by Hunter Patterson | Apr 20, 2012 | News Slider
Brett Flener, a Law, Justice and Society major who is the co-founder of Open Table Nashville, was announced as the 2012 recipient of the Mary Morris Award for Exemplary Service to Society, an annual award given to a member of the Lipscomb family. The family of Dr. Mary Morris, faculty member in the Department of Education and founder and director of the Center for Character Development at Lipscomb, established award in her memory. Open Table Nashville, which Flener helped establish as a 501(c)3 non-profit in 2011, is an interfaith community that disrupts cycles of poverty, journeys with the marginalized and provides education about issues of homelessness. Earlier this year, Lumination talked with Flener about Open Table. ”We’re not really here to ‘fix’ people,” he said. “We don’t see these people as problems. We see them as brothers and sisters to be journeyed with.” “What we are looking to do, especially through our community houses, is to plug in and say ‘We want to be that family now. We want to be that support system now. We want to grow with you. We want to walk with you even through the hard times.” The Mary Morris Award for Exemplary Service to Society is conferred on a member of the Lipscomb “family” who has demonstrated a high level of service to the community and the church. Nominees may include faculty, staff, alumni, current students and others who are advocates for Lipscomb University. The selected recipient should exhibit a spirit of volunteerism, engage in meaningful civic activities in the community that help spread God’s light, demonstrate a commitment to Christian missions wherever they...
by Crystal Davis | Sep 14, 2011 | News Slider
Director of Student Advocacy Teresa Williams describes her position as “helping students in any way they need help whether it’s walking them through difficult processes, trying to resolve issues or providing academic coaching and advising.” She sums it up as: “basically meeting the student’s needs, whatever they are.” Her job is to help students meet their full potential while at Lipscomb. But she also knows that a lot of students aren’t aware that this kind of help is available. In a nutshell, her position allows her to be a liaison between students and faculty to ensure the student’s feelings, issues and opportunities are addressed properly and in a timely manner. Williams says the most important thing she can do for students is to help them get past that “thing” they believe is insurmountable. She says she seeks to relieve stress and to help students enjoy the learning process. During her nine years at Lipscomb, she has spent a lot of time in the academic office working with probationary students, addressing problems and helping them get back on the right track. When the Director of Student Advocacy position became available five years ago, she said it fit ther passions. Her role includes issues ranging from financial counseling for tuition to helping students understand policies in particular classes or possibly mediate between students and faculty if they truly don’t understand each other. The hoped-for result is to promote an environment in which students and faculty can thrive, learn and teach without hiccups. Williams wants students to know that working with them is her favorite part of the job. “It’s hard to know where to go, or what to do,” she said. “I’m...
