Belmont University has partnered with the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) to offer free train transportation to all university employees and students, becoming the first and only school and employer in Nashville to offer this benefit. Any Belmont student or employee is eligible to ride the new Music City Star, Nashville’s commuter rail system, and Belmont will pick up the cost.
“The Regional Transportation Authority is thrilled to work with Belmont University to provide transportation on the Music City Star to the school’s employees and students,” Teresa McKissick, RTA marketing director, said. “Belmont has always been a leader in our community and the fact that the institution is the first to come aboard and provide rides on the state’s first commuter rail for their employees and students is phenomenal, and also shows a real commitment not only to transportation but also to the people who work and attend school at Belmont.”
Belmont’s partnership with RTA follows an already successful partnership with the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). The university partnered with MTA last year to offer students and staff free transportation to campus and became the only university in Nashville to offer free transportation to students. During the last school year, the total boarding number of Belmont employees and students on MTA buses totaled nearly 12,000.
“We’re pleased to be not only the first university but also the first employer in Nashville to extend our commuter benefits to include the Music City Star rail system,” Belmont University President Robert Fisher said. “The commuter benefits program helps lower students’ out-of-pocket expenses associated with attending Belmont and provides a significant new tax-free benefit to our employees. In addition, this partnership will continue to reduce the number of cars coming to campus and help the surrounding neighborhood and our environment.”
Belmont University’s commuter benefits program gives Belmont students, faculty and staff an opportunity to save on gasoline, help reduce traffic congestion and improve the environment, while also providing relief for campus parking. Belmont was named one of “Nashville’s Best Commuter-Friendly Workplaces” by MTA after offering free transportation to campus for the 2005-06 school year.
MORE
“Belmont to pay for Music City Star rides” – The Tennessean, October 31, 2006
Belmont University First Nashville Employer to Offer Free Train Transportation
Belmont Nursing In the News
The Tennessean ran a story in Saturday’s paper about Belmont and other area colleges and universities making efforts to decrease the nursing shortage in Tennessee. Click here to read the article.
Fisher Quoted in USA Today
Belmont University President Dr. Robert Fisher was quoted in USA Today in a story concerning the NCAA allowing Canadian college and universities to become members. Fisher is heading the NCAA panel examining the issue.
Click here to read the article.
Belmont Receives Grant From Christy-Houston Foundation
Belmont University recently received a grant of $194,555 from the Christy-Houston Foundation for Physical Therapy (PT) and Occupational Therapy (OT) equipment. The equipment will have positive impacts on all students in the PT and OT programs at Belmont as well as patients, both in clinical education and after graduation for practice in health care.
Belmont University has the only private doctorate level physical therapy degree and the only doctorate level occupational therapy degree in Tennessee. In the past year, approximately 4,654 Rutherford County residents were served by Belmont PT and OT students. Well over 1,000 Middle Tennessee residents are served daily by Belmont University PT and OT students and alumni.
One piece of equipment that will be purchased through the grant for physical therapy is the SMART Equitest, by Neurocom International, Inc. The Equitest provides objective assessment of balance control and postural stability under dynamic test conditions to reflect the challenges of daily life. The system provides assessment and retraining capabilities with visual biofeedback on either a stable or unstable support surface and in a stable or dynamic visual environment. It is an evaluative tool for patients with balance problems and is also being used to evaluate Parkinson’s patients’ appropriateness for the cutting edge technology of deep brain stimulation. While the deep brain stimulation is performed by the Neurological Surgery Team at Vanderbilt University, an evaluation done before and after the surgery can be a key component to assessing clinical effectiveness. The Vanderbilt regional center of excellence for deep brain stimulation is working to educate physicians in out-lying areas on which patients are most appropriate for this surgical approach. It is hoped that over time, and with additional research, that this service will be provided to more patients and physicians in Middle Tennessee.
The equipment grant will also be used to purchase other items for physical therapy and occupational therapy, including a driving simulator that is instrumental for research pertaining to driving needs for an aging population. In addition, low vision equipment will be used for classroom training. Sewing machines will enable students to learn how to fabricate orthotics, slings and other adaptive equipment to restore function. With an impending shortage of physical therapists and occupational therapists, Belmont University is actively recruiting more students interested in allied health. The new equipment will provide essential tools for educating highly-competent, doctoral prepared PTs and master or doctoral prepared OTs.
MORE
“Belmont receives grant for therapy” – The Daily News Journal, October 28, 2006
Physical Therapy Student Attends National Conference
Megan Stinson, Doctorate of Physical Therapy student, attended the American Physical Therapy Association National Government Affairs Forum September 17-19 in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. She attended because of an interest in the advancement and future of the Physical Therapy profession through the legislative process, political strategy and government affairs.
Josh Turner In the News
Belmont University alumnus and MCA recording artist Josh Turner, was interviewed in the American Chronicle. Turner speaks of his time at Belmont in the interview. Click here to read the article.
Annual Ingram Scholars Reception Held at Belmont
The annual Ingram Scholars reception was held at Belmont University on October 16 in the Gordon E. Inman Center. The Ingram Scholars program is supported by Orin Ingram and the Ingram family. Students named Ingram Scholars receive a scholarship to attend Belmont; in return, each student must perform a set number of volunteer hours at the Boys and Girls Club each month, although many spend much more time than required.
Business Ethics Guest Speaks About White Collar Crime
The Belmont University Center for Business Ethics hosted Walt Pavlo, president of Etika, LLC, Monday to give his presentation titled “Anatomy of a White Collar Crime.” Pavlo was convicted of multi-million dollar fraud, and after serving time in prison, founded Etika to enable him to share his message with others about how to avoid the mistakes he made in his work for MCI.
A standing-room-only crowd packed Neely Hall to hear Pavlo discuss how his bad choices and “a company culture that avoided ethics” led him to commit fraud. Pavlo and an editor who wrote a story about him in Forbes Magazine have just completed a book entitled Ring of Thieves, which will be published in early 2007. It will tell Pavlo’s story and provide insights he gained in his journey into and out of white collar crime.
National Gathering of United Methodist Men To Be Held at Belmont University
The 2009 10th national gathering of United Methodist Men will be held at Belmont University in Nashville.
The decision to hold the quadrennial event in Nashville will end a 56-year tradition of meeting at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. The first Methodist conference was held at Purdue in 1953. Four thousand men attended that event. By 1957 the event was called the Men’s Congress and 5,000 men were present.
The Rev. David Adams, top staff executive of the General Commission on United Methodist Men, the agency that plans the event, is a graduate of Belmont.
“It is an honor and privilege to partner with Belmont University for our 10th National Gathering of UMM” said Adams. “The beauty of the campus and close proximity of the facilities are ideal for this event.”
Belmont University’s Curb Event Center is a 90,000-square-foot sports and entertainment complex that provides facilities for athletics, concerts, speakers, conferences, dinners and receptions. The Curb Event Center is maintained and operated by fully digital, computerized systems and represents state-of-the-art production capabilities.
“We are excited to welcome the United Methodist Men to the Belmont campus,” Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said. “Their rich tradition of faith, fellowship and community fits perfectly at Belmont, which has been the site of higher education since 1890. Anytime we can welcome esteemed groups to campus with values similar to Belmont’s, we are honored to do so.”
The 20-member Commission on United Methodist Men voted to move the gathering following Belmont’s construction of an event center capable of hosting the 5,000 men expected to attend the July 9-12, 2009, event.
“It’s a new day with a new opportunity for us to provide this meeting,” said Gil Hanke, president of the commission. “The transportation to Nashville is much easier than our previous location, and we felt that it was a time to move this event closer to the center of the population center of the UMC.” He emphasized that Purdue has “done an excellent job,” but he said Nashville offers better logistics, a more family-oriented type of atmosphere and “comparable facilities that can provide an event that will be an exciting and spiritually dynamic encounter with God.”
Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, is pleased this annual meeting of United Methodist Men is making its new home in Nashville.
“ This announcement is great news for our city. It further solidifies the great reputation that both Nashville and Belmont have developed over the last decade,” Spyridon said. “When a group chooses to move after 56 years you are humbled and honored to be the new destination of choice. Congrats and ‘thanks’ to Belmont and ‘welcome’ to the United Methodist Men.”
MORE
“Belmont University to host men’s four-year gathering” – Worldwide Faith News, October 18, 2006
Belmont’s MBA Program Named Best of Nashville
In the 2006 “Best of Nashville” edition of the Nashville Scene, Belmont University was recognized twice in the annual reader’s poll. Belmont was named the third best college or university in the city for continuing education and the Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business was named the best MBA program in Nashville, above Vanderbilt and Middle Tennessee State universities.
To learn more about the Massey School, click here.
