Discover all the reasons why We Are Pioneers and why you should be a Pioneer, too!
Pioneers are adventurers and trailblazers – we lead by example. Pioneers forge pathways through new frontiers. Pioneers are brave, resilient, and resourceful. We are pioneers.
At Tusculum, you will be challenged to innovate, engage, experiment, and persevere as you discover your own purpose. Along your path, you will be encouraged, empowered, supported, and inspired. It’s the Pioneer way.
Building on a rich Presbyterian heritage and a pioneering spirit, Tusculum University provides an active and experiential education within a caring Christian environment to inspire civic engagement, enrich personal lives, and equip career-ready professionals.
Tusculum University seeks to instill in its graduates a sense of the world in which they live and to develop skills to make sound decisions that are based on the common good.
In short, Tusculum wants to graduate students who not only do well, but do good.
We embrace our founder’s Presbyterian roots and Christian faith. We share the commitment informed by our faith to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. We are inspired by our faith to hear one another by cultivating an atmosphere of open dialogue and free inquiry.
We are the first university in Tennessee, the first university in Tennessee to educate African American students, the first Presbyterian-affiliated institution to admit women, and the first in East Tennessee to offer educational programs for working adults.
We are a family—of students, faculty, staff, and alumni—bound together by our passion for and commitment to fulfilling the mission of Tusculum University. We appreciate and value our diversity, which enriches the Tusculum family. Our culture of inclusion enhances our understanding of each other and the world in which we live.
We seek inspiration from our motto, “Sit Lux,” which translates from Latin to “Let there be light,” and accept the charge to send learned individuals forth to do good works and serve as a light to others.
We prepare graduates that are career ready—PIONEER READY. Tusculum graduates become better equipped to meet the demands of a 21st century workforce, have a better understanding of their careers, are able to collaborate effectively, and exhibit positive work habits.
We aspire to serve as a “beacon” for our region, providing our students and our surrounding community access to exceptional educational and cultural experiences.
We are committed to the success of all students comprising different backgrounds, races, religions, and nationalities. As a member of First-Gen Forward, an initiative of the Center for First-Generation Student Success, we provide robust programs that pave the way for students to progress toward a degree.
We celebrate the distinctiveness of our civic arts tradition and its emphasis on citizens working together to form good societies that in turn nurture individuals of good character.
We are fierce competitors. We prepare student-athletes to become principled leaders who are contributing citizens and champions in life by instilling the highest values of character, integrity, and sportsmanship.
Our Christian heritage and faith compels our lives to action–to making a difference in the world.
Tusculum University provides abundant opportunities for students, faculty and staff to grow in their faith. We offer multiple ministries on campus for Tusculum family members and the community and have connections with area churches that enable students to deepen their faith on and off campus.
Our emphasis on community gives students a personalized education with an emphasis on experiential learning and regular interactions with faculty and staff, both inside and outside of the classroom.
PIONEER READY, Tusculum’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) initiative, connects and strengthens efforts to improve students’ career readiness. Being PIONEER READY not only applies to students, it extends to all members of the Tusculum community.
Once a Pioneer, always a Pioneer. Tusculum’s history embodies the journey of a pioneering spirit and roots that stem from early American frontier history.