On July 11, 2022, Ferrum College alumna Tracy Holley ’96 will transition from her current role as director of Alumni and Family Programs to become the inaugural director of the First-Year Experience and First@Ferrum Programs in the Carter Center for Academic Success (CCAS). In her new role, Tracy will work with Dean of Academic Success Dave Wiggins, CCAS team members, faculty, and staff to create and provide programming for all first-year and first-generation college students to promote retention and success.

Holley’s new position is supported in part by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, which recently awarded Ferrum College a $143,000 grant to support the CCAS in expanding and initiating academic support programs. This grant will help bolster Ferrum College’s efforts to ensure equity in student outcomes and increase the academic performance, persistence, and graduation of first-generation students, low income students, and students with disabilities who demonstrate an academic need for support.

Holley is uniquely qualified to step into this role, and she is excited to begin a new chapter in her career at Ferrum College. “For over twenty years, I have had the pleasure of working with successful Ferrum College graduates once they leave our campus as alumni. In my new role, I look forward to supporting our first-year and first-generation students by personally working with them face-to-face on a daily basis. I will now have the opportunity to support future generations of graduates by creating programs for success and retention,” said Holley.

Holley’s new office will be located in the Michael T. Christian ’63 Center for First-Year Experience, made possible by a generous contribution from alumnus Michael Christian, and located in Stanley Library. Part of the CCAS, the Michael T. Christian ’63 Center serves all incoming freshmen, including those who are the first in their families to attend college. Its goal is to integrate first-year students into college life by connecting them to an academic and social network of professors, mentors, and classmates, as well as to other resources at Ferrum College such as clubs, campus engagement, and career services, to help them have a successful college experience.

Wiggins looks forward to welcoming Holley to his team. “Tracy’s work will be instrumental in helping our students to be successful at Ferrum and beyond. She brings a vast array of experience to this important position and will provide outstanding services to our students.  We are fortunate to have her,” said Wiggins.

8/26/2021

Students and community volunteers work on Ferrum College’s campus. Photo courtesy of Dr. Bob Pohlad.

On the morning of Saturday, August 21, the Ferrum College campus quad held over 180 first-year students, employee volunteers, and members of Ferrum Forward, a local organization whose mission is to enhance the quality of life and the sense of community throughout the village of Ferrum. The crowd was ready to launch a “Morning of Service.”

“This was the first of what we hope will become an annual tradition for new students,” said Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Psychology Kevin Reilly, who designed and orchestrated the event.

College employees volunteered to work with Ferrum Forward members to lead service projects aimed at beautifying the campus and benefiting local businesses. Students packaged two weeks of meals for Ferrum Elementary children in need. They began two murals in Ferrum, one at Hidden Treasures and one at Sun Kist Tanning and Salon. They sorted donated clothes at the St. James Center and cleaned grounds at the local elementary school. Students worked on the College’s Titmus Agricultural Farm; cleared the disc golf course, hiking trails, and Arboretum; and even painted panther paw prints on campus sidewalks.

Ferrum Forward chairman Don Vineyard shared that their organization was pleased to be involved – and that our Ferrum community can be proud of the event. He went on to say, “Saturday’s ‘Morning of Service’ was exactly the kind of event Ferrum Forward was created for. I think the involvement of so many of the folks who took part on Saturday shows just the beginning of what could be a great partnership.”

“This was a wonderful collaboration between Ferrum College volunteers, first year students, and Ferrum Forward,” said Reilly. “This project would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of the members of Ferrum Forward.”

See photos from the “Morning of Service.”

Learn more about Ferrum Forward.

7/7/2021

The following article was written by Director of Academic Outreach and Athletics Initiatives Tom Steele, who also directs the Ferrum Foundations program.

A group of Ferrum Foundations students.

Having a strong academic foundation is a cornerstone of success in college. The Ferrum Foundations program provides academic strategies that will ensure success at Ferrum College and beyond. Many first-year students come to college without the mindset and skill set required to transition from high school academics to the demands of the college-level classroom. Foundations helps bridge this academic gap. During the program, students learn academic strategies from successful upperclassmen, Ferrum professors, and staff members. The goal of Foundations is to make the transition to college life and academics less daunting.

Ferrum Foundations is a two-day experience. This year, students will arrive on August 16, 2021 to begin the program, which will take place August 17 and 18. Students will learn about developing relationships with professors and advisors, where to find academic success resources on campus, and how to employ strategies to reach their scholarly potential. The program is fast-paced, filled with useful information, and offers fun evening opportunities to round out the experience.

Rising senior Chelsea Zizzi ’22 participated in Foundations as a freshman and served as a peer mentor as a sophomore at Ferrum College. Chelsea shared, “I met some of my best friends through the Foundations program, who have been able to help me in both the academic world and the social world.” Making connections and developing success strategies are the focus of this two-day head start on success.

To learn more and to register for Ferrum Foundations, visit this webpage, which includes information about the program and an online application. For additional information, contact Tom Steele at tsteele@ferrum.edu.