Learning to Serve | Newswire

Trevecca Nazarene University has redefined the liberal arts education by immersing students in learning experiences that serve their communities.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., February 3, 2025 (Newswire.com)
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The roots of liberal arts education stretch back to ancient Greece-when rhetoric, grammar, and logic were powerful tools of the intellectual class. Throughout history, that tradition has informed the missions of universities offering a liberal arts education infused with problem-solving and critical thinking.

Today, Trevecca Nazarene University is redefining the liberal arts education model. At Trevecca, the fundamentals of this ancient tradition are activated in real-world contexts for the benefit of the community at large. “We triangulate between theory taught in class, the students’ experiences of it, and their application of those skills,” says Thomas Middendorf, Ed.D., provost and senior vice president. “We do this through the lens of service by regularly asking how we can best serve our community.”

Innovation Benefiting Communities

The educational journey of Trevecca’s traditional undergraduate students takes place within the ecosystem of Nashville, where businesses and organizations partner with the University to host classes and labs on their own premises. One such organization, Ascension Saint Thomas, grants students in the University’s nursing program the opportunity to receive hands-on training inside the hospital and visit computer simulation labs and observation rooms with two-way mirrors. Trevecca exercise science students volunteer at community health events, checking vitals and reflexes and offering guidance around health and wellness-based practices.

“Rather than just sitting in a classroom, our students are actively learning,” says Dr. Middendorf. “Our professors are there to guide them as they mature and learn how to solve complex problems.”

In addition to the benefits of hands-on learning, these opportunities align with the service mentality central to the University’s Christian identity. “Serving others is in our DNA,” says Dr. Middendorf. “Our innovation and strategy are birthed out of opportunities, which people present to us because of the challenges they face in their community.”

This relationship between service and innovation has a historical precedent. In 1976, Trevecca launched the state’s first physician assistant program to train missionaries destined for regions that were in dire need of medical professionals. It was also an early adopter of adult degree completion and online learning, both of which met its community’s need for more flexible higher education opportunities.

“Listening and understanding the needs of our community and developing programs to serve them aligns with our mission as a Christian organization,” Dr. Middendorf says. “We provide education for the purposes of leadership and service.”

Proof of its success lies partly in Trevecca’s impressive feats-its recent inclusion on the Wall Street Journal’s College Pulse rankings placed Trevecca fifth among universities in Tennessee and as the top Christian school in Middle Tennessee. Its innovative Doctor of Education program, the largest in the state, has proven popular with the business community. But perhaps the real evidence of Trevecca’s impact is in its graduates-a cohort of service-minded individuals who give back to their communities while excelling in their professions.

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Contact Information

Heather McCullough
Marketing Director / Office of Marketing and Communications
[email protected]
615-289-6853

Source: Trevecca Nazarene University