News from Transy

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University has been named a best value by “Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.” The university ranked 69th in the magazine’s annual list of the top 100 liberal arts colleges that combine outstanding quality with affordability. “College is a significant investment,” said Brad Goan, Transylvania’s vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions. “The four years a student spends at Transylvania are exceptional, but the real value of a Transylvania education is in how it empowers our students and alumni to envision the possibilities in life and provides them with the skills, wisdom and courage to pursue them.” 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. This year, Kiplinger’s adjusted the criteria to better reflect the issues affecting families. Now, the rankings give more weight to the four-year graduation rate—a measure of the college’s ability to deliver academic support and of the overall cost to families—and to colleges that keep student debt down. “We are pleased to see Kiplinger’s confirm what our graduates already know—that a Transylvania education is a great value,” said David Cecil, Transylvania’s associate vice president for financial aid. Ninety-six percent of Transylvania’s graduates are employed or enrolled in graduate programs within six months of graduation, and 93 percent of graduates complete their degree in four

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University was recently named a Great College to Work For by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The ranking is based on survey responses from nearly 44,000 people at 310 institutions. Transylvania is among the 111 colleges across the country to be named to the final list, each having received recognition in at least one of 12 categories. The response rate to the surveys was 40 percent nationwide, but Transylvania’s response rate was 60 percent. The assessment process had two components: a questionnaire about institutional characteristics and a faculty/staff questionnaire about individuals’ evaluations of their institutions. The 12 categories of recognition included collaborative governance, professional/career development programs, compensation and benefits, job satisfaction, work/life balance and supervisor/department chair relationship. Transylvania was recognized in the supervisor/department chair relationship category. “I was extremely pleased to learn that Transylvania was recognized as a great place to work in our first year of participation,” said Jeff Mudrak, director of human resources. “We excelled in many areas and received recognition in one area, department chair/supervisor relationships.” Mudrak said that with a record number of schools competing for recognition, making the list was no small feat.  “Moving forward, we will continue to build on our strengths and make improvements in other areas with the goal of being recognized as an honor roll institution next year,” he said. “I firmly believe that providing a great place to work undoubtedly contributes to making Transylvania University a great place

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