Alumni & Friends Quarterly Newsletter FALL 2007 Volume 2 / No. 1

INSIDE: Hardy takes ‘Best Supporting Actor’ award at film festival

Educating tomorrow’s leaders for tomorrow’s chal lenges .

Happy Birthday, Dr. Rudy! - The Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing will mark Dr. Jeanette Rudy’s 80th Birthday with a celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 24. Contact Carol Ann Evans at 615.547.1215 or at cevans@cumberland.edu for more details.

NONPROFITORG.

US POSTAGEPAID

PERMIT #48

FRANKLIN, TN

Office of Advancement introduces The Phoenix Society, recognizes donorsAt Cumberland University, we are grateful for the

generosity of our benefactors. Many have shown extraordinary commitment to the goals of the University, earning a place on our 2007 Donor Honor Roll.

This year, the University’s Office of Advancement is pleased to introduce The Phoenix Society -- a multi-level giving club that recognizes annual support to the institution. Plans are now underway to update and include our lifetime giving societies under The Phoenix Society umbrella in the coming year.

This honor roll recognizes contributors of cash, stock, or gifts of property from June 1, 2006 through May 31, 2007. The University wishes to thank the following alumni, friends, corporations, and foundations for their generous support.

Every gift to Cumberland is valued; however, we are only able to list those donors with contributions totaling $1,000 or more in this publication. Donors with gift levels below this amount are recognized on the Cumberland University website at http://www.cumberland.edu/alumni/HonorRoll.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. However, in the event of an error or omission, please contact Joyce Alcorn at 615.547.1235 or jalcorn@cumberland.edu.

Chairman $25,000+

Alma and Fannie Mae Baird FoundationDr. Robert Carver BoneBryant Broadcasting -- Music City TV 66Mr. and Mrs. C. Edward CallisEstate of Blanche Paty CatronMr. Everett G. DyeDynamic Logic SystemsGE FoundationMr. and Mrs. William D. HeydelLettie Pate Whitehead FoundationMr. Ronald N. MagruderThe Memorial FoundationDr. Jeanette Cantrell RudyTom James CompanyUniversity Medical CenterMrs. Sandra WelbornSean Putman Memorial Scholarship FundMr. David K. Wilson*

Trustee $10,000 - $24,999

Adams Family FoundationAFLAC WorldwideMr. and Mrs. Charles BellMr. and Mrs. Winstead P. Bone, IIICommunity Progress Committee, Inc.CBRL Group FoundationCustom PackagingDr. Ray FarleyGeorgia and Bert Haywood TrustMr. and Mrs. Edward A. Labry, IIIMr. and Mrs. Jim K. LancasterMr. T.C. LeaDr. and Mrs. Garvin S. MaffettPrecision Rubber Products FoundationSodexhoToshiba AmericaUMC Volunteer AuxiliaryMr. Harry G. Vickers

President $5,000 - $9,999Colonel and Mrs. Bernie S. BassBellSouthMs. Suanne BoneLebanon Breakfast Rotary ClubDr. Lloyd CaudillMr. Bascom Cooksey*Ms. Sandra Moss DuncanMr. and Mrs. Joseph Gray

Mrs. B.B. GullettMr. and Mrs. Kenneth J. HawkinsMr. and Mrs. John HaywoodHirt Realty, LLCDr. Klaus KallenburgerKappa Sigma Endowment FundMr. and Mrs. Julius C. Siegrist, Jr.Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, Inc.STM Master Seal, Inc.Tennessee OrthopedicsDr. and Mrs. Edward L. ThackstonUnited Auto Workers -- General MotorsMr. and Mrs. J. Roy Wauford, Jr.Wilson Bank & TrustWilson County Motors

President (cont.)

Dean $1,000 - $4,999American Business Women’s Assoc. -- Hermitage ChapterMr. Robert W. AgeeAlpha Delta Kappa SororityAlpha Omicron Pi FoundationAmSouth BankAnna Laura Dement Scholarship FundMr. Solon Clive AppleJames Bass Family TrustMs. Betty L. BastinBeasley Construction CompanyRay Bell Construction CompanyBlue Cross Blue Shield of TennesseeBluegrass Baptist ChurchBob Parks RealtyMr. Robert Lynn BogleRepresentative and Mrs. S. Stratton BoneDr. and Mrs. James C. BradshawDr. and Mrs. Stanley K. BradyCarriage House RealtyCedarStone BankCircuit City FoundationThe Honorable and Mrs. Robert N. ClementMr. and Mrs. Randall ClemonsDr. and Mrs. H. Bert CobleMr. and Mrs. Eddie Ray ConradMr. Billy Banks CottonCox’s Gifts & JewelryDellMr. Dayne DudleyMr. and Mrs. Sid DurhamEarl Swensson & Associates, Inc.Dr. and Mrs. Harvill C. EatonDr. Marie E. FarleyFirst Freedom BankFirst Tennessee BankFive Oaks Golf & Country ClubLt. Gen. Eugene P. Forrester (Ret.)Hunters Point Golf CourseGallatin High SchoolMrs. Gladys GarrettMrs. Mildred GastonGenesco, Inc.Mr. Donald David GilbertMs. Sandy GriffeyMr. James C. HaileyHartmann LuggageMr. and Mrs. J. Samuel HatcherMrs. Carrie HatfieldHowell McQuain StrategiesHR StaffingImmanuel Baptist ChurchJohnson & JohnsonMrs. Melissa L. JohnsonDr. Charles R. Kaelin

Dean (cont.)Mr. and Mrs. Tab KirklandKyle W. Kiihnl Memorial Scholarship FundLebanon All-Sports Booster Club, Inc.Lebanon Business & Professional WomenThe Lebanon DemocratDr. Dwayne E. LettLochinvar CorporationLynch Tree ServiceMr. H. Lee MartinMcKenzie Faith FoundationMr. and Mrs. Francis MoscardelliMt. Juliet Rotary ClubNashville Co-OpMr. Jay O’LearyMr. and Mrs. Al L. ParteeMr. and Mrs. Eddie PawlawskiPerformance Food Group/Kenneth O. Lester CompanyPerma-Pipe, Inc.Drs. Anita and Wilbur “Pete” PetersonPFC Management, Inc.PFP, LLCPhilip Morris USAMr. Eric PirtleMr. Dudley PorterMr. and Mrs. Troy PutmanR & R Calendar, Inc.Richard Siegel FoundationMr. Knox RidleyRiver RadiologyRobert Bosch CorporationRobert E. & Jenny D. Kirkland FoundationShankle-Lind, LLCSherlock’s Book Emporium & CuriositiesMs. Jenny ShumateSignature Jewelers, Inc.Skyline Medical Center AuxiliaryMrs. Carmine Swingley SmithMr. Willard Max SmithSaint Thomas Health ServicesMs. Frances R. StegallDr. Paul C. Stumb, IVMs. Debra TaylorMrs. Dixie Taylor-HuffTennessee Association of BroadcastersTennessee Elks Benevolent TrustTennessee Grocers Education FoundationTennessee School Plant Mgmt. AssociationTennessee Teen Court Program, Inc.Tennessee Titans FoundationDr. and Mrs. Roy C. TerryThackston Family FoundationThe Bootstraps Foundation of the Kiwanis Club of Nashville, Inc.THW Insurance ServicesUPS FoundationWachovia FoundationWhite Thompson, LLCWilson County Board of EducationWilson County Chamber of CommerceWilson County Education AssociationWilson County, TennesseeWinfrey’s Rone JewelryWomen’s Health CenterYear Round Garden Club, Lebanon

Cumberland University thanks you for your generous support!

New travel program key to ‘academic distinctiveness’With an overwhelmingly successful tour of Italy

under its belt and an educational tour of the British Isles in the offing, Cumberland University is well on its way to establishing a global learning program that will ultimately benefit the entire CU community.

For everyone from alumni and friends to students, faculty and staff, the University’s foray into national and international travel will soon emerge as a key component of Cumberland’s “academic distinctiveness,” President Harvill C. Eaton said recently.

“We thoroughly enjoyed this summer’s trip to Italy and, of course, we’re looking forward to joining two outstanding members of the English faculty on next year’s tour of the British Isles,” Eaton said. “But, these two trips only represent the beginning of a program that will continue to evolve. We want to become a truly dependable resource for those interested in studying abroad or for those simply seeking a unique and educational travel experience in a friendly group setting.”

Along with fellow CU English professor Dr. Laura Redmond, Dr. Michael Rex will serve as a host of the 2008 Alumni & Friends Tour, which will wind across Scotland and England and offer countless thought-provoking tales.

Rex, an expert in 16th, 17th and 18th century

British literature and culture, joined the Cumberland University English Department in the fall of 2006. In just one year, he has become known for his engaging lectures on topics ranging from Shakespeare and King Arthur to fantasy and science fiction.

Frequently, Rex urges students to go beyond the content offered in class and to explore issues involving art, history, politics, music, technology and their own experiences.

Experiences abroad, he said, are an incredibly important part of higher education today, which was why he seized the opportunity to host and help plan the 2008 CU Alumni & Friends Tour -- Literature & Legends of the British Isles.

“I remember the first time I was in London, and we went to see the Crowned Jewels at the Tower. There I stood, just an inch of bullet-proof glass between me and the crown that sat on the head of Elizabeth Tudor -- the crown that Oliver Cromwell didn’t dare destroy -- the crown that had to be specially padded so that Victoria could wear it when she was crowned at age 18,” Rex recalled. “I remember walking to the place where Anne Boylen, Lady Jane Grey and the Earl of Essex were all executed.

“I remember standing in the British Museum, looking at the manuscript of Beowulf, knowing that someone 1,400 years ago thought his story was important enough to write down. It made me feel connected to the poem. It made me want to write something like that, something that would last,” he added.

And, with a new opportunity to once again visit the United Kingdom, Rex explained he hopes to share new experience with fellow travelers.

“(I want) to be able to stand in Westminster Abbey, where every monarch since William the Conqueror has been crowned, to breath the air, to know that all the people that we read about walked and lived and loved right where we will be walking. I want to be like Emma Thompson, who traveled to Bath to channel the spirit of Jane Austen as she wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for Sense and Sensibility,” he said. “I want to stand on Hadrian’s Wall and look out at the Romans’ futile attempt to keep back the hordes of blue and green painted Picts by building a wall across the entire island. (I want) to lay flowers on the tombs of William Shakespeare and Aphra Behn -- then I can die a happy man.”

And while Rex and his fellow travelers will have the chance to do all that and more, Eaton noted the new travel initiative will include more international experiences as well as travel options for those who wish to remain a bit closer to home -- for both students and alumni.

“In its earliest days, Cumberland University excelled because it was able to prepare students for the new frontier, the American West,” Eaton explained. “In order to meet that same challenge today, we must prepare them for the global business place by equipping them with the proper technology and by providing them with a perspective that can only be achieved by studying abroad.”

Preliminary discussions have already begun regarding a planned 2009 trip to China for Cumberland University and, Eaton added, the travel program is envisioned to offer three travel experiences per year by 2010.

Some of those trips will be simple day trips, such as the recent Cumberland University alumni trip to the Georgia Aquarium. Others, he explained, will provide Cumberland faculty, staff, students and alumni the opportunity to travel across North America as well as international destinations such as Italy and the United Kingdom.

“When all is said and done, we will see this program develop into a special benefit for alumni and friends, but we will also use it to build the foundation of a true study abroad program for our students and faculty,” Eaton remarked. “That global perspective, that new view of the world that can only be obtained by going to new places and experiencing new things, that immersion into a new culture and a new way of life -- that is going to be a key part of our ongoing efforts to bring academic distinctiveness to our programs here at Cumberland University.”

For more information on Cumberland’s 2008 Tour of Scotland and England, please contact Breanne Kintz at 615.547.1269 or at bkintz@cumberland.edu.

*deceased

When Jeremy Hardy walked across the stage and accepted a bachelor’s degree in theatre this spring, odds are he didn’t expect to be recognized as a “Best Supporting Actor” within just a few, short months.

Thanks to the rise of internet video sites such as YouTube and Google Video, however, the once-reluctant thespian was recently presented with such an award for his work with Nashville’s 48-Hour Film Project.

The brainchild of Washington, D.C. filmmakers Mark Ruppert and Liz Langston, the 48-Hour Film Project was established in 2001. The event challenges filmmakers across the country to produce a short film -- from concept to finished product -- over the course of a weekend. This year, the 48-Hour Film Project visited more than 50 cities across the United States.

Hardy joined a team formed by Nashville filmmaker Matt Barker and writer Dusty Gillespie and, over the course of a weekend in July, the team of filmmakers and actors completed a film entitled, “Independence.”

And while some might consider such a project almost insurmountable, Hardy revelled in the experience.

“It was so much fun. It was actually one of the most fun things I’ve ever done,” Hardy said.

Still, Hardy admitted he would never have caught the “acting bug” had it not been for his time as a student on the Cumberland University campus.

In fact, Hardy said he only developed an interest in theatre after being recruited by Laura Marsh (2004). Marsh has since gone on to receive rave reviews for her recent performances with Nashville-based Groundworks Theatre.

“Laura was really the one who convinced me to give it a shot,” Hardy recalled. “After my first show, I was hooked. I ended up performing in more than a half-dozen shows a member of the Phoenix Players.”

By the time Hardy graduated, he said he felt he was well-prepared for a career in acting, crediting

Cumberland University Professor of Theatre Dr. Larry T. Menefee (affectionately referred to by the Phoenix Players simply as “Doc”) with helping him hone his skills on the stage of the June & Bill Heydel Fine Arts Center.

“Doc really prepared me. You just don’t learn acting from books alone,” Hardy said. “You can read all you want, but you don’t know the half of it until you get up there and do it.”

At the outset of the 48-Hour Film Project, Hardy’s team was given a set of guidelines for their film.

“It had to be a holiday movie. We had to use some type of car part for a prop, and we had to include a character named Steve Fogerty,” he explained.

As work on the film progressed, Hardy found himself in the company of another Cumberland

graduate, Michelle Rice Evans (2006).Evans, who was active in both music and the arts

as a CU student, most recently appeared in the video for “Proud of the House We Built,” by country music superstars Brooks & Dunn. In “Independence,” Evans plays the role of the lead character’s ex-girlfriend.

The film tells the story of Patrick Fogarty and the efforts of his friends and family to save him from alcoholism.

For a seven-minute film, it made for a powerful and emotional topic. Hardy said the director felt the film should take on a more serious tone, as opposed to some of the more light-hearted concepts that emerged during the team’s initial brainstorming sessions.

In all, “Independence” would prove to be one of 47 films in Nashville’s 48-Hour Film Project. A special awards ceremony was held at the Belcourt Theater on August 10, and Hardy said he was astonished to learn he’d been named “Best Supporting Actor.”

“My first reaction, to tell the truth, was ‘Huh?’ I just couldn’t believe it,” he laughed.

To watch Hardy’s award-winning performance in “Independence” on the Cumberland University website, visit www.cumberland.edu/independence_movie.

Dear friends,

On a recent Friday afternoon, I walked out of my office to find a lady in the hallway. She was admiring a painting of one of Cumberland’s more recent presidents. I introduced myself and asked if I might help her.

She identified herself as Gloria Stratton Carus, a resident of Wilmington, North Carolina who was in Tennessee to visit her brother. She went further, noting that it was her first visit to Cumberland and inquiring as to whether she might

invite her brother, her husband and a friend to see the paintings. I welcomed them and invited them to my office. As our conversation progressed, I learned why they were visiting. To my amazement, she and her brother were direct descendants of Cumberland’s first president, Dr. Franceway Rene Cossitt. A New Hampshire native, he led Cumberland University through its first years and helped establish its reputation as the South’s finest school.

What an honor for the University’s 25th president to meet the family of the first! I take this opportunity to thank Dr. Cossitt’s family for visiting with me. I also thank Mr. Franceway Cossitt Stratton III for inviting my wife, Lois, and me to his home in Ashland City. What a delightful afternoon!

There is an important message for us all in their visit and their hospitality.

Few schools have the legacy of Cumberland. This University has witnessed many students emerge from unsuspecting places only to rise to positions that enabled them to improve the lives of many. Like Cordell Hull, who came to Cumberland so young and without fanfare, there are students at Cumberland today who will, in their own way, change the world. President Cossitt was the first to give. You can be the next.

Would you change a life and make it special? Would you make a gift that can shape a student who may change the world? If so, call or write me. I’d love to shake your hand and express my gratitude.

Sincerely,

Harvill C. Eaton, Ph.D.President

A Message From The President

Hardy named ‘Best Supporting Actor’ at film festival

Professors join Harvard higher education seminar to advance Cumberland’s ongoing pursuit of academic excellence

Among higher education leaders across the nation, renewed interest and attention to higher performance assessment has taken on increased importance in recent months.

The renewed interest comes on the heels of United States Secretary of Education Margaret Spelling’s report on the future of higher education.

“There is a greater expectation of accountability from the universities and colleges, with regards to their institutional mission and curriculum and the means by which they meet these and continue to improve,” Cumberland University Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Lisa C. Cobb noted. “A central theme ... is the need to develop comprehensive institutional models for performance measurement and assessment of student learning outcomes.”

Joined by CU Vice President for Advancement Dr. Garvin S. Maffett and Faculty Senate President Dr. Laurie Dishman, Cobb will travel to the Harvard Graduate School of Education in November to participate in a seminar on performance assessment in higher education.

During the course of the three-day seminar, the Cumberland University delegation will “seek and share the best ideas and practices with highly regarded peers and colleagues from across the United States,” according to Maffett.

Noting she has always embraced performance assessment as a tool for the measurement of success in the classroom, Dishman said she is most looking forward to “Assessing What Students Learn in College Classrooms: How Do We Know What They Really Know?,” a session led by Professor Kurt Fischer of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Fischer studies cognitive and emotional development and learning from birth through adulthood, combining analysis of the commonalities across people with the diversity of pathways of learning and development. One product of his research is a single scale for measuring learning, teaching and curriculum across domains, which is being used to assess and coordinate key aspects of pedagogy and assessment in numerous schools and universities.

“As Cumberland continues to focus on excellence in academics and striving for ever-higher standards on that front, the Harvard seminar will provide concrete techniques for improving the quality of our product for the students,” Dishman remarked. “Symposia like this are

also an excellent way for faculty to practice what they preach -- endeavoring to be lifelong learners, always increasing both theoretical and practical knowledge.”

In addition to Fischer, other members of the Harvard faculty and leading practitioners will explore the current state of performance assessment in higher education and consider the practical value of recent assessment approaches designed to generate meaningful and useful performance data. The seminar also identifies leadership challenges associated with developing assessment initiatives that provide better information and promote greater transparency in the teaching/learning process.

“Harvard Institutes for Higher Education’s seminar ... will provide me with a knowledge base to facilitate Cumberland University’s continual pursuit of quality enhancement for academic excellence,” Cobb noted. “This seminar will provide the information needed to identify key performance indicators for assessing learning outcomes, analyzing the most recent

tools and techniques to improve assessment initiatives, identifying next steps for improving assessment and accountability activities and crafting practical institutional strategies to improve student learning outcomes.”

Other presenters at the upcoming seminar include James Honan, Harvard Graduate School of Education senior lecturer on education; Michael Middaugh, Assistant Vice President for Institutional Research and Planning at the University of Delaware; Belle Wheelan, President of the Commission on Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and Richard Light, Walter H. Gale Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to increase my knowledge base of assessment in higher education with the finest faculty and administrators from across the nation,” Cobb, who also serves as director of Cumberland University’s SACS re-accreditation commission, concluded. “My hope is to bring back to Cumberland University the excitement and skills to share with all of the Cumberland faculty, and that this will facilitate their continued pursuit of academic excellence.”

Professor of mathematics Dr. Laurie Dishman, Cumberland University Faculty Senate President, helps students prepare for an algebra exam.

CU Professor of Biology Dr. Lisa Cobb leads a classroom discussion on cellular development. Cobb, one of two Cumberland professors who will attend a seminar on higher education at Harvard in November, also serves as the University’s associate vice president for academic affairs and as the director of Cumberland’s SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) re-accreditation commission.

“Symposia like this are ... an excellent way for faculty to practice what they preach

-- endeavoring to be lifelong learners, always increasing

both theoretical and practical knowledge.” - Dr. Laurie Dishman, Faculty Senate

President

Lady Bulldogs to kick off ‘07 season at Vanderbilt UniversityComing off the best season in school history, the Cumberland University Women’s Basketball team will open the 2007-08 season with a trip to Nashville for an exhibition game with the Lady Commodores of Vanderbilt University on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.

Markert article bound for sociological research journal“The Fading Dream of Retirement: Social and Financial Considerations Affecting the Retirement Decision,” an article by Cumberland University sociology professor Dr. John Markert, was recently accepted for publication in Sociological Spectrum. Centered on research in the fields of sociology, political science, social psychology and anthropology, Sociological Spectrum is the official journal of the Mid-South Sociological Association.

25th Annual Phoenix Ball on the horizonMark your calendar for Saturday, June 7, 2008, when Cumberland University’s beloved Phoenix Ball returns for its historic silver anniversary! Long-time Phoenix Ball coordinator Sid Durham says the 25th annual celebration will be “a truly unbelievable event.” Check the CU website and future issues of The Phoenix Rising for all the latest news and updates!

Dye Alumni Challenge represents chance to maximize giving potentialDon’t forget to participate in the Everett Dye Alumni Challenge! There is no better time than right now to make a gift to your alma mater. In fact, Mr. Dye will match $50 for each alumnus who makes a first-time gift of $50 or more and, for those alumni who have given before, he will match the first $50 of any contribution of $100 or more. Think back not only to your days at Cumberland, but also to the opportunities your Cumberland education has provided you. Won’t you consider helping the next generation of students have these same opportunities? Your generosity, combined with Mr. Dye’s, will increase support for scholarships, faculty and improvements in facilities and technology. Let’s not miss this exciting opportunity to maximize our giving potential and honor Mr. Dye’s kindness. For more information about the challenge, please contact Wendy Nadeau, Annual Giving Coordinator, at 615.547.1204 or wnadeau@cumberland.edu.

News Briefs

Jeremy Hardy

HOMECOMING 2007OCTOBER 12-13

Cumberland University

Schedule of Events

Friday, Oct. 12Golf outing and shopping excursion (11 a.m. until 4 p.m.): Enjoy a round of golf at Five Oaks Golf & Country Club or a leisurely shopping trip to the new Providence Marketplace in Mt. Juliet! Shuttle service for both events will be provided by Cumberland University. For more information on the golf outing, please contact Stephanie Walker at 615.547.1387 or via e-mail at swalker@cumberland.edu. To learn more about the shopping excursion, please contact Breanne Kintz at 615.547.1269 or by e-mail at bkintz@cumberland.edu.

Alumni & Friends Reception (6:30 until 8:30 p.m.): Join fellow alumni and friends for a casual, family-friendly reception on the patio of the Catron Alumni House. This free event will offer a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with CU while you unwind from the day’s events! Con-tact Breanne Kintz at 615.547.1269 to make reservations.

Saturday, Oct. 13Alumni Reunions (9 until 11 a.m.): Contact the Breanne Kintz at 615.547.1269 for complete details!

Tailgating (11 a.m. until 1 p.m.): Make plans to arrive at Lindsey Donnell Stadium a bit early for a tailgating experience like no other! Enjoy great food and good company while showing your support for the Bulldogs! The first 300 children to enter the gate will receive a free gift!

Clash of the Cumberlands (1:30 p.m.): Come cheer on the Bulldogs as they face the Patriots of the University of the Cumberlands!

Mad Hatter Ball (6 p.m. until midnight): Sponsored by David Marks, the Mad Hatter Ball offers delicious food, live music, casino games, fabulous prizes -- and plenty of zany hats! The Ball is open to CU alumni and friends age 21 and older, and all proceeds benefit academic scholarships. Tickets are $50 per person. Con-tact Joyce Alcorn at 615.547.1235 or jalcorn@cumberland.edu for more details.