Position: Academic Coordinator, Elena Buchanan Transition Program of University College
Length of service: In her current position since 1999 and at Rutgers, intermittently, since 1977
Residence: East Brunswick
Best laid plans: Like many of her students, Dragon does not always know what she wants. Her first idea, a career in geography back home in Oregon, somehow led to a doctorate in library science, which led to her first position teaching library science at Rutgers. She left for a few years but returned to Rutgers to coordinate the Elena Buchanan Transition Program. "I love my job," she said. "It gives me the greatest personal pleasure to see individuals who never considered themselves capable of higher education enter college life."
How it works: The Elena Buchancan Transition Program prepares nontraditional adult learners for the rigors of study at University College–New Brunswick. "We serve as a 'test drive' for college," said Dragon. "Students have homework, take tests, and write papers to see what a real college education will be like." Rutgers faculty expects Rutgers-quality class participation, homework, and tests. Students are exposed to coursework in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, as well as expository writing.
A gateway to collegiate success: The program helps students make decisions about college "with their eyes wide open," Dragon said. Completion and insights from the program’s academic coordinator provide a solid foundation for collegiate success. Students need only complete the program, and they are automatically accepted to University College–New Brunswick. More than 1,000 students have graduated from the program since it began. About 75 percent of the class will go on to Rutgers or other colleges, and some have gone on to pursue graduate study.
Always in transition: As program coordinator, Dragon is both student and teacher. "I think of myself as a player/coach," she said. "I coordinate the academic program but also participate as a student so I can be part of the community. We are all learning together." Everyone has his or her own reason to enter the program. A 73-year-old grandmother wants to attend Rutgers with her grandson. New York City ballerinas, musicians, and artists participate, as well as women returning to school after years of raising their families. But you can't really pigeonhole the students, who also include salesmen, recording industry executives, chefs, and even a race car driver. "I really admire them," Dragon said. "Many are juggling family and work obligations and are getting ready to take on a college education as well.” As diverse as they are, they tend to share the same concerns about taking on college academics. “Part of my job is to understand their fear or history of failure,” Dragon said. “Only they can decide if they are ready or want to add the challenges of a college education to their lives."
Still changing: In the eight years she's been with the program, Dragon raised two boys, mastered ballroom dancing, wrote two mystery novels, and regularly shows her Boston Terrier "Champion River Miss Walking in Rhythm" (otherwise known as "Trooper") in dog shows, including the world-class Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The dancing began with a Rutgers class, where she also learned about Rutgers' well-earned reputation for teaching technique.
Finally, what about her name? "It's a name that captures people's attention," she says. I have dragons all around my house ... I love it."