University Updates

A YEAR UNLIKE ANY OTHER

By now, you’ve heard enough about it. COVID-19 has changed so many aspects of our lives, and higher education is certainly no exception.

At Tennessee Wesleyan, like many institutions, classes were moved to a fully online format in March 2020 as the virus made its initial wave. Faculty were given two days to make the transition, and students were encouraged, when possible, to work from home the remainder of the semester. Students living on campus were allowed to remain there, and the food service staff worked tirelessly to provide meals, aided over the summer by local churches and organizations.

The decision was made during the summer to bring students back to campus in August, with a host of precautions in place to provide the safest experience possible. Classrooms were outfitted with distanced desks, sanitizer, and have been cared for with new powerful BioProtect cleaner. Every building was outfitted with iWave systems in the HVAC, proven to kill the COVID-19 virus. Students have been required to wear masks inside buildings and asked to socially distance whenever possible. The Student Life office has diligently tracked contact between students.

These represent just a portion of the many precautions taken to ensure safe academic development for our students. In large part, the students, faculty, and staff of Tennessee Wesleyan have answered the call, and the campus had success in keeping our doors open throughout the Fall 2020 semester.

We continue to pray for a quick resolution to the COVID-19 virus, and hope that we will be able to return to the full University experience our students expect.

RECORD ENROLLMENT

Tennessee Wesleyan University welcomed a record number of students in the fall, with a total enrollment of 1,168. Fall 2020 marks the second consecutive year of record enrollment for TWU, following a total headcount of 1,142 back in 2019.

“We are very pleased that we have another record year of enrollment,” said TWU President Dr. Harley Knowles. “It is a credit to our new and returning students who had faith in us and chose to attend despite concerns about the pandemic. Our students have told us over and over that they are drawn to our campus community because it is a place where they feel safe, supported, and academically challenged.”

2020 class are strong retention numbers, both overall and from last year’s freshman class. TWU shattered previous retention records, with 81.4% of students returning across the board, both undergraduate and graduate. 77% of fall 2019 freshmen returned, breaking the previous record of 70%, also set in fall 2019.

TREE CAMPUS USA

TWU was selected once again for the Tree Campus USA designation, the eighth consecutive year the Athens campus has received the recognition.

“As a campus, TWU takes great pride in providing a beautiful environment for our students to enjoy, while preserving many historic landmarks on campus, including our beautiful trees,” said President Dr. Harley Knowles.

US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT

The 2020 fall edition of the US News and World Report Best Colleges Rankings again ranked TWU, naming the University No.23 in the Regional Colleges South category, No.17 in Best Value Schools South, and No.43 in Top Performers on Social Mobility. “The value of a Tennessee Wesleyan education, as well as our commitment to underserved populations are both points of emphasis on our campus, and will continue to be,” added Dr. Knowles. “This fall, 39% of our students are first-generation college students, which frequently includes underserved populations. While we’re pleased with the rankings, we believe they will only get better in the years to come.”

MERIT SCHOLARSHIP INCREASES, CELEBRATE MCMINN ADDED

TWU announced increases to all merit scholarships, effective in the fall 2021 semester. All incoming freshman and transfer awards were raised $2,000, along with the addition of the new Neff Award, two “last dollar” tuition scholarships. The Neff Awards will take all aid into consideration and add whatever amount needed to give the recipient a full tuition benefit.

Additionally, the unique Celebrate McMinn scholarships were established. The awards will be given to a group of students entering TWU from McMinn County and McMinn Central high schools. The awards, roughly $50,000 total, will be given as 10 housing grants for students coming to live on campus, 10 $2,000 scholarships, and 10 $1,000 scholarships. These awards will be given at an event in 2021, COVID pending, where applicants will come to campus and be interviewed by faculty and current students.