Belmont University today announced a 30% tuition reduction for all master’s degrees in education beginning in the fall of 2023. Recognizing the immense value and powerful impact transformative teachers will have on future generations, Belmont is making this investment in education to help address the teacher shortage and support outstanding educators.
“Belmont University is making a powerful statement in the state of Tennessee by recognizing the undeniable need to invest in and equip highly qualified educators that serve our communities,” President Greg Jones said. “Belmont is excited to support aspiring teachers and future educators by reducing tuition for master’s degrees in education – an ambitious policy that signals Belmont’s commitment to inspiring a new generation of outstanding educators.”
Belmont offers several pathways for aspiring educators to discover their potential and join an important profession impacting future generations. With the Master of Arts in Teaching program, Belmont prepares individuals for teacher licensure with courses accredited and approved by the Tennessee Department of Education, and accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Those already in the education field can benefit from Belmont’s Teacher Leadership program, which has specialized staff who are dedicated to helping teachers explore possible career advancements through advocacy or policy, all while keeping working professionals’ schedules in mind with weekend and evening course work.
“Belmont is making it easier for people with a passion for teaching to gain access to our high-quality graduate degrees, so they can fulfill their dream of making a difference in the classroom and in our community,” College of Education Dean Jim McIntyre said. “Belmont’s commitment to excellence in education and its accessible pricing structure will enable many more talented aspiring and practicing educators to deeply impact the lives of young people, and to help our region flourish.”
Belmont University today announced that Dr. D’Angelo Taylor has been named as the University’s Vice President for Hope, Unity and Belonging (HUB) and will serve as the architect of the newly created HUB—Belmont’s Office of Hope, Unity and Belonging. As part of this work, Taylor will lead the university’s diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives in support of its strategic emphasis to embrace hope and inclusive excellence to reweave the social fabric. Taylor will begin his new role at Belmont on May 1.
The HUB will serve as a centralized office dedicated to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives, carrying out the institution’s desire for all community members to experience a meaningful and authentic sense of connection. As part of this charge, the HUB will be responsible for managing all efforts related to Title IX compliance and prevention, as well as all non-discrimination and equity work (Titles VI, VII and IX) including prevention, protection and accountability.
Belmont President Dr. Greg Jones said, “As an accomplished leader in higher education, diversity and inclusion, I am delighted to welcome Dr. Taylor to our campus community and am confident he will make an immeasurable impact on our efforts to creating spaces that promote belonging, creativity, innovation and flourishing. We are excited for the leadership and strategic vision that he will bring to this role and our entire campus community.”
Taylor currently serves as Vice President for Student Affairs at Central State University, Ohio’s only public HBCU. In this role he provides vision, leadership and strategic direction to the Division of Student Affairs and supervises a variety of student support services including career services, enrollment management & admissions, health & psychological services, housing, dining and more.
“I am honored and excited to have been selected as the inaugural Vice President of Hope, Unity, & Belonging at Belmont,” said Dr. Taylor. “I look forward to connecting and collaborating with some of the brightest minds as we work to become the most inclusive Christ-centered university in the world.”
Previously, Taylor served as the Associate Director of the Multicultural Center at the University of Southern Indiana. While there, he worked to build partnerships with multiple entities across the institution and within the city and oversaw extensive programming and training efforts for the Center. He also served as Director for the Collegiate Men of Distinction Mentoring Program and created an all-encompassing curriculum to enhance retention and graduation rates among Black males at the university. This programming proved to be one of the most successful college Black male mentoring programs in southwestern Indiana.
Susan West, Executive Vice President for Administration & Chief of Staff and the leader who will oversee Taylor in his new role at Belmont said, “Dr. Taylor’s appointment as Vice President of Hope, Unity and Belonging is the next step in working to ensure all members of our community experience a meaningful and authentic sense of connection and belonging. This is an important next step for Belmont, and I am thrilled that Dr. Taylor will be leading us into the future.”
In addition to his extensive career in higher education, Taylor has served on a variety of boards including as the Vice-Chairman of the John M. Caldwell Community Development Corporation, specifically focused on youth education and development and as a member of the Board of Brothers Out Saving Souls, Inc. (BOSS), an Evansville non-profit offering programs to help youth deal with issues such as violence and challenges at home and within the public education system.
Taylor is a 2021 recipient of the Evansville Rotary’s 20 Under 40 Award and the 2021 Social Change Award recipient at the University of Southern Indiana. He is also a member of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE), National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and the Shriver Center on Poverty Law’s Professional Council.
On Thursday, Feb. 16, senior sports administration major JaQobi Scantling received the Volunteer Friend Phoenix Award from the Nashville non-profit, Healing Arts Project, Inc. (HAPI), at its 13th Annual Phoenix Art Gala.
HAPI provides opportunities for people in mental health and addiction recovery to promote healing, community awareness and inclusion. The organization provides free art classes taught by professional artists, art exhibitions, publication opportunities and outreach events in an effort to fill a gap in recovery and rehabilitation services.
Scantling has volunteered with HAPI since 2019. What started as fulfilling his Bell Tower Scholar service requirement has transitioned into a rewarding experience that also allows him to exercise one of his passions– being an advocate for others.
“I’m all about making sure everybody has the opportunity to do whatever they want to do,” Scantling said. “It’s all about giving back to the community and letting people know that you care. Most of the artists are struggling. That’s what HAPI is about, being an advocate for them through their artwork.”
JaQobi Scantling (middle) poses with parents, Desmond and Erika Scantling at the Healing Arts Project, Inc. Phoenix Award Gala, receiving the Volunteer Friend Award on February 16, 2023.
A connection between Scantling’s mom and Lynece Stewart, Executive Director of HAPI, prompted his volunteerism with the organization. JaQobi’s dedication and consistency as a volunteer contributed to his receiving the Volunteer Friend, one of four Phoenix Awards presented at HAPI’s annual gala.
The Volunteer Friend Phoenix Award recognizes an individual in the community who has given of themselves to strengthen the impact of HAPI.
“JaQobi has been consistent since 2019, he even continued throughout COVID,” Stewart said. “He has been flexible in tasks, even when plans change at the last minute. He has done everything from take photos, update databases, organize the art room, put together furniture and then some.”
Receiving this year’s award comes full circle for the soon-to-be December graduate, he cherishes the memory of attending his first Phoenix Award Gala after responding to a last-minute call to volunteer.
“Some of the artists I helped from volunteering at the office were there,” Scantling said. “Seeing the artists in person and the smile on their faces as they saw people [experience] their artwork and say ‘I love this. I love that.’ is something that I really cared about.”
Although the HAPI staff jokingly make offers for Scantling to come work with the program after graduation, the Nashville native aspires to follow his own path of advocacy and service.
“I plan on being a coach or athletic director,” he said. “I love sports. In my PR class last semester, I did a presentation titled The Player’s Advocate. So that’s pretty much what I plan on doing after college, still striving to be the best that I can be and helping others out.”
HAPI serves approximately 500 individuals in mental health and addiction recovery each year. To learn about ways to support their efforts, visit www.healingartsprojectinc.org.
Students, faculty, staff and alumni at Belmont University gathered on Feb. 3 for a mid-morning march and vigil in memory of Tyre Nichols of Memphis, a Black man who died at the hands of police brutality in early January.
The observation took place three days after Nichols’ funeral and was organized and held in less than a week through the swift efforts made by Belmont’s Black Student Association (BSA), Office of Campus Security and additional offices across campus. Programming began with a silent march around the northeast corner of campus and concluded with special remarks and a short vigil.
Members of the Belmont community gathered in front of Freedom Plaza for a Candle Light Vigil in honor of Tyre Nichols at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, February 3, 2023. Photo by Sam Simpkins
The starting place of the silent march was in front of the Belmont mansion–a well-preserved landmark of historical relevance with an unerasable imprint of enslavement–and ended at Freedom Plaza where the names of the enslaved persons who once worked the grounds where Belmont exists are etched in the fountain stone for remembrance.
Chief of Campus Security Pat Cunningham and BSA president Justice Dudley gave special remarks that addressed the tragedy of Nichols’ death, encouraged solidarity in Belmont’s work to reweave the social fabric and expressed a commitment for Belmont to exist as a safe place where all people are valued and belong.
“We are all human,” Dudley said. “This is precisely why desensitization [to Black trauma and death] won’t work. We will always stand, march and be together.”
BSA social media coordinator Marcus Knight ended the vigil in prayer, “Therefore, we ask you to retrain the minds that would think to harm another, to reshape the hearts of those who would think too highly of themselves to determine whether someone lives or dies, and to restore the souls, as said, in your word, for your namesake….our only request now is this: whatever is bound and loosed in heaven, let it be bound and loosed here on earth.”
Last week during the kickoff to Belmont’s 2023 Homecoming celebrations, alumni from Watkins College of Art’s Master of Fine Arts program gathered to share some of their work as a part of the 2023 Inaugural Tennessee Triennial, a statewide, collaborative spotlight series organized by Tri-Star Arts.
The program, which started in 2017 at the independent Watkins and was brought over with the merger in 2020, uses a low residency model to allow those with full-time jobs who want to pursue an advanced degree in art to work remotely. Students work one-on-one with Belmont’s faculty and join for periodic on-campus residencies of up to 23 days in June and four days in January, while also having the option of reaching out to study under any artist of their choice in their own city.
Their exhibition—Re-Cover, Re-Form—is a response to the event’s overarching theme of RE-PAIR selected by the Consulting Curator, Dr. Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons. It will remain available for viewing through Feb. 27, 2023 in the Leu Art Gallery located in the Bunch Library.
Watkins MFA alumni used a variety of media—such as photography, sculpture and miscellaneous digital technologies—to push forth the idea of art as a proponent for positive change and enhancing the human experience. Artists include Chuck Ärlund (’20), Heriberto “Eddie” Palacio III (’20), Lisa Bachman Jones (’21), Maddie Ryan (’21), Danny Broadway (’22), Le Dillingham (’22), Allie Horick (’22), and Jackie Lucas (’22). At the event, the artists discussed where they glean their inspiration, finding joy in the discovery and happy accidents, experiencing imposter syndrome and learning to trust their intuition.
Heriberto “Eddie” Palacio III, the highlighted presenter and one of the program’s first students, spoke on the origins of his work and the aspirations launching him forward in both the art and academic world. “The awesome thing about the program is that I came in thinking I was going to learn how to become an artist,” he said. “Suddenly I came in and was treated as an artist already.”
Currently a Ph.D. student at Texas Tech, his studies and pieces revolve around demystifying platonic intimacy, especially as it relates to black men and his own experiences as an Afro-Hispanic in the LGBTQIA+ community. “When we see men—but specifically, black men—being intimate in any way physically, emotionally, why do we automatically assume it’s about romantic and sexual desire? I am challenging that assumption. I’m not saying people should feel bad for thinking that, I just want us to think about where that thought is coming from.“
This work has propelled him to expand his palette and reach for new tools to tackle the complex subject. As he progressed toward the end of his time in the program, he had the sudden lightbulb moment of connecting the barber shop, therapy and his art. Since then, he has received his barber’s license and has his sights set on a master’s of science in clinical mental health practice next.
“In a barber shop setting, conversations about black masculinity are occurring. There’s an intimacy there.” Palacio’s research seeks to coalesce the topics of gender studies, clinical mental health, masculinity, platonic intimacy, anthropology and barbershop culture. “I theorize that there’s a point where all those intersect that can really create some metamorphic change.”
Interested in learning more about the MFA program at Watkins College of Art? Apply today!
More than 100 people gathered Friday, Feb. 10 in Columbia Studio A to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Belmont Reasons singers. The night was filled with food, fellowship, stories and song, as well as memories of those who have passed away. It was also a night to celebrate the successes of Belmont’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business and its faculty and alumni.
“Belmont has a remarkable way of becoming a part of us – not only in how it equips us for our future professions, but also in the enduring friendships it fosters,” said Chip Hayner, Director of Alumni & Family Engagement. “This reunion was a perfect illustration of both of these, with dozens of alumni having achieved great success, reuniting with old friends and resuming where they left off four or more decades ago.”
The group, active from 1971-1988, was a public relations ensemble for the University under the direction of Robert E. Mulloy, founder of Belmont’s music business program and longtime associate dean. During the 1970s and ’80s over 200 students participated in this ensemble, touring and performing for schools, churches and civic groups across the Southeast.
Many of the group’s alumni shaped the music industry and contributed to the success of Belmont, said Jeff Gwaltney, the reunion committee chairman and alumnus of the group (1976-1980). “I hope this reunion puts a spotlight on Bob Mulloy (in light of the 50th anniversary of the music business program) and the impact [the group] has had on Belmont, on Nashville, and around the world.”
Reasons alumni include industry producers, songwriters and artists like producer Don Koch, country artist Ty Herndon, Steven Curtis Chapman, the most awarded artist in Christian music history, and Gordon Kennedy, known for co-writing the Grammy award winning song recorded by Eric Clapton, “Change the World.”
Nearly half of the members were represented at the reunion that featured a collection of memorabilia and vinyl records the group recorded—which have recently been digitized—along with a time of in memoriam of nine members who have passed away.
Steve Horrell, the group’s student founder was in attendance as well as Pat Mulloy, Bob’s widow, whom Gwaltney described as “the closest thing at the reunion we had to Bob himself in person.”
Scenes from the Reunion
Reasons Reunion. Photos by Sam SimpkinsMike Porter and Pat Mulloy Berthelot Mike Porter and Pat Mulloy Berthelot with Dr. Greg JonesReasons Reunion Reasons Reunion Rev. And Dr. Jones. Steve Horrell, Betty Wiseman and Jeff Gwaltney Video by Finn Davis
More than twenty songwriters and music industry professionals are set to participate in the Nashville Songwriters Association International’s (NSAI) longest-running educational event, Tin Pan South Songwriting Seminar on March 27 and 28, 2023. This year’s event is presented by Belmont University and NSAI today announced Belmont alumnus Tyler Hubbard as the event’s closing guest.
While recognized as one half of the multi-platinum-selling duo Florida Georgia Line, Hubbard has penned over 100 songs recorded by artists including Jason Aldean, Chris Tomlin, Zac Brown, Kane Brown, and his own duo Florida Georgia Line. Hubbard was also a writer on “Cruise,” which earned the genre’s first RIAA Diamond single certification, and he was a writer on the Diamond-certified “Meant To Be.” Hubbard’s passion and honesty with his songwriting ultimately inspired him to begin recording works for a solo project, leading to the release of his debut solo single and 20th No. 1 hit, “5 Foot 9,” which is also certified Platinum by the RIAA. Co-written by Hubbard, Jaren Johnston and Chase McGill, “5 Foot 9” is one of 18 songs written on Hubbard’s self-titled album Tyler Hubbard which was released January 27, 2023.
The closing interview with Hubbard on Tuesday will wrap up two days at Belmont’s Fisher Center For the Performing Arts filled with educational panels, Q&A Sessions, and interviews where top members of the music industry will cover topics including publishing, sync, co-writing, demo sessions, streaming, and more. Participating guests include Mike Molinar (Big Machine Music), Courtney Crist (Anthem Entertainment), Jamie Rodgers (Essential Music), Kate Shirley (Liz Rose Music), Milk & Honey Music and Teri Nelson Carpenter (Reel Musik Werks). Hit songwriters Hillary Lindsey and Brett James will be the final interview segment for day one of the seminar, and throughout the event several other chart-topping songwriters will take the mic to share their experiences and advice. Additional participating songwriters include Kelly Archer, Emily Shackelton, Steve Seskin, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins, J.T. Harding, Laura Veltz, Lauren McLamb, Tracey and Vance Marino, Allison Veltz Cruz, and Taylor Cain.
Registration for the event is $449 for NSAI Members and $549 for the general public. Anyone who registers prior to February 22, 2023, can take advantage of splitting the registration payment into a 2-month payment plan with the convenient flex-pay option – more information can be found at www.nashvillesongwriters.com.
Public on-sale for Tin Pan South festival passes is set for Friday, March 3, 2023, at 10 am Central at www.tinpansouth.com.
Belmont’s student-run online news network, the Belmont Vision, swept the 2023 Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC), bringing home a record 22 category awards and second place overall in the on-site competition.
The conference, held Feb. 9 and 10 at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, is a learning community of collegiate journalists in a variety of media disciplines. SEJC is comprised of 38 colleges and universities in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Of the 38 member schools, Belmont won 15 awards in the Best of the South competition, which included content posted on the Vision website from November 2021 to November 2022.
Former Vision editor-in-chief Sarah Maninger (who graduated in December) told the Vision, “I’m just really proud of what we were able to do and that our work got recognized.”
Best of the South
Individual Awards
First place, best TV feature reporter: Finn Birnie
First place, best television news reporter: Camden Morris
Second place, opinion writing: Anna Jackson
Third place, feature writing: Anna Jackson
Second place, special event reporting: Landen Secrest
Third place, best news writer: Sarah Maninger
Fifth place, best feature writer: David Pang
Fifth place, best arts and entertainment writer: Lillie Burke
Sixth place, best photographer: Isaac Wetzel
Seventh, best arts and entertainment writer: Meagan Irby
Seventh, best sports writer: A.J. Wuest
Seventh, best TV journalist: Hanley Riggs
Network Awards
First place, best public service journalism
Third place, best college website
Third place, best video newscast
On-site Competition
First place, sports photography: Landen Secrest
First place, TV news reporting: Camden Morris and Chandler Maynard
The official launch of the Belmont University and Fisk University Social Justice Collaborative was commemorated on Feb. 9 in the Civil Rights Room at the Nashville Public Library. In addition to available tours of the Civil Rights Room and the Women’s Voting Rights Exhibit, the program featured a conversation with Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Jr., hosted by News Channel 5 Chief Meteorologist Lelan Statom.
The project between Belmont and Fisk, funded by a grant from the Rechter Family Foundation, is designed to cultivate champions for social justice by providing knowledge and experiences for students, exposing them to civil rights movements across the Middle Tennessee area, encouraging leadership and guiding them to create a body of work that will inspire the world. The collaboration takes shape through a joint course that students from both universities enroll in, working together to tackle issues surrounding systematic barriers of health care, education, housing, jobs and the criminal justice system.
Back row: Mr. Ben L. Rechter, Lelan Statom, Dr. Sybril Brown, and Dr. Jason Rogers
Front row: Joyce Searcy, Reverend Dr. Bernard Lafayette and his lifelong companion Mrs. Kate Lafayette
Photo by Sam Simpkins
Read more about the initiative and highlights of the course here.
An American civil rights activist known for his authority on the strategy of nonviolent social change, Dr. Lafayette spoke at the event Thursday about his experience as a Freedom Rider and participating in the marches from Selma to Montgomery.
In the 1960s, Lafayette worked with other civil rights figures like John Lewis to desegregate buses and movie theaters. He recounted some of his memories for the students, including a run in with the KKK at a Birmingham bus station. In Nashville, he studied at American Baptist College and became an ordained minister, later serving as president of the college. He co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, directed the committee’s Alabama Voter Registration Project and became a leader for King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
He shared with attendees that Nashville did so many things in such a short period of time, calling it a “hotbed for change.” Likewise, advised students involved in the collaborative to focus on coalition building and expose themselves to as many areas of knowledge as possible. “One of the reasons King’s nonviolence movement was so effective was that its leadership included people with different areas of expertise,” he said.
Belmont + Fisk Social Justice Collaborative BHM Launch Reception at the Nashville Public Library
Photo by Sam Simpkins
In his introduction at the event, Belmont President Dr. Greg Jones expressed hope for this collaboration to bring attention to issues that need grappling with—helping Belmont to live out its vision of radically championing the pursuit of life abundant for all people. “We look forward to the deepened relationships that will result from this collaboration and the reinforcement of the idea that we can hold on to hope, even in dark times where we don’t feel optimistic.”
Belmont’s Communications team asked over 400+ prospective students a few questions to get a sense of what they consider important and where they find their identity. The results painted a picture that encapsulates what current students, faculty and staff know and love about the Belmont community.
The survey revealed the incoming class to be steadfast, claiming passion as their highest source of motivation (59%) and their ideal career as something that allows them to make a difference in the world (46%). These students find the most joy and fulfillment in using their skills to help, heal and teach others (35%), and when asked how someone who knows them well would describe them, 35% said “a warm people person.”
Amongst the multitude of paths for academic study and legions of career options, the data shows that these students are here to learn and connect. They look for ways to get plugged into a network and are hungry to share the things that excite them.
“I’m hearing them be passionate about what they’re studying,” said Ana-Laura Galindo, senior creative entertainment industry studies/hospitality & tourism management double major and Admissions Office Liaison for Bruin Recruiters. “They’re eager to ask questions, and it shows how ready they are to thrive in this environment.”
Prospective Belmont students are driven, with over half of them (59%) identifying passion as their main motivator. They know what energizes them and aren’t afraid to chase after their goals. It’s virtually impossible to walk on Belmont’s campus and not see students doing what they love or talking with fellow students about their aspirations. When asked about the student community, Galindo said, “it truly surrounds you.”
These students are all about leaning into the common good, and their ideal career involves something that creates a positive ripple effect in the world (46%). Whether it be as a nurse, a tour manager, a youth pastor or an interior designer, they’re focused on identifying needs and filling in the gaps necessary to enhance a situation. Fellow Bruin Recruiter Libby Godo, a senior biology major from Aurora, Illinois, says that she sees prospective students searching to feel seen and valued. “They’re really looking for a place to fit in and make their mark, all of which I can tell is driven by an innate desire to be impactful and make a difference in the world around them.”
Above all else, they find joy in healing, helping or teaching others (35%). Not satisfied with the bare minimum, they seek justice and growth with determination. Belmont excels in connecting students to service opportunities based in their fields, whether it be through BOLD (Belmont Office of Leadership Development) or organizations like Belmont Service Corps, a student-led group that volunteers in the entertainment industry and most recently got a front-row look into the 2023 Grammy Awards.
Maybe the most “Belmont” answer of them all, these students are known for their personable and welcoming demeanor (35%). “The student community is tight but welcoming,” said Bruin Recruiter Gabe DeGraeve, senior politics and public law major from Casper, Wyoming. “One of my favorite things about Belmont is that you can walk through campus and always see someone your know, but you’re also able to meet someone new every day and those people are always excited to meet you.”
For students that are still defining their path, Belmont offers plenty of ways to dive into exploration through Well-Core events and incredible on-campus opportunities. With approximately 100 students entering undeclared each year, Belmont strives to foster space for students to discover their purpose. The quiz is one tool to help kickstart that process, but once on campus, there are a multitude of resources, such as the GPS Office and the Office of Career and Professional Development.
Miles Robinson, a senior architecture design major from Bowling Green, Kentucky, shared that Belmont has created a safe and understanding environment for him to try and fail and learn from those mistakes. “I am so thankful for the culture Belmont has created around growth because it has really helped me realize my true passions and develop the skills required to achieve my goals.”
Click here to take the quiz and uncover your “why.”
