Incoming members of Transylvania’s Class of 2027 may have the opportunity to participate in a pilot program designed to help them transition more effectively to college.
In March, Transylvania received $44,000 in grant funding from the Council on Postsecondary Education to design a program focused on preparing students for college and increasing retention rates. Jumpstart, a new initiative launched by the Office of Student Life, is the result of months of planning and will pilot this August.
Led by Jessie Rowe, student success coach, the roughly 30 students who are nominated for Jumpstart will move to campus early for four full days of activities leading up to First Engagements, the university’s orientation program.
“Jumpstart is a unique opportunity for selected incoming students to gain additional knowledge prior to our First Engagements and orientation,” said Ashley Hill, Transylvania’s associate dean of students and director of student wellbeing. “Students will learn about academic preparedness, financial literacy and understanding college while bonding with classmates and experiencing campus and Lexington as never before.”
Participants will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with faculty, sharpen their study skills, explore study abroad options, and take a trip with their peers to the Gorge Underground. This “behind-the-scenes” look at college life prior to the start of the semester is intended to help students develop confidence in navigating new systems and processes while increasing their sense of belonging to the campus community.
“We are always striving to try new ways to help our students thrive in college,” Hill added. “Creating a new program unlike anything we’ve offered in previous years was an exciting new opportunity for us. The grant money allows us to try things we haven’t been able to before and to create a completely new experience for students.”