Greetings! Welcome to first edition of the Graduate Student Newsletter. Our goal with this newsletter is to provide you with real engagement and real connections. In short, we want you to have at your fingertips the real resources you need for your successful Tiffin University career.
This newsletter is designed to help you understand the activities, new opportunities, and faculty and staff affiliated with the university. Whether you are a prospective student, current graduate student, or an alum, we plan to keep you informed about Tiffin University. This is as real as it gets!
The Graduate Admissions Office
TU’s Graduate Admissions Office assists prospective students with the application process. Your Graduate Representatives help gather transcripts and resumes for applicants. After a student has been admitted, the staff assists in registration. You can reach the office by calling (800) 968-6446, ext 3401, or email us at grad@tiffin.edu.
The Graduate Student Services Office
The Graduate Student Services Office assists current students with academic advising, registration information and assistance, preparation and planning for graduation, basic financial aid and payment information, and referral to other campus offices. You can reach the office by calling (800) 968-6446, ext 3269, or by email at
GradStudentServices@tiffin.edu.
A Message from the Dean of Arts and Sciences: Announcing the Master of Humanities Degree
We are excited to announce a new graduate program at Tiffin University – the Master of Humanities degree program. This program is designed for adults facing career changes. We’ve designed the program for students who are interested in exploring disciplines in the liberal arts, which supply added skills in critical thinking, analytical writing, and communication.
The program is also designed for adults desiring promotion and needing to supplement their professional education through continued intellectual growth, as well as life-long learners who seek to satisfy their continuing intellectual curiosity and creativity. (Please note that this program is not designed for people who wish to pursue a research-intensive Ph.D. program.)
With our new Master of Humanities degree program, we can offer you flexibility in course selection and the opportunity to transfer graduate-level courses.
The Master of Humanities is organized around three thematic approaches:
- The Human Experience: Courses in this area engage a variety of perspectives that intersect important questions and issues in the experience of being human. Readings may deal with the topics of phenomenological experience, psychology, aesthetics, consciousness, intentionality, or relationships.
- Systems of Human Thought: These courses are designed to provide a variety of perspectives that bring together important questions and issues in human thought. Readings may deal with topics of ideologies, religion, literature, epistemology, and scientific or political belief systems.
- Study of Human Practice: Courses in this area inspire a variety of perspectives that connect important questions and issues in human practice. Readings may deal with historical, economic, sociological, or aesthetic practice.
Sincerely, Miriam Fankhauser, Dean
Please feel free to contact me at (419) 448-3426 or by email at mfankhau@tiffin.edu.
You may also contact the Graduate Admissions Officeat (800) 968-6446 ext. 3401, or via email at grad@tiffin.edu for more information.
A Graduate Student Profile
Meet Ron Edwards:
Ron Edwards, a May 2007 graduate of the Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) program, is originally from Franklin, Ohio, and now resides in Chillicothe, Ohio, with his wife and three sons.
Why attend Tiffin University? Ron remarks, “It was a life goal to enhance my education and career experiences for what I believe would reflect my interest and desire to ‘be all that I can be.’ The Justice Administration degree will certainly round out my career accomplishments, and allow me that professional ‘edge’ needed in today’s global arena.”
Ron explains that he chose to continue his education at Tiffin University because he was looking for a reputable, accredited college in Ohio that offered a comprehensive graduate curriculum and had a strong sense of academic commitment to its students. “Tiffin University offered all of the above and more,” he says.
When asked what he likes in particular about the Justice Administration program at TU, he replies that it “is pertinent to any persons who plan to make Corrections or Criminal Justice a career. The classes provided some of the most reputable, knowledgeable instructors in Ohio. The practical experiences of the program’s instructors were outstanding. TU has provided some of Ohio’s top administrators in State government as instructors. A practical, experienced instructor coupled with contemporary textbooks was a chemistry that I really found existed at TU.”
While at TU, Ron had the opportunity to travel to India during the summer and receive credit for one of his classes. He spent the month of June studying the criminal justice system in India. He says, “This was a life learning experience – fabulous!”
Ron is no stranger to real-world success in the criminal justice field. He is an instructor at the University of Rio Grande. Ron is a former prison warden and retired as Deputy Director from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. He has served as Director of the Governor’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs and as a corrections advisor for the U.S. Embassy in Port-Au-Prince, Republic of Haiti.
He is also a member of the International Relations Committee for the American Corrections Association, Ohio Correctional and Court Services Association, Ohio Wardens Association, and North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents. In addition, Ron is a life member of the American Legion, VFW, and AMVETS and is a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Meet Your Faculty:
Thomas Newcomb
Dr. Thomas Newcomb serves as Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice & Security Studies, and he teaches what he knows first hand. Over the course of a 25- year career in intelligence, he conducted Cold War, war-zone, and counter-terrorism operations overseas for the CIA on three continents; served in Washington D.C. at the senior-executive level in all three branches of our federal government; and lastly, served in the White House as a Special Assistant to President Bush for National Security Affairs and as the Senior Director in the National Security Council for Combating Terrorism. He came to Tiffin University after a fellowship at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics.
Tim Schultz
Tim Schultz is the longest-serving faculty member at TU. He is a Professor of Accounting and also serves as the Accounting Club Advisor. Tim has also been the Dean of the School of Business and was instrumental in starting the School of Business Academic Advisory Council, a group of prominent alumni and businesspersons who provide feedback to our faculty about our graduates and the skills needed to be successful in the modern workforce. Tim is a Certified Public Accountant and is very active in the Tiffin community, having served on many councils, boards, and committees.
Mary Grennen
Dr. Mary Grennen joined the School of Arts and Sciences as an Assistant Professor of English. Dr. Grennen holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Drama from Fordham University at Lincoln Center, Master of Arts from Washington College, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Arts & Science: Western Dramatic Literature, Theory and Criticism with an “Emphasis in Tragedy” from Union Institute & University (UIU). Dr. Grennen has taught a wide variety of English courses, including all levels of writing, various literature surveys, and oral communications. With a Ph.D. in Dramatic Literature, Theory, and Criticism, she has taught various courses in dramatic literature, acting, and directing. Her doctoral dissertation, "The Nature/Nurture Dichotomy of Tragic Figures in Western Dramatic Literature," was nominated for UIU's 2005 Sussman Award.
The Career Development Office
Your one-stop shop for lifetime planning! Helping students achieve professional excellence! These are our hallmarks, and you can count on us to help you locate real opportunities!
The Mission of our office is to provide guidance for Tiffin University students and alumni during their career development process by providing self-assessment, career exploration, and career preparation resources.
Tiffin University can provide students with the real resources to achieve their goals. The Career Development Office offers these services and sponsors these special events:
• Individualized Career Counseling and Online Discover Assessment Program
• Resume & Cover Letter Writing/Critique Programs
• Interviewing Programs and Mock Interviews
• The Perfect Interview Online Service
• Job Success Programs & Alumni Panel Sessions
• Job Fairs
• Networking Opportunities and Assistance
• Career Portfolio Development
• Online Resume Referral Database System
• On-Campus Employer Recruiting Events
If you need help with job searches, resume building, interview skills or other career assistance, please contact Carol McDannell, Director of Career Development & Internships, at (800) 968-6446, ext 3441, or by email at cmcdanne@tiffin.edu.
At Tiffin University, we offer an education for real life, and we have the real resources and services to ensure your real success!