Several days were spent traveling between Nashville and Memphis. The main purpose of this trip was to visit seven schools and explore their program and/or services for students with learning differences (LD.)
If you want to study music and anything related to the music industry, Nashville is the place to go. Belmont University is set on the grounds of an old Southern estate. It has a beautiful setting with a diverse academic offering. The school owns their own music studios on Music Row. Some famous alum of their music industry major are Brad Paisley and Trisha Yearwood. Belmont is a medium- sized school hoping to cap enrollment at 7,000. There is a one-person disability staff with limited capabilities
Trevecca Nazarene also set in Nashville has a population of 1,000. They have a wonderful support system that is in place and continues to grow for LD students. Music is a strong component of their campus environment. Trevecca is a good fit for a student who needs a strong, supportive educational setting.
Vanderbilt University is also located in Nashville. As with so many schools that have arrived, little additional information was gained from my visit. They are ranked #1 in the US for their education major. They have limited resources for LD students. A very independent student might succeed at this institution.
O'More College of Design is in Franklin, Tn. Franklin is a lovely, little Southern town. Tucked away on an old estate, you will find a treasure. O'More is small, 200 students, with a very young academic staff. Their goal is to produce artists that find employment upon graduation.
The University of Memphis was the next stop. For a public institution, they had a strong staff with a wide variety of supports in place for an LD student. There are 17,000 undergraduates with only 10% living on campus. This is set in an urban environment with many varied programs. Fed Ex and the Kemmons family (Holiday Inn) founders have strong ties to this school and have contributed heavily.
Suwanee University, The University of the South is an experience unto itself. Set in the teeny, tiny town of Suwanee-- it is the town. It is lovely in all aspects of its campus. Prep school leading to the country club comes to mind. They still are tied to the Episcopal Church. There are many unique traditions such as gowning. If you are an LD student here, you would be hard-pressed to find many supports in place with the counseling center.
Rhodes College in Memphis was one of those that gets a star. It is one of the most beautiful campuses that I have visited. All of the schools were lovely. With the early onset of spring there were dogwoods and azaleas in bloom everywhere. Rhodes is one of the Colleges That Change Lives. It is set in Memphis right across from the zoo and many cultural amenities. They have a very small LD staff, one full-time person. You would need to be willing to use the resources throughout the campus. There is no central place for assistance. Rhodes is academically challenging. They offer 4-credit courses which meet 3 times a week.
No trip to Tennessee would be complete without a visit to Graceland. Our group visited Elvis' home, had dinner, entertainment, and dancing before we called it a long, long day.
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