knoxville location, as well as a number of additional support positions to offer extended hours of operation. Five full-time faculty positions have also been added to ensure academic rigor. Additional space for 8 classrooms, 4 learning team rooms, and a student lounge area will open in June at the new Knoxville Regional Center Annex in Centerpoint Plaza.

The Graduate and Professional Studies program has gained a solid reputation for high academic standards and a practical focus of study for application professionally. At the core of the program are the degree programs, which currently serve about 1,500 working adult students who range from individuals with little or no college experience to those wishing to pursue graduate studies.

The Knoxville Regional Center served as the launching site for the newest of the degree programs, a Bachelor of Arts degree in education (K-6 teacher licensure), which will also be offered in Sevierville, Morristown, Greeneville, and Tri-Cities this fall. In this program, students have the opportunity to attend classes on Friday nights and Saturdays on an accelerated schedule designed to accommodate the many responsibilities and time demands of working adults. The program focuses heavily on practical application of teaching concepts in the classroom setting. The new delivery format allows adult learners to complete the required 67 semester hours in the 16 major and professional education courses in approximately 18 months. In 2005-2006, sequences of courses leading to add-on endorsements in special education, early childhood, and other approved specialty areas will be offered.

The program shares the same innovative framework as Tusculum's other successful programs for working adults. Students take one course at a time, immersing themselves in that subject. A cohort group of approximately 15 students follow the course schedule together. With this design class members not only provide support to each other academically, but also form lasting friendships.

For those who want to pursue more in-depth studies on a graduate level, Tusculum offers masters degrees in organizational management and in education. In addition to the Master of Arts in Organizational Management, students have the option of choosing one of three concentrations in the Education program - K-12 Education, Human Resource Development, and Organizational Training and Education.

The bachelor's degree program in Organizational Management also gives students an option of concentrations - Human Resource Management or Marketing. In 2005-2006, an additional concentration in Health Administration is planned.

Tusculum also offers the Gateway program, providing students a way to earn course credits if they have not had the opportunity to attend college or have some course credits but not enough to meet the general education requirements.

The Knoxville Regional Center, which opened in 2002, has provided an opportunity for the college to extend its service to businesses and other organizations not only through educational programs but also by making the facility available for others' use for training, meeting, or special events. Tusculum's Professional Development Institute began as a suggestion by professors to meet a community need for employee training and development, and now provides specialized workshops, courses, consulting, and customized educational services to businesses, educational professionals, and non-profit organizations.

The Graduate and Professional Studies degree programs offered from Sevierville south to Chattanooga are coordinated by the Knoxville Regional Center. Courses for working adults are also offered in Morristown, Gray, and the college's main campus in Greeneville.

The main campus in Greeneville is the location of the college's academic program for traditional-aged college students. This program shares the same characteristics as the program for working adults - small classes with individual attention from professors, an academic calendar based on one course at a time, and a commitment to the development of strong citizenship qualities in students. About 30 majors are offered in the traditional-age program, from specialized areas such as athletic training, business administration, and museum studies, to strong arts and sciences areas such as biology, English, and psychology as well as an effective education program.

For more information about Tusculum College's Graduate and Professional Studies program or other educational services at the Knoxville Center, please call (865) 693-1177 or 1-800-729-0116. For more information about Tusculum's traditional-aged college program, please call 1-800-729-0256.

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