TWC plans to have its 21st president in place in time for the start of the 2011-2012 academic year
A search committee for TWC's next president – consisting of members of the college's Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and student body, as well as members of the Athens community – recently set a timeline for the selection process after officially opening the call for candidates.
"For over 150 years, Tennessee Wesleyan College has maintained a tradition of providing and fostering an academic community that prepares students for the challenges of an ever-changing global community while also remaining committed to the needs of the local community. Our next president must be able to not only continue that tradition, but advance it," said Joel Riley, chairman of TWC's presidential search committee. "Our next leader must be a person of energy and integrity with a diplomatic management style and pro-student approach – all necessary traits for the good of this school and the community."
Resumes will be accepted now through Friday, Jan. 14, 2011. Following that date, the committee will evaluate the candidates, weighing them against the needs of the school and community. The top five candidates will be interviewed by the committee in early March. That pool will then be narrowed to three finalists who will be brought to campus for a series of interviews and meetings with members of both the TWC and Athens communities.
The selection of Tennessee Wesleyan's next president is expected to take place in late April.
The position became available following the resignation of former president Dr. Steve Condon earlier this year.
Long-time TWC administrator, faculty member and coach Stan Harrison is currently serving as the college's interim president. A highly respected member of the Athens community, Harrison most recently served as vice president of enrollment services, overseeing two consecutive years of record-setting student enrollment in 2008 and 2009.
TWC sets enrollment record
The official enrollment numbers are in and Tennessee Wesleyan College has set yet another record. The official head count is 1103 students, with 830 full-time students in Athens and 130 full-time nurses in Knoxville. In addition to those 960 full-time students, Tennessee Wesleyan has 143 part-time students distributed among the Athens Day, Athens Evening and Knoxville Evening programs.
“I am very proud of the work done by all of the faculty and staff as we continue to grow our numbers,” said Stan Harrison, interim president. “The statistic most important to us was the 5 percent increase in freshmen retention this year as opposed to last, which is fully attributable to our faculty and staff who work so hard to make the educational experience at TWC a positive one.”
This is the fourth consecutive year the College has set a new enrollment record. Tennessee Wesleyan saw record-setting numbers in fall 2009 with 1,070 students and during that year, the faculty and staff focused on retention efforts for the College. Retention will continue to be a focus in the 2010-2011 academic year.
Tennessee Wesleyan College, founded in Athens, Tenn., in 1857, is a four-year liberal arts institution affiliated with the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church. The College’s dedicated faculty and staff believe in providing the resources and support students need to become socially responsible, intellectually skilled and spiritually developed members of our community. For additional information about Tennessee Wesleyan College, visit www.twcnet.edu, become a TWC fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TWCnews.
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