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Transylvania University President R. Owen Williams to resign at the end of the 2013-14 academic year

Posted on June 17, 2013July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—R. Owen Williams will step down as president of Transylvania University after the 2013-14 academic year, Chairman of the Board of Trustees William T. Young Jr. announced this afternoon in a meeting with faculty and staff. “The Board of Trustees fully supports Dr. Williams’s decision to continue to lead Transylvania University through the upcoming school year,” Young said. “It is with regret that we accept his resignation.” Young said that a national search for Williams’s successor will be initiated later this year. Williams came to Transylvania in August 2010, after a national search to find a successor for Charles L. Shearer, who had served as president for 27 years. During his tenure, Williams has led the development of an ambitious strategic plan, Transylvania 2020—a comprehensive roadmap that encompasses enrollment growth, expansion of campus facilities and enhancements to academic and student life programs. He supported the development of an innovative August term for all new incoming students and expanded the size of campus by 20 percent. Other initiatives under Williams’s leadership include equalizing faculty salaries along gender lines; increasing starting salaries for assistant professors; making pre-tenure sabbaticals available for faculty; increasing the number of faculty; adding an associate dean position; approving the addition of varsity lacrosse and equestrian teams and competitive dance/cheer teams; establishing new staff positions in diversity and inclusion, admissions and development; increasing emphasis on student retention; starting the Creative Intelligence Lectures Series and John Marshall Harlan Lecture

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Transylvania earns bronze rating for sustainability efforts

Posted on June 5, 2013July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Transylvania University has been recognized for earning a STARS Bronze rating. The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS was developed and is administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). This is the first year Transylvania has completed the STARS assessment. Transylvania was scored based on categories such as “education and research,” which includes co-curricular education, courses available in sustainability, and sustainability research; “operations,” which includes keeping track of greenhouse gas emissions, offering reusable dining containers and trayless dining, lowering energy consumption and encouraging carpooling or bicycling to work; and “planning, administration and engagement” which evaluates cultural diversity, the employee wellness plan, and the strategic plan’s coordination with the sustainability plan. In recent years Transylvania has made significant reductions in electricity and gas consumption through, investments in energy retrofits, an aggressive winter shutdown program, and the implementation of a comprehensive energy plan. There are also numerous opportunities for students to be deeply engaged in sustainability efforts on campus and in the local community. Transylvania has committed to a sustainability master plan which was incorporated in the university’s strategic plan, Transylvania 2020. “I’m proud of the entire Transylvania community for its efforts supporting sustainability,” Angela Poe, sustainability director, said. “Attaining a Bronze rating with our first STARS submission is a huge achievement.” More information on STARS can

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Sheilley named athletics director at Transylvania University; will serve as first female AD in the university’s history

Posted on June 4, 2013July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky. —Transylvania University has named Holly K. Sheilley, currently the assistant director of championships for the NCAA, as its new athletics director, effective July 1, 2013. “Holly will be an outstanding addition to Transylvania,” said President R. Owen Williams. “Her extensive and varied experience will enhance our already strong athletics program.” Sheilley has been with the NCAA since 2010. She managed four Division I Championships, including the two largest in terms of student-athlete participants, as well as five Division III Championships, including the two biggest. In total, she was responsible for oversight of over $3 million in operating budget. “I am extremely humbled and honored for the opportunity to serve as the athletics director at Transylvania University, Sheilley said. “I am committed to continuing the long-standing history of academic and athletic excellence by raising the bar and moving us forward as contenders in Division III. After getting to know the people here, it is clear that the university has a bright future. I am excited to work with such a great group of coaches, staff members and student-athletes.” Prior to joining the NCAA, Sheilley spent eight years in athletics administrative posts at the University of Louisville, working under athletics director Tom Jurich. She has been assistant athletic director for championships and student development and assistant compliance coordinator since 2002. “I am delighted that Holly is coming to Transylvania,” said Barbara LoMonaco, vice president for student affairs and dean of students.

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The Rose Ensemble will present “Land of Three Faiths” concert September 11 at Transylvania. The concert is free and open to the public, no ticket necessary.

Posted on June 3, 2013July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.— Critically acclaimed group The Rose Ensemble will present “Land of Three Faiths: Voices of Ancient Mediterranean Jews, Christians, and Muslims” on Wednesday, September 11, at 7:30 p.m., in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center’s Haggin Auditorium as part of Transylvania’s Dorothy J. and Fred K. Smith Endowed Concert Series. The concert is free and open to the public, no ticket necessary. “This event reminds us that religious traditions are often agents of peace and tolerance in our world,” said Wilson Dickinson, Transylvania’s associate dean for religious life. “This concert is a suitable way to memorialize this difficult day, as our community can join together in the mutual admiration and celebration of our multiple cultural and religious heritages.” Founded in 1996 by Artistic Director Jordan Sramek, The Rose Ensemble reawakens the ancient with vocal music that stirs the emotions, challenges the mind and lifts the spirit. The Saint Paul, Minnesota, group tours internationally with repertoire spanning 1,000 years and 25 languages, including new research in Middle Eastern, European and American vocal traditions. The Rose Ensemble received the 2005 Chorus America Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence and won first prize in sacred and secular music categories at the 2012 Tolosa Choral Contest in Spain (part of the European Choral Grand Prix). Sramek received the 2010 Louis Botto Award from Chorus America “for entrepreneurial zeal.” The Rose Ensemble has released nine recordings. The result of years of intensive research and training,

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Lawn of historic Old Morrison is scene for Transylvania’s commencement

Posted on May 25, 2013July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University’s 222 graduates welcomed the cool weather Saturday morning as they sat in their black caps and gowns soaking up the sunshine on the lawn of historic Old Morrison during the school’s commencement ceremony. Transylvania president R. Owen Williams conferred the bachelor of arts degree on the graduates, actor Steve Zahn delivered the keynote address, class of 2013 member Hannah Johnson was the student speaker and poet Nikky Finney received an honorary degree. Zahn, a Lexington resident who has appeared in movies including “Reality Bites,” “That Thing You Do!,” “You’ve Got Mail” and “Riding in Cars with Boys,” advised the graduates to take the back roads, where it’s hard to pass and you have to slow down and go through a lot of small towns. “That’s not to say that you shouldn’t take the highways, too,” he said. “It’s your turn to merge onto the interstate and go for it. But remember, the faster you go, the harder it will be to pull off onto the back road, and trust me, the back roads are better. They’re the ones you remember. “The long and the short of it is this: Don’t be in such a hurry to get where you think you’re supposed to be, because you’ll run the risk of missing the real opportunity. Live with integrity and passion. Treat yourself and others well. Humility mixed with focused tenacity will go a long way. Buy a radar

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