Are you a student leader?

Do you have a passion to serve? Do you want to meet other students who share an interest in leadership? Do you want to play a role in your new campus community?

The Kean University Center for Leadership and Service invites you to apply to become a part of the Transition to Kean (T2K) Bronze Leadership Program for the 2025 – 2026 academic year. Space is available for only 50 newly admitted students.

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About the Program

The Transition to Kean (T2K) Bronze Leadership Program, a component of the Kean Leadership Institute, is a unique program available to 50 first-year students entering Kean University through collaboration between the School of General Studies and the Center for Leadership and Service. It is designed to give incoming first-year students the chance to learn about the many forms of student leadership at Kean, to explore options for campus involvement, and to build connections to peers and upperclass leaders.

In addition to leadership development activities, the T2K Bronze Leadership Program allows its participants to be placed into special GE*1000 Transition to Kean course sections with other students who have a desire to develop their leadership abilities and serve their campus community. GE*1000 is a required one-credit course for all first-year Kean University students that assists them in their transition to University life. Every GE*1000 course is led by an instructor with the assistance of an upperclass General Education Mentor (GEM).

Registration into GE*1000 T2K Bronze Leadership sections is reserved for students admitted into the T2K Bronze Leadership Program. The T2K Bronze Leadership sections will meet weekly during the Fall 2025 semester, and students will receive a letter grade based upon the course requirements. In the Spring 2026 semester, the T2K Bronze Leadership participants will meet regularly for leadership and team-building activities and workshops.

Following the New Student Orientation summer sessions, the students selected to participate in the T2K Bronze Leadership Program sections will attend a three-day, two-night retreat on the Kean University campus in the residence halls. The retreat gives participants the opportunity to learn about their skills and abilities, as well as meet the other T2K Bronze students prior to the start of the fall semester.

Benefits of Participation

Through participation in the T2K Bronze Leadership Program, students will:

• Gain and develop valuable communication, leadership, organizational and planning skills;
• Learn about themselves and identify their strengths and weaknesses;
• Be exposed to opportunities for involvement and leadership on campus;
• Build connections and network with peers, faculty, staff and alumni;
• Develop a stronger understanding of one’s talents, values and interests, especially as they relate to the capacity to provide effective leadership;
• Receive recognition for participation through a certificate and on their Co-Curricular Transcript.

T2K Bronze Pre-Semester Retreat

Students accepted into the T2K Bronze Leadership program are required to attend an in-residence pre-semester retreat, giving them a unique opportunity to meet the other students in the T2K Bronze Leadership program as well as Kean University staff and administrators before all other students arrive. The retreat consists of team-building workshops and activities, as well as the first class of the T2K Bronze Leadership sections. The summer 2025 T2K Bronze Pre-Semester Retreat will take place from the afternoon of Friday, August 8, through the afternoon of Sunday, August 10, 2025.

Community Service Projects

Throughout the T2K Bronze Leadership Program, students will be exposed to opportunities for involvement. Students in the T2K Bronze Leadership Program are expected to participate in community service projects throughout the course of the program.

Program Expectations

Students who participate in the T2K Bronze Leadership Program are expected to:

• Attend and participate in all T2K Bronze Leadership Program workshops, classes and activities including, but not limited to, the T2K Bronze Pre-Semester Retreat and GE*1000 (Transition to Kean) classes and Spring 2026 workshops;
• Maintain a strong academic performance of a 2.50 grade point average or higher;
• Be free of probation with restrictions in residence, University-wide disciplinary probation or higher-level disciplinary sanctions (University-wide probation with restrictions, suspensions or dismissals).

Online Application Process

To apply for this special program, admitted students must complete an online application form by clicking here. Applications received by Friday, June 20, 2025, will be given priority consideration. All standard admission applications for the 2025 – 2026 T2K Bronze Leadership sections are due by Friday, July 18, 2025. All applications received after July 18, 2025, will be considered for wait-listing into the T2K Bronze Leadership sections. Space in the T2K Bronze Leadership sections is extremely limited. Early applications are strongly encouraged.

Once an applicant has been admitted into the program and accepts the offer to participate in the program, the Kean University Registrar will be notified to place the student in a GE*1000 (Transition to Kean) section, as indicated within the application. Space in each section is limited to 25 students, and the Center for Leadership and Service will do its best to honor the student’s preference between GE*1000 sections. When the student comes to Kean University for course registration, he or she will be provided with a letter that verifies that he or she has been accepted into the T2K Bronze Leadership Program and placed into a GE*1000 T2K Bronze section. If the student has registered for courses prior to being accepted in the T2K Bronze Leadership Program, he or she will be contacted by the Center for Leadership and Service to become enrolled in GE*1000 T2K Bronze sections. Students may not register for GE*1000 T2K Bronze sections without the permission of the Center for Leadership and Service. Enrollment in the T2K Bronze T2K GE*1000 sections is reserved for students who have been admitted into the T2K Bronze Leadership Program only.

In addition to completing biographical information, the T2K Bronze Leadership Program application asks applicants to answer two essay questions. The responses to each essay question should be limited to 250 words. It is recommended that the applicants complete their responses in a word processing program (e.g., Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, etc.) and copy and paste their essay responses into the online application. The applicants will be asked to complete the following essay questions:

• What does leadership mean to you?
• What do you hope to gain by being a part of the T2K Bronze Leadership Program?

If you have any questions about the T2K Bronze Leadership Program application process, please contact the Kean Leadership Institute within the Center for Leadership and Service, located in Miron Student Center, Room 219, by calling (908) 737-5170 or emailing leadershipinstitute@kean.edu.

How to Apply

To apply for this special program, admitted students must complete an online application form by clicking here. Applications received by Friday, June 20, 2025, will be given priority consideration. All standard admission applications for the 2025 – 2026 T2K Bronze Leadership sections are due by Friday, July 18, 2025. All applications received after July 18, 2025, will be considered for wait-listing into the T2K Bronze Leadership sections. Space in the T2K Bronze Leadership sections is extremely limited. Early applications are strongly encouraged.

APPLY NOW

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is there an age requirement to participate in the T2K Bronze Leadership Program?

No, there is no age requirement for participation in the T2K Bronze Leadership Program. Applications under the age of 18 must receive the permission of their parent/guardian. Additional information will be sent to accepted students under the age of 18 regarding parent/guardian permission.

What is the cost of participating in the T2K Bronze Leadership Program?
Students who wish to be a part of the T2K Bronze Leadership Program must register for GE*1000 (Transition to Kean) T2K Bronze sections and are required to pay all costs associated with course registration. Aside from course registration, there are no additional costs to the student associated with the T2K Bronze Leadership Program. There are no fees associated with the T2K Bronze Pre-Orientation Retreat, the workshops or activities. For more information about Kean University tuition and fees, please visit https://www.kean.edu/offices/student-accounting/tuition-and-fees.

Do I get graded for the T2K Bronze Leadership Program?

Yes. The T2K Bronze Leadership Program incorporates a GE*1000 (Transition to Kean) course that has specific sections designated for students in the T2K Bronze Leadership Program. Students in all GE*1000 courses are graded on the course requirements. In addition to being graded on attendance and participation in the GE*1000 course, participation in the T2K Bronze Pre-Semester Retreat contributes to the course's attendance and participation grade.

What types of assignments am I graded on?

All GE*1000 courses have mandatory assignments and activities that are graded. The T2K Bronze Leadership Program’s GE*1000 courses are no different. When applicable, assignments and activities will place extra emphasis on and encourage student involvement in the campus community and on developing leadership skills and abilities.

What is the time commitment necessary for the T2K Bronze Leadership Program?

While participation and attendance at workshops and classes are required and scheduled in advance, there are some activities and assignments that will require a time commitment outside of the class or workshop. Some assignments and activities required for all GE*1000 courses include attending campus events and workshops such as Kean Day and Career Development Workshops. In addition, students in the T2K Bronze Leadership Program may be required to participate in community service projects and attend student group meetings and other workshops. All programs and activities associated with the T2K Bronze Leadership Program are mandatory.

What if I have already registered for GE*1000, but I would like to be in the T2K Bronze Leadership Program?

Students who have already registered are still able to apply to become a part of the T2K Bronze Leadership Program upon successful completion of the T2K Bronze Leadership Program Application. If you have already registered for your courses, a representative from the Center for Leadership and Service will contact you to assist you in adjusting your course schedule to enroll in GE*1000 T2K Bronze sections. Students in the T2K Bronze Leadership Program must be enrolled in either GE*1000 T2K Bronze section.

I am interested in leadership, but I am not able to commit to the T2K Bronze Leadership Program. Is there anything else for me?

The Center for Leadership and Service offers numerous leadership programs and opportunities for involvement to the Kean University community. As the fall semester approaches, more information about these programs and activities will become available.

I have never been involved in a formal leadership role (e.g., club president, employee supervisor, etc.). Am I still eligible to apply to the T2K Bronze Leadership Program?

Yes! The T2K Bronze Leadership Program does NOT require any formal leadership experience. All students who have a passion for leadership and/or service are strongly encouraged to apply for the T2K Bronze Leadership Program regardless of how much or how little their formal leadership experience is.

For More Information

For more information, contact Caroline Antonio, Assistant Director for Student Development and Leadership, in the Center for Leadership and Service by calling (908) 737-5177 or emailing leadershipinstitute@kean.edu.