TRANS4MATIONS
The Admissions Process At Coker University
Throughout your four years at Coker, the Trans4mations program guides you through a personalized sequence of experiences in and outside the classroom. By the time you graduate, you will have discovered knowledge, skills, and confidence to fuel success in all areas of your life.
ACCESS TRANS4MATIONS FORMS & RESOURCESIt’s Your Personal Trans4mation. Are You Ready to Get Started?
LEARN HOW TO SUCCEED IN THE CLASSROOM.
College is a fresh start. A new beginning. A chance to reinvent yourself.
With Trans4mations, each year of your college experience includes personalized programs and opportunities that are designed to transform you into who you want to be.
To help you along the way, we’ve developed two courses: Coker University 101 (CU 101) and Coker University 102 (CU 102).
COKER UNIVERSITY 101
CU 101 is designed to integrate first-year students academically and socially into the college environment. Students will develop an understanding of liberal arts education, an appreciation of the values and traditions behind the Coker experience, and a strong sense of belonging to the college community.
The course will improve learning and thinking skills, as well as self-management. Students will participate in a personal fitness assessment that provides basic information on student wellness, and will serve as a benchmark pre-test for comparison during physical education courses later in their college career. Additionally, students will attend four approved wellness activities.
CU 101 Mission and Objectives
As a part of a comprehensive first-year experience, the mission of Coker University 101 is to assist incoming students in their transition toward successful development in academic and non-academic areas of college life. The course is designed to pair first-year students with faculty, staff, and peer mentors (i.e., commissioners) who will:- Introduce students to the college environment and assist them in navigating the institution
- Equip students with basic academic success skills (e.g., effective study techniques, time management, academic integrity, etc.)
- Assist students with personal success skills (e.g., goal-setting, career and major exploration, etc.)
- Promote social interaction between students, and with faculty and staff
- Expose students to campus and regional cultural events and experiences
- Engage in service projects that benefit the campus, Hartsville, regional, state, or national communities
- Encourage individual growth by increasing awareness of human diversity, cultures, values, and beliefs
- Develop an understanding of personal health and well-being
COKER UNIVERSITY 102
There are two options for completing this second course.
1. For students who have not yet selected a major, CU 102 helps them engage in career and major exploration, while emphasizing the value of Coker’s liberal arts approach.Students will explore all academic programs and/or departments to learn about courses of study and career opportunities in each major. The seminars will guide students through projects and assessments in which they will identify their interests, values, skills, and abilities to help them define and clarify their academic and career plans.
2. When available, students who have selected their major may substitute a departmental first-year seminar specific to their intended major for CU 102. Each academic area will design experiences relevant to that area
Students transferring to Coker from another college may be eligible to exempt one or both of these First-Year Experience courses. Please contact the Office of the Provost for more information regarding possible exemptions.
GROW WITHIN THE WIDER COKER COMMUNITY.
A true liberal arts education can’t be learned just from a textbook. It has to be experienced.
So in Year Two, you’ll take your education out of the classroom by participating in community service and cultural events.With opportunities for service learning, volunteer work, and engaging cultural activities all around you, the hardest part is choosing which to do! We recommend trying out several options: a dance concert, a service trip, an art show, an academic lecture—who knows? You might be surprised by what moves you.
Acquiring Trans4mations Credit
Students beginning before Fall 2022 must accrue 18 units of community service and/or cultural event credit during their time at Coker. These units may be accumulated in a single area, or may be divided between community service and cultural events. The number of units awarded for a specific act of service or event is determined by the Office of the Provost.
While cultural event and community service participation is listed as a component of the sophomore year experience, students may earn credits throughout their time at Coker. For more information, please contact your academic advisor, student success coach, or the Office of the Provost.
Please use this form to submit your information about and reflection on the experience. The Provost’s Office will review your submission for possible T4 credit.COMMUNITY SERVICE
There’s no better way to grow as a person, learn about your community, or to understand the impact that one person can have on the world.
Through a variety of approved service opportunities with a wide range of organizations, you can apply what you’re learning in the classroom to real-world scenarios. While you’re at it, you’ll also get deeper insight into the responsibilities we have to one another, and to our broader human community.
For more information on community service options at Coker, please contact the Office of the Provost.
CULTURAL EVENTS
Attending cultural events gives you the opportunity to experience another dimension of the academic world. These events may be performances, lectures, or other academic events. Choose what interests you, and feel free to push past your comfort zone.
APPLY YOUR SKILLS BEYOND THE COKER CAMPUS.
In Year Three, it’s time to go exploring!
Want to study Spanish in Costa Rica? How about business strategies in China? With options that range in length from two weeks to a full semester or more, we’ll help you find a program that’s exactly the right fit.
And you don’t have to go as far as Paris or Beijing; Coker faculty host a variety of domestic study away trips that allow you to experience diverse cultures within our own country.
With options including internships, field study, interim courses, and more—the choices are endless. Wherever you choose to go, the Study Away experience will help you gain confidence as you adapt to unfamiliar situations. That’s skill will benefit you for a lifetime.
If you are interested in studying abroad, or want to learn more about domestic Study Away programs, please contact Dr. Margaret Godbey, Director of Educational Travel.
STUDY AWAY FAQS
WHAT IS STUDY AWAY?
Students in Coker’s first-time undergraduate programs engage in an approved study away experience as a requirement for graduation.
This academic experience involves travel to a location at some distance from the Coker campus and from the student’s home. The student will complete an academic project related to his or her travel location.
HOW DO MOST STUDENTS MEET THEIR STUDY AWAY REQUIREMENT?
Most students will meet their study away requirement by attending Cobras in the Capital.
Early in the fall semester each year, new first-time undergraduate students will travel together by bus to Washington D. C. and complete an academic experience. This satisfies the study away requirement on a student’s transcript.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDY AWAY AND STUDY ABROAD?
“Study Away” includes any academic experience involving travel over a significant distance from the student’s home and Coker’s campus, either within the United States or involving travel to a foreign country.
“Study Abroad” is a specialized form of study away that takes a student outside of the United States. A study abroad experience counts as study away.
WHAT IS THE MOST ENRICHING KIND OF STUDY-TRAVEL EXPERIENCE?
Whenever possible, Coker students are highly encouraged to participate in study abroad outside the U.S. Traveling in another country is a life-changing experience for almost all students, and we highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity while at Coker.
WHAT ABOUT TRANSFER STUDENTS AND STUDENTS IN NON-TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS?
Faculty often offer educational trips that meet Coker’s study away requirement—some to domestic locations, and others in foreign countries. Students who transfer to Coker may participate in these excursions to earn their study away credit.
Past trips have included New York City; St. Augustine, Florida; Portugal; Spain; Germany; Chile; Costa Rica; and the United Kingdom.
HOW DO STUDENTS FINANCE STUDY AWAY TRIPS?
We understand that travel can be expensive, and work to find affordable solutions for all students while providing an enriching academic experience.
Many financial aid opportunities are available to support students in this endeavor.
CAN STUDENTS SPEND A WHOLE SEMESTER IN STUDY AWAY OR STUDY ABROAD?
Yes, students may spend a full semester studying away—and in many cases, students’ financial aid from Coker can apply.
BRING IT ALL TOGETHER IN YOUR INDIVIDUAL CAPSTONE PROJECT.
In your final year at Coker, it’s time to show the world how far you’ve come.
You’ll complete your major with a capstone course or other advanced academic experience, then present your intellectual achievements through a thesis, recital, performance, or other public presentation.
Capstone experiences are an advanced form of scholarly activity in which students use the academic and professional skills developed over the course of their undergraduate career, culminating in a scholarly work that is presented in a public forum.
Each student’s unique capstone experience is completely tailored to their personal academic and career goals. It is a demonstration of knowledge and skills, challenging students to communicate and share what they’ve learned—and who they’ve become.
For more information about capstone projects, students should speak with their academic advisor.