Columbia’s regional director says SWU education unlocks career potentialContact Dr. Tammie Powell: |
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Giving students the advantages of education is Dr. Tammie Powell’s passion.
“I believe that education is a vehicle for change. It’s very exciting for me to think that someone comes to Southern Wesleyan University in a particular place and we see a change in the road they’re taking,” she said.
Dr. Powell is Southern Wesleyan’s new regional director for its Columbia location on Pinnacle Point Drive in the Northeast area of Columbia, S.C. She has recently settled into the new position and is excited about working with students to equip them for successful careers.
“I think it’s a good time in our economy for employees to re-tool , to re-envision where we fit in the job market. SWU offers a great opportunity for making a career change.”
Dr. Powell’s career has been dedicated to education. Before joining Southern Wesleyan University, she served six years as a marketer of graduate courses and programs in her position as associate director for the University of South Carolina’s Extended Campus. She was a teacher for Richland School District Two in Columbia for 16 years. Before that, she spent nine years teaching in the Franklin, Va., area.
“I like working with adults and I feel called to work with adults in education,” she said, adding that the adult students at Southern Wesleyan University hope to improve their education and improve their lives, as well.
“Our students are very committed. They come in and use our labs on their off-hours and they are dedicated to their study groups. The nurturing that is done in our classes leads to a close-knit community,” Dr. Powell said. “We do work with a lot of adults who have children at home and these parents are in class and still have those responsibilities. They’re focused on what they can do for their families with this education,”
As regional director, Dr. Powell is responsible for marketing the university’s associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs to adults in the Columbia area.
The Columbia location of Southern Wesleyan University offers the following degree programs: associate’s degree in business, bachelor’s degree in business administration, bachelor’s degree in human services, master’s degree in management, master’s degree in business administration and master’s degree in education. Students attend class one night per week in the university’s accelerated format, in addition to a study group session and out-of-class projects. Most courses last six weeks. Depending on their program of study, students can earn their degrees in 18 months to 2 years. Currently, the Columbia location has more than 300 students enrolled.
Dr. Powell is also serving as a faculty member for Southern Wesleyan’s School of Education. She earned her associate’s degree at P.D. Camp Community College in Franklin, Va.; her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.; a master’s degree in divergent learning from Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C.; and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C.
She is excited to share the opportunities Southern Wesleyan University’s educational opportunities with Columbia area residents.
“With the quality of service and education we offer, I anticipate many more students will be coming to us as they learn of our institution,” Dr. Powell said. “There are a lot of individuals in Columbia who would benefit from the way we nurture our students. Our plan for working with students lets them feel well advised and comfortable.”
Southern Wesleyan University has offered classes in Columbia for 24 years. The university had been located in West Columbia and moved to its current location in the northeast part of Columbia in the fall of 2008. Since it began offering classes there in 1986, Southern Wesleyan has had nearly 2,000 graduates from its Columbia location.
“There is a growing population in the northeast section of Columbia. There is a large traffic flow in this area and we’re conveniently located for so many people here,” Dr. Powell said. “There are many opportunities for collaboration in the community here, too.”
In addition to a convenient location, Southern Wesleyan University’s Christian perspective is producing leaders whose ethics are valued in the workforce.
“There is a need for graduates who act on Christian ethics in all communities and Columbia is no exception,” Dr. Powell said. “Southern Wesleyan University is unique in that our Christian perspective is very clear. We really are intentional about Christian ethics in higher education.”
When she’s not focused on education, Dr. Powell enjoys spending family time with her husband, their daughter and their dogs, Bailey and Sally. She enjoys strength training three times a week before work and takes a kettle bell class once or twice weekly. She has been strength training for 10 years.
She also loves cooking, gardening and has enjoyed serving as a volunteer archivist at the University of South Carolina Caroliniana Library. The Powells attend Northeast United Methodist Church. Dr. Powell teaches an adult Sunday school class and conducts a Bible study for women.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to encourage people to stick with education because it makes a real difference,” Dr. Powell said. “And because of the Christian education Southern Wesleyan University offers, we see people change spiritually as well.”
Southern Wesleyan University’s main campus is in Central and the university also offers classes across the state in Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, Greenwood, North Augusta and Charleston. Southern Wesleyan University was founded more than 100 years ago by leaders who promised to “help men and women become what God has designed them to be.”
Today, with nearly 2,500 students statewide, enrollment at Southern Wesleyan University is steadily growing. But the university’s goal remains the same – to help students find God’s purpose for their lives.
Contact Dr. Tammie Powell:
E-mail: tpowell@swu.edu – Phone: (803) 744-7981, Ext. 5616