1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

News from Transy

Transylvania named a ‘best value’ by Kiplinger’s

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University is among the top liberal arts colleges in the country that were named a best value by “Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.” The university ranked 63rd in the magazine’s annual list of the top 100 liberal arts colleges that combine outstanding quality with affordability. Kiplinger’s assesses quality according to measurable standards, including the percentage of students who are admitted out of those who applied, the test scores of incoming freshmen, the ratio of students to faculty members and the four- and five-year graduation rates. “For most families, college is the second largest investment they make after the purchase of a home,” said Brad Goan, Transylvania’s vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions. “Our students have the confidence that their investments pay them back over and over again throughout the course of their lives. A Transylvania education empowers students and alumni to envision the possibilities in life and provides them with the tools and the confidence to pursue them. That is the lasting value of the Transylvania experience.” Through its Pioneer Pledge, the university makes a high quality liberal arts education affordable for all students who meet Transylvania’s admissions requirements. The Pioneer Pledge includes: Guaranteed graduation in four years A 12-month payment plan A level tuition program, which locks in the tuition rate for four years. Transylvania’s tuition and fees fall below the national average for liberal arts colleges, and the university offers extensive merit-based scholarships and need-based financial

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Expert nutritionist Marion Nestle receives honorary degree from Transylvania University

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Marion Nestle, one of the nation’s top experts on nutrition, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by Transylvania University on Tuesday, Oct. 23, in Haggin Auditorium. Nestle was recognized for her distinguished career in the field of nutrition as a teacher, scholar, author, public servant and advocate for enlightened policies on dietary guidance, social and environmental influences on food choice, the politics of food safety and the effects of food industry marketing on children’s diets and health. President R. Owen Williams conferred the degree prior to Nestle’s presentation of the fall 2012 Kenan Lecture, “Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health.” Nestle talked to the 700-member audience about rising obesity rates in the United States and how they correlate with several changes that have taken place in the food industry and food politics over the past 15-30 years. She cited research that shows the obesity rate in the early 1980s was around 15 percent, and in the early 2000s, that number jumped to 33 percent and is still rising. She said the average American eats between 200-700 more calories per day than they did in the 1980s. Several factors have led to people eating more, Nestle said, including deregulation of agriculture, Wall Street, and food marketing, which have allowed for much cheaper food to be available outside the home and created more pressure on the food companies to raise their profits. “Much of that

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Transylvania’s 2012 entering class is second largest in school history, sets records for diversity; retention rate is highest ever

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University President R. Owen Williams announced today that this year’s entering class of 350 is the second largest in school history, tied last year’s class as the most academically prepared and set school records for geographic and racial/ethnic diversity. Transylvania also set a new school record for freshman to sophomore retention, with 88 percent of last year’s entering class returning this fall. The national average for freshman to sophomore retention rates at private, nonprofit colleges is 79 percent, according to the College Board. Total enrollment is 1,074 students. Transylvania’s high retention rate can be attributed to many factors, including a student/faculty ratio of 11:1 and an average class size of 14, with no classes having more than 35 students and 47 percent of classes having fewer than 10 students. Members of the class of 2016 have an average ACT of 27, a middle 50 percent ACT range of 24-30 and an average GPA of 3.72. Forty-one percent were ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class. They include 34 students who took part in either the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program or the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts. Geographically, the class is the most diverse in 38 years and includes 99 students from outside Kentucky who make up 28 percent of the class. Ohio led the way in out-of-state students, followed by Tennessee, Indiana and three states in a tie—Florida, Texas and West Virginia. Twelve

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Transylvania University receives $5 million grant from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust to establish merit scholarship program

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—President R. Owen Williams announced today that Transylvania University has received a $5 million restricted endowment matching grant from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust to establish the William R. Kenan, Jr. Endowment Fund for Student Scholarships. It is one of the largest single gifts the university has ever received. The endowment supports the awarding of Kenan Scholarships to incoming Transylvania students based on merit. The awards will provide substantial scholarships to highly academically talented students. Members of the fall 2013 entering class will be the first to receive the scholarships. “This new scholarship program is a significant addition to the group of merit scholarships that we are able to offer outstanding students from across the country,” said Williams. “We appreciate very much the generosity of the trustees of the Kenan Charitable Trust in making this award and for their belief in the value of a Transylvania liberal arts education.” The conditions of the grant require that Transylvania raise an additional $5 million over the next three years to fully establish the endowment. Transylvania, founded in 1780, is the nation’s 16th oldest institution of higher learning and is consistently ranked in national publications as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Read the Lexington Herald-Leader story about the grant. 

Troy Heffron named Transylvania’s AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Troy Heffron joins the Transylvania University staff as the AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in the office of community service and civic engagement. Heffron will coordinate the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service with community projects involving students from Transylvania, Bluegrass Community and Technical College and the University of Kentucky. Heffron will develop programs to increase the number of tutors on the Transylvania Tutoring Team and support the development of the Fayette County Public Schools Volunteer System. He will also plan Transylvania’s September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance and National Volunteer Week events. Heffron graduated from Central Michigan University with a bachelor’s of science in business administration. He was the alternative break chairperson and summer staff member for the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center where he provided assistance to the advisory board of 18 student leaders, implemented program policies and managed weekly meetings. He also planned volunteer events to promote active citizenship and service learning. In the summer of 2011 he was the marketing, communications and development intern for the Nashville Sports Council, responsible for updating social media sites and writing web content and newsletters.