Maneuvering through college and making sure that one is staying on track with classes and credits can be a taxing task. A student may think they are on-track to graduate until they find out that they do not have enough credits or missed a class that was crucial to their graduation. To help upperclassmen avoid this and graduate on time, Kean has created The Cougar Climb.
The Cougar Climb is a co-curricular path that is set-up to encourage active student engagement in the ultimate goal of timely graduation and a successful career. There are six unique domains highlighted which include:
Academic Engagement
Career Development
Health and Wellness
Leadership and Professional Development
Civic Engagement
Global and Cultural Awareness
Students can complete tasks, monitor their progress and set co-curricular goals for themselves. As students move through each domain the pathway will assist them in tracking their progress as they get closer to Cougar Climb completion. The program is designed to be used by all students but can be adjusted to tailor specific needs and aspirations.
Graduate intern for the Cougar Climb and Leadership Institute, Emely Hernandez explained, “The first year path is essentially exposing you to all campus has to offer, the upperclassman path is your way of becoming a part of it all. Rather than just attending a general body meeting, we encourage you to hold a position on the executive board. The “Leadership and Professional Development” badge is only found in the Upperclassman path, this and the other badges are filled with opportunities to grow and develop your leadership skills that will help you transition into a professional once you graduate.”
The Upperclassmen Experience can go one of two ways. Students can take full advantage of the benefits of Cougar Climb and the meaningful involvement experience from the beginning or continue on the foundation they built in their first year. Any upperclassman student is invited to utilize the pathway during their time at Kean until graduation.
For each domain of the Upperclassmen Experience, there are requirements that must be met for students to stay on track for graduation and future career goals. The requirements can be found on the Cougar Climb webpage, under Upperclassman Experience.
Hernandez said, “In college you learn as much outside the classroom as you do in it, and it was important for us to help guide students in how they can make the most of their time here at Kean University, all while preparing for their future.”
For more information, students can contact the Involvement Center at cougarclimb@kean.edu or by phone at (908) 737-5270.
Hernandez added, “We hope that the Cougar Climb is something all our students will know about and be invested in. We would look forward to seeing more student leaders throughout the years.
Climb High Cougars!
