Sarah Coen is Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Enrollment Management at Transylvania University
Sarah: “My family and I are excited to be back as part of the Transylvania community. I had the pleasure of serving the institution from 1999 to 2006 under Dr. Charles Shearer, one of the institution’s greatest presidents. I left Transy to pursue a career in consulting and I’ve had the opportunity to work with nearly 200 institutions across the country in the last 15 years. That work gave me the chance to experience the world of higher education from a different lens. While I learned a great deal, one of the biggest lessons was that there are so many people across this country doing great work serving students and families as they strive to reach their goal of achieving a college degree. There are certainly lots of news stories about the cost of higher education, but I firmly believe that the value of that education has never been more important.
There have been many friends and colleagues who have asked me ‘why would you return to a campus in the middle of a pandemic?’ Clearly, I have given that some thought, but it really is about returning to help Transy and give back to the institution. Residential, liberal arts institutions like Transy have a unique opportunity to continue delivering top notch educational experiences, but also have a responsibility to pivot and change. Covid may be a catalyst for that change. My hope is that I can use my experience to help lead that change in strategic ways for Transy.
I am honored to serve this fine institution and look forward to working with President Lewis, his cabinet, the faculty, staff and students. It will take all of us working together, especially during these challenging times, to succeed.”