Advancement News and Updates

ADVANCEMENT Updates

You may have noticed our letters and mailings continuing to arrive; however, recently we have been focusing on funding sources for specific projects on campus.

TENNESSEE WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

The Tennessee Wesleyan University Leadership Academy (TWULA) launched in Fall 2020 and was supported by initial gifts from the Holston Foundation and the Broad Street UMC Endowment Fund to provide student scholarships. TWULA was established as an intentional training program to develop student leaders in occupational and vocational ministry. Students participating in TWULA gain valuable leadership skills through workshops and are better prepared to serve congregations. The program enlists these students in local churches through areas such as accounting, marketing, youth programming, and worship team. The training our students receive will help strengthen congregations for generations to come. THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

Amid the pandemic, the Love Thy Neighbor Project at TWU has needed more assistance than ever to feed the children, individuals, and families that it serves. In 2020, the Love Thy Neighbor Project was blessed to receive support from the Athens Federal Foundation, Neighbor to Neighbor Disaster Relief Fund through the East Tennessee Foundation, Walmart of Athens, Mayfield Dairy Farms, Piggly Wiggly of Etowah, and No Child Goes Hungry. Read more about Love Thy Neighbor Project on page 17.

SAY CHEESE: HOW INTRAORAL CAMERAS ENHANCE PATIENT EDUCATION

The TWU Dental Hygiene program was awarded a $5,000 gift through the 2020 Mars Wrigley Foundation Healthier Smiles Grant Program, an outreach-based partnership between the American Dental Hygiene Association (ADHA) and the Mars Wrigley Foundation. This gift allowed our Dental Hygiene program to purchase and add intraoral cameras to each patient operatory. The cameras allow students to take photographs inside patients’ mouths, and then share the images with them. Images are also stored on the patients’ electronic health records so that progress can be shown on follow-up visits. This implementation is elevating our students’ oral hygiene education, as well as patient education. These effective and personalized visual aids allow TWU to better convey the oral health status of each patient, as well as to demonstrate proper hygiene practices.

HEALTHIER SMILES THROUGH THE DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM

An incredibly ardent supporter of TWU, most recently the George R. Johnson Family Foundation graciously gave two gifts totaling $275,000 to the TWU Dental Hygiene Program. A majority of the money will facilitate the clinic’s expansion by five patient operatories, along with necessary radiography and sterilization equipment. This expansion will not only allow the program to treat more patients in our area, but also prepare more students for careers in Dental Hygiene. These gifts are also facilitating the purchase of simulation equipment for students to hone their skills and increase confidence, which will provide more proficient care to patients in the clinic. Additionally, a portion of these funds have been allocated to establish an endowed scholarship, to benefit Dental Hygiene students.

COVID-19 RELATED EXPENSES AND FUNDING

As COVID-19 began spreading nationally, TWU acted quickly to research and implement technologies to facilitate the safest environment for students and employees. TWU was awarded two grants from the Coronavirus Relief Fund through the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) and the State of Tennessee, totaling nearly $270,000. These grants helped TWU implement a variety of changes, including the integration of additional technology to allow for remote learning, as well as increased cleaning and sanitization processes. The funds obtained allowed TWU to purchase iWave air purification devices, which have been installed in all campus buildings; upgraded Microsoft licenses that allowed the University to quickly implement a virtual learning format beginning in March 2020; a new position, IT Support Assistant, to assist with the increase in technology questions; the installation of glass dividers for instructor desks within the Dental Hygiene Clinic; several no-contact thermometer stations throughout high traffic areas of campus; extended hours for the Student Health Center; and provided free COVID-19 rapid testing to students, faculty, and staff

Other provisions made possible through these grants allowed the University to significantly prevent the potential spread of the virus. A new sanitization product, BioProtect, has a 60-day effectiveness and is now applied monthly campus wide. As another safety precaution, TWU invested in UV lights which are also utilized campus wide to sanitize surfaces. Throughout Fall 2020, cases on campus remained significantly lower than our peer institutions and courses continued with little interruption.

ILLUMINATING THE LITE HOUSE: SPARK AND THE LITE INSTITUTE

Thanks to the C. Scott and Muriel Mayfield Family Foundation, the LITE House received program support for SPARK, a summer camp focused on entrepreneurship and basic business principles geared toward middle school students, and the LITE Institute, a program focused on entrepreneurship and community development for high school sophomores and juniors in the McMinn County School District.

ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION AND EDUCATION AT KILBRIDE NATURE SANCTUARY

The Pete and Sally Smith Foundation continued their program support with a $60,000 gift to the Kilbride Nature Sanctuary in 2020, making them a significant supporter for six consecutive years. MORE THAN MONEY: GIFTS-IN-KIND

In 2020, Genera, Inc., an energy company focusing on sustainable utilization of agricultural materials, improved the TWU Department of Natural Sciences by giving surplus equipment from their laboratory. The equipment, which included two incubators and a muffle furnace, will be utilized for instructional support as students pursue their education and prepare for their future careers.

If you would like more information or to support any campus initiatives, please contact the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs at 423-746-5330 or scan the QR code. QR codes, like the one below this text, provide a connection from a smart phone or tablet. Open the camera app on your device, hover the camera over the code, and a link to TWU’s mobile giving page will automatically open on your phone.