Tusculum University launches new dorm refresh campaign

A $110,000 campaign at Tusculum University in Tennessee has begun with the goal of creating a comfortable and enjoyable living space on campus for students who are taking part in the traditional residential living experience. The new dorms will have an updated look and feel.

The school’s Dorm Refresh Campaign is an opportunity for the community to help Tusculum provide residence halls for students that enhance the experiential and active learning environment they have come to expect from the school.

The campaign will fund such items as enhanced lighting and fresh paint, as well as replacement ceiling fans, flooring, and furniture. The Dorm Refresh will go into effect in residence halls throughout Tusculum, and the university is looking to have some of the first wave of projects furnished by the beginning of the fall semester next month.

In an article posted on Tusculum University’s website, the school’s president Dr. Scott Hummel was quoted about the importance of residential life, saying, “Residential life at Tusculum is an enriching part of the university experience. Within the residential halls, memories are made and life-long friendships are formed. The shared experience connects current students to generations of alumni who have lived there before. We are grateful for those who are supporting our students by refreshing the dorms to provide them with a great learning and living environment.”

Student leaders and alumni of Tusculum have turned out in favor of the campaign. Maggie Vickers, a senior double majoring in English and History, who also serves as the Student Government Association president, was quoted as saying, “In the fall, I will have lived in every space that a female student can reside on campus, and each dorm has its own unique environment. I have gained many of my opportunities from residential life. While living in the dorms, I met my current best friends and created a home for myself in a place that I thought would never feel like home. A refresh of the dorms is so important for the comfort of our students.”

Vickers speculated that the investment in residence halls will enhance student retention, as a residence hall is one of the major components of a traditional student’s experience at college. She noted that the campaign can be expected to strengthen the bond between the university and its students.

The campaign has already been supported by a number of individuals just as 2004 Tusculum graduate Justin Jeffers, his father Richard Jeffers, and his aunt, Sharon Jeffers Hill, gave a total of $15,000 to be used for a study room in the Charles Oliver Gray East residence hall. This donation comes as an honor of the grandmother of Justin Jeffers, Helen Gillespie Jeffers, who graduated from Tusculum in 1941, and her sister Louise Gillespie Seaver, who graduated from Tusculum in 1936. There will be a ceremony to unveil the study room on July 20 at 3 p.m.

Justin Jeffers was quoted about the donation as saying, “We wanted to do something in memory of my grandmother since she passed away. When we heard about the Dorm Refresh campaign, we saw that as the opportunity we were seeking. Since she was an educator, we thought the study room would be the most appropriate way to incorporate her memory into the campaign. We also knew she would not want to be honored by herself and would prefer that her sister be included as a fellow alumna.”

Another notable donation comes from 1987 Tusculum graduate Dr. Scott Niswonger, who is a member of the university’s Board of Trustees as well as a civic leader, philanthropist, prominent businessman, and 2006 recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the school. He has donated $10,000 to the campaign, which is the latest large donation he has made to the school and is in line with his long standing commitment to education as the founder of the Niswonger Foundation.

He spoke of his support for the campaign, saying, “This campaign is an excellent initiative because it contributes to the overall learning that takes place in college. The friendships and collaborative atmosphere in residence halls bolster a student’s personal and academic development. I am enthusiastic about the way this campaign will stimulate a fun and inviting environment in the residence halls and help students progress in their studies.”

Two other alumni of Tusculum, Carol Eggert, and president of the Alumni Executive Board Bob Kleinertz, both coming out of the class of 1976, will hold a yard sale to benefit the campaign on July 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the school’s welcome center across the Erwin Highway from Tusculum Baptist Church.

All the money made at the yard sale will go toward the university’s residence halls. The yard sale is open to members of the public who would like to contribute items. More information about getting involved can be obtained by contacting director of alumni and community engagement Belle Kemp by email at bkemp@tusculum.edu, or by phone at 423-636-0565. Kemp will work with those interested to set up a date and time to bring yard sale items to the university.

Kleinertz talked about getting involved with the campaign, saying, “We’re proud to assist the students who have followed us at Tusculum, and we wholeheartedly support the Dorm Refresh Campaign. Alumni have wonderful memories of living on campus and treasure that period in their lives. We want today’s students to have a terrific time as Pioneers, and the updated look through the Dorm Refresh Campaign will be another contributing factor to what makes Tusculum an outstanding university.”

Anyone who is interested in making a donation to support the campaign can do so online on the school's Giving page. The school is also accepting checks, which can be made out to Tusculum University to the Office of Institutional Advancement at P.O. Box 5040, Greenville, TN, 37745. Be sure to make a note on the check that it is for the Dorm Refresh Campaign.

More information about the Dorm Refresh campaign can be found on the campaign's page, and more information about Tusculum University can be found at the school’s website.