The program will provide students 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. Approximately 15 students start in one cohort group and take classes together throughout the 18-month Professional Licensure Sequence. The program focuses heavily on practical application of teaching concepts in the classroom setting.

The teacher licensure program will be offered in August at the Tri-Cities site at the Bailey Computing Technologies building in Boone's Creek near Exit 38 of I-26; in Greeneville in September on the main campus, and in October in Morristown at the Morristown Center in the Medical Arts Building at 420 W. Morris Blvd. In addition to these three Northeast Tennessee locations where Tusculum's Graduate and Professional Studies program serves working adults, the program will also be offered in Sevierville at Walters State Community College in July of 2005 and in Vonore at Cleveland State's Tellico Education Center in January of 2006. The program will continue to be offered in Knoxville both on weekends for working adults and on weekdays for those who prefer attending class two days during the week.

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. Sharing the same innovative framework as Tusculum's other successful programs for working adults, students in the new program will take one course at a time in a collaborative atmosphere open to adult learning styles.

Instructors in the program are qualified professionals who are current in the field of education and experts in the practical application of concepts. Many are now teaching or have recently taught in public schools. Both faculty members and full-time professional education advisors provide academic advising services for students enrolled in the program.

Students who may lack the general education credits required for the program may earn them through Tusculum's Gateway program, testing, or a prior learning portfolio. The Gateway program provides students an opportunity to take courses in such disciplines as English, science, mathematics, computer literacy, social science, health, and the humanities to meet the general education requirements in the accelerated schedule format.

Individuals who have already completed a bachelor's degree who wish to add the teaching licensure to that degree may do so through this program, but must meet all applicable requirements regarding admission to the program, required coursework, and admission to student teaching.

In 2005-2006, course work leading to an add-on endorsement in special education will be delivered through Graduate and Professional Studies on weekends. In addition, workshops will be conducted by the Professional Development Institute to provide opportunities for career development in education. The next workshop, "Recent Developments in School Law for Administrators", will be presented in Knoxville on May 4 and in Morristown on May 5, 2005 by Dr. Robert Smith, attorney and former Coordinator of Legal Affairs in Hamilton County Schools.

In addition to the new bachelor of arts degree program in education, Tusculum's Graduate and Professional Studies program offers a bachelor of science degree program in organizational management with optional concentrations in human resource management and marketing. The program also offers master of arts degrees in organizational management and also in education with hree concentration options - K-12, organizational training and education, and human resource development.

nformation sessions for the new teacher licensure program will be conducted to present program information and answer questions for prospective students as follows: Greeneville: April 30 on the main campus in Niswonger Commons, Morristown Center: May 14, and Tri-Cities: May 21 at Bailey Computing Technologies. All sessions begin at 10:00 AM. For more information, please contact either the Greeneville campus at 1-888-488-7285 or (423) 636-7330; the Morristown Center at (423) 581-5002; the Tri-Cities Center at (423) 283-0071, or the Knoxville Regional Center at 1-800-729-0116.

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