“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14 (ESV)
TWU Family - These are unprecedented times…perhaps you’ve heard that in the last week. We’re reminded in these times, however, the power of our people, our churches, universities, schools, and more to unify and bring light to darkness.
In our recent history we have not seen a situation quite like this one. While every corner of the nation, and particularly every industry, has scrambled to continue to operate in the safest way possible, education has been at the forefront of creative problem solving.
The first question of any university, after we’ve settled how to keep our students safe, is how do we continue to learn? Thanks to the tireless work of those in the academic and information technology offices on campus, Tennessee Wesleyan quickly developed creative solutions to continue the learning process for our students all over the world.
But while it is one thing to find learning solutions, how does a school like TWU, which prides itself on caring for the student in every aspect of their lives, continue to serve our students and community remotely?
To put it another way, how do we navigate staying well, not just from COVID-19, but spiritually, academically, emotionally, and more?
Tennessee Wesleyan continues to provide services to our students, both those who stayed on our campus, as well as those who chose to go home all across the world.
Housing: While some students can easily hop in the car and head home in a situation like this one, it is not the case for everyone. For some a job requires them to stay in Athens, or the uncertainty of international travel. For others, maybe home doesn’t provide the infrastructure needed to complete online classes. For those and a variety of other reasons, TWU will continue to keep our residence halls open, to serve the students who still need a home during COVID-19.
Dining Services: So students are staying on campus, great! Now how do they continue to eat? Enter Aramark, our dining service provider. With additional precautions in place, and on a slightly altered schedule, students, faculty, staff and community are still able to eat in our dining hall and at Burkett’s Restaurant.
Chapel: While we pride ourselves on our student’s educational experience, what about their spiritual experience? While many churches are cancelling services out of caution, students who attend our weekly Chapel services also miss the connection through worship and teaching from our campus chaplain. Rev. Skip White is addressing this issue by posting weekly chapel services online, to help our students continue to grow spiritually, even when isolated.
Student Success: Much the way faculty have made the transition online, so has the Mosher Success Center. Success Coaches are ready to use a variety of digital tools to ensure the students who need extra assistance still have it.
Love Thy Neighbor: Service is a central tenet at TWU. How do we continue to serve our Athens community when we’re practicing social distancing? Enter Love Thy Neighbor. Our food pantry is open and going strong for students and the community. TWU staff have stepped up to fill the void of student volunteers and will be filling orders and stocking shelves to help meet the needs of our community.
Commencement: Perhaps forgotten in the urgency of this transition is the graduating seniors, who will miss their opportunity to walk the campus on beautiful spring days, reflecting with personal pride on their years at TWU. We will have commencement. We are still scheduled for May 9, but that could change. Any firm decision will be made in enough time for our families to make appropriate travel plans. Regardless of the date, we are committed to celebrating this graduating class.
Tennessee Wesleyan is a proud member our community. Not just Athens or McMinn County, or the country, but with our brothers and sisters in the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church, and ultimately as members of the Body of Christ.
We are committed to, together with our community, being the “city on the hill,” shining light in the darkness and serving as best as we can.
Dean Mashburn
Also...just a reminder, if you have any questions, remember to visit the TWU COVID-19 webpage. We're updating the information every day to best answer your questions!
