Carson-Newman News Office
Carson-Newman University president Charles Fowler, left, records a video message for C-N’s campus community. Video messages are one of the ways the University has stayed connected with students, faculty and staff.
JEFFERSON CITY — Had the spring semester progressed normally, Carson-Newman University’s senior class would have walked the graduation stage on May 1.
Instead, the University offered a commemorative lighting of the campus’ central building, Henderson Humanities Building, in seniors’ honor. A video showcasing the building’s lighting and highlights from the Class of 2020’s junior and senior years featured words of reassurance from Psalm 119:105: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my path.”
Another video, shared in early April, announced the University’s hope to celebrate commencement with graduates on Aug. 7, contingent on lessened risk due to the pandemic. Graduate students completing their degree this spring or summer are invited to walk the stage in December.
“The Lord has been faithful to sustain us through this season,” said Carson-Newman President Charles A. Fowler in the most recent video message sent to the C-N community. “He is deserving of our praise.”
Fowler cited Lamentations 3:24 as a source of encouragement: “Even when we get to a Post-COVID-19 world, the Lord will still be our portion, and our faith will have been strengthened.”
All three videos are available to view on the University’s Facebook page.
Faculty and staff have made numerous other efforts to remain connected to these students and help them celebrate this important milestone in their lives. Efforts have included fun and casual video conference gatherings called Mossy Creek Meetups and social media activities to keep in touch. The University also formed the Eagle Care Team, made up of members of the campus community who are available to address any concerns and answer questions that students or their families may have.
“It just shows me that Carson-Newman truly is special,” said Emilie Jones, a senior music education major from Cumberland Gap, of the Mossy Creek Meetup video conferences. “I haven’t heard of any other universities doing that. I’m not just a number to our professors. I’m a person that they care about. They took time out of their day to talk to us and pray with us. It meant the world and reminds me why I chose Carson-Newman.”