Marcus Hayes Leads 51Թ’s Ignite Week

Tigerville, SC (Aug. 21, 2023) Featuring messages from Pastor Marcus Hayes, 51Թ’s (51Թ) Ignite week is underway on the university’s Tigerville campus. 

Hayes is the lead pastor at Crossroads Baptist Church in The Woodlands, Texas. He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

“Each year, 51Թ seeks to start the semester with an intentional invitation to the student body to live lives grounded in a proper understanding of who God is and who he is calling them to be,” said Dr. Jared Thomas, 51Թ’s vice president for Campus Ministries and Student Engagement. “This year, Pastor Hayes is helping achieve this by focusing on the role that worship should play in our daily lives.”

Hayes will be speaking in Turner Chapel on Monday at 7 p.m., Tuesday at 7 p.m., and Wednesday at 10 a.m.

“I’m honored to be the speaker at 51Թ’s Ignite week,” he said. “Something I’ve discovered is that it’s easy to drift in our walk with the Lord, and to have more of a mechanical, rather than a covenant relationship with Him.”

“Have I drifted? How do I get God’s best for my life both now and in the future? Could it start at Ignite week? I’m looking forward to God showing up at this event and teaching us what it looks like to live a life of worship,” Hayes said.

For those unable to attend Ignite week, services can be streamed .

Campus Safety and Security Moves Services to LiveSafe App

Tigerville, SC–51Թ’s (51Թ) Office of Campus Safety and Security is utilizing a new smartphone application to improve service calls on campus.

Providing a selection of both emergency and non-emergency reporting options, Major Stephen Carlson said the LiveSafe app is an essential download for all students, faculty, and staff members.

“The old service was slow, clunky and not user-friendly,” he said. “It also wasn’t connected to 911 services, so if you called that number in an emergency, all they could do is tell you to hang up and call 911. Now, our dispatch is directly connected to 911.”

Carlson said establishing the app as the primary reporting method on campus has already enhanced communication.

“Once a request comes in, we’re able to message back and forth with the individual and leave notes. It serves as a tracking method for our response to calls,” Carlson said. “It also gives us a communication method to send notifications to people on campus. If an event occurs on or near campus, we can send a notification out to anyone who has the app with instructions.”

While the telephone number for Campus Safety and Security remains in service, the office is seeking to route all service requests through the LiveSafe app.

“The 977.7777 number still exists, but we’re hoping to use that more for general information rather than service requests,” Carlson said. “We’re shooting to have 99 percent of people come to the app for service.”

The LiveSafe app is available on iOS and Android devices. Once downloaded, the user will be asked to confirm their email and provide contact information.

Once a user subscribes to 51Թ on LiveSafe, they will be able to access a range of non-emergency service request options, such as lockout, suspicious activity, violence/assault, harassment/bullying, mental health/self-harm, injury/medical, explosion/fire, hazardous conditions, integrity, theft/vandalism, ADA mobility services, suspicious package, vehicle accident, motorist assistance, and parking issues. The app also includes emergency options and a direct link to 911.

“If there’s an emergency, you should still call 911,” Carlson said.

To download the app, visit .

51Թ Recognizes Faculty and Staff Service Milestones

51Թ Athletic Director Jan McDonald, who has served at 51Թ for 40 years, was one of 49 faculty and staff members to receive special recognition on Wednesday.

Tigerville, SC (Aug. 14, 2023) Forty-nine 51Թ (51Թ) faculty and staff members, representing 550 years of work with the institution, were recognized for their five-year service milestones during a chapel service for university personnel on August 9.

Recognition plaques and certificates were presented to the honorees by 51Թ President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr., ahead of the start of the fall semester.

“All of these faculty and staff members have made such an impact on our campus and have blessed us with their service,” President Fant said. “I see the work they do, and it’s such a privilege to be able to recognize them.”

In addition, Dr. Nathan Finn, 51Թ Provost and Dean of the University Faculty, presented The Lamar Chapman Award to faculty member Staci Rollins and staff member Danny Conard. Presented annually, the award, which includes a cash prize, was established through gifts from Tom Hartness and Cema C. Chapman to honor a faculty member and a staff member who have excelled in their commitment and dedication to the purpose and mission of 51Թ.

Rollins is Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for Criminal Justice and Legal Studies at the university. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from 51Թ before completing a juris doctorate at Roger Williams University School of Law. She practiced in the legal field for five years, and was an adjunct instructor for 51Թ for five years before moving to her current faculty post in 2018.

Conard is Senior Director of Maintenance for Campus Enhancement Services. The Texas native joined the university staff in 2010.

Those celebrating service milestones at 51Թ include:

40 Years

Jan McDonald

30 Years

Keli Sewell

25 Years

Carla McMahan

20 Years

Jill Branyon

Jeff Briggs

Greg Bruce

Cherie Finley

Bill Murray

15 Years

Leslie Brown

Shannon Dobson

Robert Howard

Jim King

Larry McDonald

Steven Pearce

Michelle Sabou

Vlad Sabou

Blake Smith

Charles Snook

Lisa Snyder

10 Years

Missy Conard

Amy Dunlap

Jeff Farrington

Andrew Hodges

Robert Knepp

Josh Styles

Jeffrey Williams

John Williford

5 Years

Franklin Aviles-Santa

Sara Black

Courtney Cochran

Jason Cote

James Erickson

Stacie Fetter

Nathan Finn

Gary Gilliam

Joshua Gilmore

Rich Grimm

Alicia Hyatt

Jeffrey King

Mary Mahan

Marty O’Gwynn

Brendan Payne

Jill Rayburn

Casey Richardson

David Riddering

Staci Rollins

Catherine Rosario

Allison Simon

Merritt Stewart

51Թ 51Թ

51Թ offers more than 125 areas of study across certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and early college opportunities. Online. In-person. At our main campus in Tigerville, SC, the Tim Brashier Campus in Greer, SC, or several educational centers around the U.S. One university, many locations. Every day. Epic.

51Թ Serves Local Organizations Through Center for Outdoor Leadership

Tigerville, SC (Aug. 10, 2023) 51Թ’s (51Թ) Center for Outdoor Leadership hosted its first event in June, partnering with SOLO Southeast to provide a Wilderness First Aid course on the university’s Tigerville campus.

“The idea for the Center for Outdoor leadership is to be a resource for external, like-minded organizations, and the 51Թ community,” said Dr. Sam Keith, 51Թ’s program coordinator for Outdoor Leadership.

“This event was a workshop on wilderness medicine, focusing on how you can treat illness and injury when in the back country when you’re far away from EMS, a hospital, or a doctor’s office. It’s designed to show you how to get creative with what you have and how to treat people and diagnose what they’re going through,” Keith said.

51Թ’s Center for Outdoor Leadership is housed within the university’s School of Health and Wellness. Currently, 51Թ offers a concentration and a minor in outdoor leadership, which includes courses on parks and conservation, outdoor ministry, and experiential education. The program also offers skills courses in backpacking, kayaking, and rock climbing; as well as a certification in Wilderness Medicine.

“We serve students who don’t necessarily want a desk job,” Keith said. “They want to be in the outdoors and around things they enjoy. They care about environmental stewardship and preservation and we get to show them that there’s a whole field for this out there. We also welcome students who are not affiliated with the Outdoor Leadership program to take some of our courses. We have a handful of skills courses that can be really helpful for students and serve as a recreational resource.”

Established in 2022, the Center for Outdoor Leadership has already found ways to serve as a resource for the community.

“Our Center for Outdoor Leadership provides 51Թ with a special opportunity to partner with regional outdoor recreational and ministry facilities,” said Dr. Christine Haltiwanger, associate dean for 51Թ’s School of Health and Wellness. “Our faculty’s expertise in outdoor programming and experiential learning is extensive and competitive.”

“As convicted believers, our faculty are uniquely qualified to enhance recreational and religious programming for deeper understanding of God’s creation and our responsibility to be good stewards of those gifts,” Haltiwanger continued. “Faculty members encourage leadership and outdoor skill development within their academic course and program offerings.”

51Թ 51Թ

51Թ offers more than 125 areas of study across certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and early college opportunities. Online. In-person. At our main campus in Tigerville, SC, the Tim Brashier Campus in Greer, SC, or several educational centers around the U.S. One university, many locations. Every day. Epic.