1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University
High school seniors, you’re probably in the narrowing-down phase of your college search process. You’ve applied everywhere, done some campus visits, and as financial aid packages come in the mail, you and your family are starting to make the most important decision you’ve probably made so far. No pressure, right?
LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University named Laura Bryan, who was dean of the University of Baltimore’s college of arts and sciences, as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the university. She began July 1. By hiring Bryan, Transylvania continues a leadership transformation that started a year ago with the selection of President Seamus Carey. “We are very excited to have Dr. Bryan join the Transylvania community during this time of renewal,” Carey said. “She brings a wealth of experience as an educator, administrator, consensus builder and advocate of the liberal arts.” Bryan, a U.S. Fulbright Scholar and psychology professor, serves as the chief academic officer for the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences’ undergraduate and graduate programs. “I have tremendous respect for Transylvania’s mission, faculty, staff and students, and I am honored to be selected as the next dean,” Bryan said. “I look forward to partnering with the university and Lexington communities.” She will serve on the executive cabinet and oversee Transylvania’s library, study abroad program, writing center, first-year academic experience, registrar and career development office. Bryan is no stranger to the Lexington area, having served as director of work-life at the University of Kentucky. Additionally, she was associate VP for academic affairs with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at Eastern Kentucky University, where she helped develop a graduate program in industrial and organizational psychology and was director for the campus Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program. Bryan also directed the
LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University continued to grow its commitment to local agriculture on Friday, Feb. 20, during the annual Local Food Fair. The community came out to the Clive M. Beck Athletic Center to buy local food, meet growers and learn about innovative programs. “The Local Food Fair is a way Transylvania can connect our local farmers—especially those offering a Community Supported Agriculture program—with potential costumers and a way for us to connect the general public with growers,” said Angela Poe, director of the sustainability office, which hosts the fair. Customers of a CSA support farms through buying a share of the harvest. In turn, they receive boxes or baskets of fresh produce throughout the growing season. “Buying into a CSA can be intimidating if you haven’t done it before, but the Local Food Fair gives people a chance to talk to multiple farmers, face-to-face, about the CSA offerings,” Poe said. “This helps them get comfortable with the idea and find the CSA that will best fit their needs.” Participating farms included: Elmwood Stock, Fresh Stop Lexington, Triple J, Bellaire Blooms, Pine Barren, Stone Burr and McMaine’s Riverhaven. The Lexington and Bluegrass Farmers’ Markets were also represented, along with SeedLeaf, FoodChain and Sunny Side Up. Athenian Grill was on-hand serving food, so fair visitors could grab lunch or a snack while they talked to local farmers. Sustainability is a core value at Transylvania, which means the school has a strong commitment to local
Read “Transylvania supports area agriculture at Local Food Fair”
LEXINGTON, Ky.— Acclaimed writer and translator Achy Obejas will give a free, public lecture on “Identity and Dislocation” Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in Conference Room A of the Campus Center during her residency as a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow at Transylvania University. Obejas, a Cuban immigrant, is the author of critically acclaimed novels “Ruins” and “Days of Awe” and recently co-edited “Immigrant Voices: 21st Century Stories,” a collection of short stories written by recent immigrants to the United States. In addition to her public talk, she will lead classes and discussions with Transylvania students and faculty during her week-long fellowship. “Several faculty members were interested in Obejas and her experience with writing, literature, translation and immigration,” said psychology professor Meg Upchurch, who coordinates the lecture series on campus. “This will enable members of our campus community to have sustained conversations with her and explore her ideas more in depth.” Obejas is the Distinguished Visiting Writer at Mills College in Oakland, Calif. The Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellows program, which is administered by the Council of Independent Colleges in Washington, D.C., brings prominent artists, diplomats, journalists, business leaders and other professionals to campuses across the United States for a residential program of classes, seminars, workshops, lectures and informal discussions. For 35 years, the Visiting Fellows have introduced students and faculty members at liberal arts colleges to a wide range of perspectives on life, society, community and achievement. Previous Wilson Fellows
Read “Cuban-American writer to visit Transylvania as Wilson Fellow”
LEXINGTON, Ky.—Beginning with the fall 2016 admissions cycle, students will no longer be required to submit ACT or SAT scores when applying to Transylvania University. Transylvania becomes the first Kentucky school from the U.S. News and World Report’s top 100 liberal arts colleges to adopt the new system, which is becoming increasingly popular among leading institutions. Students will still have the option to submit their scores for consideration in the admission and scholarship processes but can choose not to if they feel the scores do not accurately reflect their academic abilities. “The ACT and SAT are among a set of many tools that can be used in evaluating a student for admission and scholarships,” said Brad Goan, vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions. “But there is strong evidence that standardized tests are not the best predictors of retention and graduation for some students. We will offer students a choice.” Transylvania will continue to use a holistic approach to evaluate the applications of those who choose not to submit test scores. This will include an analysis of the rigor of curriculum, the high school transcript, writing ability, recommendations, and co-curricular involvement. Students will also be encouraged to interview with an admissions counselor. “Transylvania is a diverse community of many different types of learners and an accomplished faculty of master teachers. Reducing a student’s ability to a number does not do justice to what it means to be a student
