1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

Seamus Carey

Remarks to the Transylvania Class of 2022 at the First-Year Induction Ceremony

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

Good morning and welcome to Transylvania. We’re delighted to kick off a new school year by honoring you, the class of 2022, and your family members who have joined you here today. All of us at Transylvania are honored that you have chosen to spend four pivotal years on our campus, and we take our commitment to you and to your education very seriously. I have recently navigated the process of selecting a college with both of my daughters, and I am now in the middle of that process with my son. I know how trying it can be. So let me first offer my congratulations on your having reached this milestone. As students, I expect you feel some relief and not a small amount of anxiety. Those jumbled feelings are perfectly normal. Talk with your roommate, your floor mates, your classmates. I expect you’ll find they all share your excitement and your concerns. It’s a while ago now, but I remember experiencing a similar sense of trepidation when I first arrived on campus. As the son of immigrants and the first in my family to go away to school, I was lost. In fact, I was so homesick, I decided to withdraw after a couple of weeks and drove home on a Friday afternoon.  The next morning my father told me to have a job by Monday morning. So I called a friend who had a construction company to ask for a job. He

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Moloney named as Transylvania’s new VP for marketing and communications

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University has named Megan Moloney as the institution’s vice president for marketing and communications, effective July 23. During her career Moloney has filled multiple communications and public relations roles for the federal government, including as the director of digital media engagement for the Department of Veterans Affairs and as a public affairs specialist for the Secret Service. She also served as the press secretary for the government’s multi-departmental response to the Deepwater Horizon incident and as a staff member in the White House’s Office of the Press Secretary. She began her career as a producer, anchor and reporter in Oxford, Ohio, and Lexington, Ky., where she worked for WVLK-AM/FM, WLEX-TV and Kentucky Educational Television. “I am truly honored to join President Seamus Carey and the university’s administration in serving the Transylvania family. As someone who grew up in Lexington aware of the school’s historic place in the community, I look forward to working with the university’s faculty, staff, students, alumni and board members to share the stories that make Transylvania a college like no other.” As a member of the president’s cabinet, Moloney will play a key role in the communication and implementation of the university’s strategic plan, which is currently under development. She will also work closely with admissions and advancement staff as they chart the future for the 238-year-old institution. “Megan brings an impressive array of experience to the position as well as a deep appreciation

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Former CSX president to deliver Transylvania commencement address May 26

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Alvin R. “Pete” Carpenter, former CSX Transportation president and CEO, will deliver Transylvania University’s commencement address on Saturday, May 26, as the university celebrates its 2018 graduates. Carpenter is a 1964 Transylvania alumnus and served on the school’s Board of Trustees from 1993-2000. The Kentucky native now lives in Jacksonville, Fla. Carpenter and his wife, Marilyn, were the lead donors for a major interior upgrade of Transylvania’s Carpenter Academic Center, which wrapped up this spring. He also is a recipient of the university’s Morrison Medallion, which is given to alumni for outstanding service to the school and its programs. “Our graduating seniors can learn valuable life lessons from Pete Carpenter,” President Seamus Carey said. “Not only has he excelled in the business world, but he has exemplified living generously, which is the theme of this academic year. Mr. Carpenter’s efforts to transform the university’s main academic building into a cutting-edge learning environment will help sustain our liberal arts mission well into the 21st century.” Transylvania’s commencement will begin at 9 a.m. in front of historic Old Morrison. The rain location will be the Clive M. Beck Center. Students in this year’s graduating class have distinguished themselves academically, with numerous accolades. Class of 2018 highlights • Forty-six percent of the 218 graduating seniors are receiving Latin honors for a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5, and 45 percent are receiving program honors. • Thirty-five percent of this year’s graduates studied

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Taran McZee begins as AVP for Diversity and Inclusion

Posted on by Office of Marketing and Communications

Taran McZee joined Transylvania University May 1 as associate vice president for diversity and inclusion, serving on President Seamus Carey’s cabinet. He has spent nearly 15 years leading diversity, inclusion and equity efforts in higher education, and Transylvania is thrilled to bring his experience to campus. What drew you to Transylvania? I was chosen to participate in the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education’s (NADOHE) first Standards of Professional Practice Institute. It was a four-day curriculum developed by the top vice presidents and chief diversity officers across the nation. I was learning from some of the top inclusion and equity people in the nation, and after my four days, I was told by three of them that I’m ready to be a chief diversity officer. I told my mentor that if I got the opportunity to go to a private liberal arts institution, I was going to look into it. Two things stuck out to me about Transy: Project One, and the fact that this was an inaugural position. I have the opportunity to shape diversity, inclusion and equity for the institution with the help of faculty, staff, administration and students. I have the opportunity to shape it from what I’ve learned the last 15 years in higher education doing diversity, multiculturalism, LGBTQA and equity work. What have been your first impressions? It’s a beautiful campus. There’s genuine southern hospitality. And overall, people want to see student success,

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Signature Programs Alone Will Not Save Our Colleges

Posted on by President Seamus Carey

The forecast of a major contraction in higher education, especially among small, private liberal arts schools, has college administrators scrambling to find ways to save their schools. Some are implementing “signature programs” that organize and supplement the academic curriculum to add value to a student’s education. Signature programs are designed to support and enhance the educational experience of college students. The organizational coherence of these programs makes it easier to demonstrate the relevance of liberal education and the ways in which such an education can lead to success in the world.   At Transylvania University we take advantage of our size, location, and academic calendar to offer programs that tie courses to the real world. Our location, for instance, in the heart of downtown Lexington, Ky., makes it possible to connect students with alumni mentors through the 100 Doors to Success mentoring program and provide internships to any student who wants one.   We recently invested almost $1 million in digital liberal arts to ensure that our students understand, use, and critique technology to better make their way in the emerging digital world. Our academic calendar includes May term, during which students take one highly innovative course. May term courses are typically team-taught, travel courses, or integrated into our community. Each of these initiatives adds value to our students’ experience. And while they might qualify as “signature programs,” they do not constitute the identity of our school. They are not

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