Humanities & Fine Arts

Probably the biggest challenge facing faculty in the classroom today — and there are many — is generative AI. I’m sure you’ve seen discussion of it everywhere. It’s invading every app, device and experience whether consumers want it or not.

But it’s particularly front of mind this week in education, because MIT scientists released a first-of-its-kind study that looked at how large-language-model (LLM, which is more accurate but less sexy than “AI”) tools like ChatGPT affect students’ brains when they use them to help write essays.

It’s hiring season at Vol State! In some ways, spring is the busiest time at the college because not only are we finishing up classes, celebrating commencement, wrapping up accreditation and state audit paperwork, we’re also trying to make sure all our classes for the fall semester have instructors.

Join us on Thursday, May 1st, for an exciting evening at the Steinhauer-Rogan-Black (SRB) Humanities Building on our Gallatin Campus. From 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, immerse yourself in fusion: culture crawl, a vibrant drop-in event celebrating our students' incredible creativity and talent this semester. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, explore, and appreciate the diverse range of work on display. We can’t wait to see you there!

The event will include:

Please allow me to introduce you to Carolina Kelly, a second-year Communications Studies major here at Vol State. She’s originally from White House, Tenn., and is on track to graduate this May with her Associate of Science degree.

And, as of last week, she is the Tennessee Board of Regents Community College Student of the Year for 2025. We’re incredibly proud, of course, and I think you deserve to get to know her better. 

(Answers lightly edited for brevity and clarity.)

Why did you choose Vol State?

If you thought that nothing interesting happens at Vol State during the summer, you thought wrong. Audry Deal-McEver is a clay artist based out of Nashville, TN, and her work is currently being featured in Vol State’s Humanities building from May 16th to July 22nd. Audry has a degree in Ceramic Studio Arts from Ohio University and has also studied at Die Burg Giebichenstein School of Art and Design in Germany.