A wide-angle view of the Fisher Center at Belmont University during a special event for Dolly: An Original Musical. The stage features a large screen displaying the musical's logo and the names of panelists: Dolly Parton, director Bartlett Sher, and The Tennessean's Marcus Dowling. The audience fills the theater, and the panelists are seated in a discussion onstage under warm stage lighting.
Dolly U at Belmont University Logo

Dolly U: Inspired Learning in Action

In partnership with global icon Dolly Parton and CTK Enterprises founder Danny Nozell, Belmont University’s "Dolly U" program is transforming education through hands-on, real-world experiences across a variety of disciplines. The initiative celebrates and amplifies Parton’s enduring legacy, equipping students with creativity, innovation and character to become the next generation of entertainment and community leaders.

Dolly U launched with several collaborative projects and interdisciplinary initiatives connected to Dolly: A True Original Musical, which held its world premiere at Belmont’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in 2025. Students worked side-by-side with industry professionals to bring the production to life — an experience that shaped both their skills and vision for the future.

With the musical now preparing for its Broadway debut in 2026, Dolly U continues to open doors for Belmont students across disciplines, offering new opportunities to learn, create and lead on projects that carry global impact.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF DOLLY U


Dolly U: The Details

Centered around the musical, the initial Dolly U Program featured two distinctive opportunities for immersive education around the making of “Dolly: A True Original Musical”. Read below about the 2025 Summer Fellowship Program as well as past and upcoming course opportunities.

Summer 2025 Fellowship Program

The Dolly U Fellowship Program was designed to provide real-world, experiential-learning opportunities for Belmont undergraduate, rising juniors or seniors who demonstrate high levels of professionalism, work ethic, confidentiality and integrity.

This summer, nine Dolly U Fellows journeyed alongside the Dolly: A True Original Musical team to help launch the production in The Fisher Center.

Students in a Belmont University classroom presenting a group project to their peers, with one student pointing to a projected image of a stadium on a screen

Coursework

Each semester both project-based and affinity-based courses are offered as part of Dolly U, providing students opportunities to contribute to a new Dolly project and/or a chance to learn about Dolly’s storied career. Details on the courses that are part of the program can be found below.

Spring 2026 Courses

Faculty: Stephen Rush

This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of marketing and promotion in the entertainment industry. Through a mix of theoretical concepts and practical case studies, students will learn how to create effective marketing and promotional strategies for various types of entertainment products, including movies, television shows, music, live events, and more.

Faculty: John Zarling and Jackie Campbell

This course examines the principles and strategies of partnership marketing, sponsorship, strategic alignments, non-profit collaborations and business development as applied to the music industry. It requires a basic understanding of negotiation/sales strategy, legal agreements, music rights and ownership, as well as marketing and promotion within the entertainment industry. 

Faculty: Anna Grace Usery

This cross-listed undergraduate/graduate course invites students to serve as the strategic communication arm for a new initiative identified by the Dolly U team, such as an educational outreach program or community engagement effort. Acting as a professional campaign team, students will research, plan, pitch, and implement an integrated strategic communication campaign to support the launch and public engagement of the initiative. The course emphasizes storytelling, media strategy, audience engagement, and values-based messaging—preparing students to lead with purpose while contributing to a living brand rooted in imagination and impact. 

Faculty: Kevin Trowbridge

What if a country music legend could teach you everything you need to know about strategic communication? She can—and her name is Dolly. This cross-listed undergraduate/graduate course explores Dolly Parton's iconic career as a blueprint for building a lasting, purpose-driven brand through message discipline, relational trust, and cultural intelligence. Students will examine how Dolly and her team have crafted a multidimensional narrative across industries—blending consistency with creativity, authenticity with intentionality. Through applied theory, campaign analysis, and personal brand development, students will uncover what it takes to communicate with heart and strategy in any arena. 

Fall 2025 Courses

Faculty: Jodi Marr and Victoria Banks

This course explores Dolly Parton's journey as a multi-genre songwriter and recording artist. Through in-depth analysis of her significant /pivotal songs, students will explore her songwriting techniques, thematic choices, genre versatility, and the cultural impact of her work. The course also examines her career challenges and opportunities in terms of her artist identity and development trajectory, and how key songs defined her as an artist and also influenced the broader music and entertainment landscape. The course will also include the study of her contributions to film, television, musical theater, and philanthropy, highlighting her role as a storyteller, collaborator and visionary icon.

Faculty: Brandon Holle

A study of modern marketing research techniques and their applications. Topics include research design, questionnaire design, sampling, data collection and analyses, and report preparation and presentation. This course will include a project connected to Dolly: A True Original Musical.

Previous Courses

Dolly Parton: Icon & Influence

Faculty: Brittany Schaffer & Caroline Rupard

The life and career of Dolly Parton spans over 60 years of impact and inspiration. From hit songs to major motion pictures, best-selling books to a thriving theme park, Dolly’s creative journey continues to shape culture and inspire generations. This course explores the keystone moments of creating an American icon through both lecture and intimate interviews from experts and key players in Dolly’s career.

Story-Driven Merchandising

Faculty: Rick Rekedal

This class examines how entertainment properties connect with audiences through consumer products, transforming stories into lifestyle experiences. Key topics include the Story Adoption Engine, toyetic potential and understanding consumer needs. Students will learn to ideate and pitch products that extend audience engagement beyond entertainment, with a focus on products connected to Dolly: A True Original Musical.

Integrated Marketing Communications

Faculty: Dr. Lora Mitchell

The marketing communications landscape is more complex than ever. Recognizing the importance of coordinating the numerous and varied consumer touch points available to marketers, this course approaches the promotional aspect of marketing from an integrated marketing communications perspective. In particular, although traditional media advertising is often the most visible part of a firm’s communications, attention will also be given to the strategic role of other elements of the promotional mix, including digital/internet marketing, direct marketing, sales promotion and public relations. Emphasis will be placed on developing consumer insights on which to base creative and media decisions, as well as the importance of setting and evaluating performance against actionable promotional objectives.

Partnership Marketing in Music

Faculty: John Zarling & Jackie Campbell

This course examines the principles and strategies of partnership marketing, sponsorship, strategic alignments, non-profit collaborations and business development as applied to the music industry. It requires a basic understanding of negotiation/sales strategy, legal agreements, music rights and ownership, as well as marketing and promotion within the entertainment industry.

Other Dolly U Activities

Belmont Repertory Company (Rep Co) Presents Dolly Parton's "Billy the Kid Makes It Big"

Belmont Rep Co will spend the Fall 2025 semester adapting “Billy The Kid Makes It Big” into a 30-45 minute theatre performance to be toured around local elementary schools and similar organizations in the greater Nashville-Metro County area in Spring 2026.

 

The Belmont Repertory Theatre Company is an ensemble of 5-6 theatre artists from Belmont’s Department of Theatre and Dance, who strive to extend creativity, and a love of theatre into the local and surrounding communities. Centered around community outreach, the BU Rep Company (Rep Co) hopes create an opportunity that challenges students and community members to strive for excellence as they learn more about the art and craft of theatre through quality theatrical experiences that are sure to educate, enlighten, and entertain. Their goal is to celebrate the spirit of our community by providing inspiring, creative work that will engage new and diverse theatre audiences.

Three Belmont University students talking and smiling outdoors on campus, with the iconic Bell Tower visible in the background during sunny weather.

Get to Know Belmont University

Nestled in the heart of Nashville, Belmont hosts a vibrant creative community, with top-ranked programs in arts, music, business, design and so much more. Immerse yourself in a supportive environment guided by industry experts and accomplished artists with world-class facilities and a collaborative spirit. Discover the innovation, like Dolly U, that makes Belmont unlike any other college campus.

Watch the Announcement

The program begins at 9:20.