What is the Gator Gateway?

Here at Russell Sage College, we offer a powerful undergraduate success program along with our bachelor’s degrees. We call this guided experience The Gator Gateway.

(The Gator part is in honor of Chompers, our friendly alligator mascot!)

The Gator Gateway is a collection of several different Russell Sage College resources that combine to provide the support you need for undergraduate success — and career success, too!

The Gator Gateway begins in our college admission process, and carries through until … well, Gators don’t let go. 

Even before you officially apply to Russell Sage, you’ll probably have some questions. We make it easy to get answers, with a single phone number (518-244-2020) and email address ([email protected])  you can use for any inquiry — whether you want to schedule a campus tour, ask about transferring credits, or learn more about our location in the college towns of Albany and Troy, New York. 

Keep reading to learn more about all the undergraduate success initiatives that create The Gator Gateway. 

Need directions to your graphic design class? Ask at the Solutions desk.

Have a question about how to use your Financial Aid at the campus bookstore? The Solutions desk can help. 

Need extra help in your Anatomy and Physiology class, but not sure how to sign up for tutoring? Start at the Solutions desk.

Solutions is Sage’s one-stop house of answers, where you can request assistance with anything from financial aid to a malfunctioning printer. 

Asking for help can be hard, so Russell Sage does everything we can to make it easy. There are permanent Solutions desks in the Troy and Albany campus libraries, pop-up Solutions desks at campus events, and Solutions-on-the-Go via online chat.

Undergraduate success advocates — also called Gator Guides — staff the Solutions desks. They know the answers to a lot of questions.  And if they don’t know? They’ll find out and get back to you! They won’t send you on a wild Gator chase from office to office. 

A Gator Guide will also check-in with you before orientation, to help you define what undergraduate success looks like for you, and identify what services you might benefit from once the semester begins. Then they’ll stay in touch throughout the school year, to make sure you have what you need to be successful. 

Ready, Set, Go! is Russell Sage’s three-part introduction to college life. It is focused on setting you up for undergraduate success.

Then, at “Ready” days — small group orientations held over the summer — you can focus on making personal connections. You’ll meet other new students, and NaviGators, who are sophomores, juniors, and seniors. They can tell you the best places near campus for coffee and pizza, the best study spots, and what Russell Sage traditions and events you definitely don’t want to miss.  

The combination of NaviGators and Gator Guides means that when you arrive at the beginning of the semester, you’ll already have a support network. 

The RSC Thread is the series of three signature classes that every RSC student takes. These interdisciplinary courses offer common experiences that enrich your sense of community and help you build your social and professional network.

You’ll take RSC 101: Your Journey Begins during your first semester. Every section of RSC 101 is a little different — but you can count on class themes that are closely tied to our Thrive@Russell Sage wellness initiative and that help you develop self-awareness, communication, and teamwork skills in a supportive atmosphere.

You’ll take RSC 201:Exploring Intercultural Perspectives, in your second year. RSC 201 focuses on intercultural perspectives and diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

And RSC 301: Innovating to Impact, emphasizes service learning and resume-building opportunities through a substantial service project that makes a real difference in the community.

Thrive@Russell Sage is an initiative that makes Russell Sage student wellness and well-being a priority.

Thrive sponsors activities and education about mental health with strong connections to campus and community mental health resources; nationally-known speakers; and free fitness classes, hikes, and social activities. 

Whatever your major, you’ll choose a wellness-related course as one of your electives. You’ll also find discussions of wellness, well-being, sustainability, and equity in all of your RSC Thread courses and in several classes within your major. 

The goal of Thrive is to help you balance physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, spiritual, vocational, and financial health — also known as the eight dimensions of wellness. 

Our Career and Self-Discovery Center works closely with every other Gator Gateway element, from Thrive to the RSC Thread. 

The career team works with class groups and individuals to conduct exploration activities, help you polish your LinkedIn page, craft cover letters and resumes, and use online platforms like Handshake to find jobs and internships.

They’ll help connect you to internships and job shadowing experiences, and invite you to dozens of events every year including job fairs and networking receptions. 

A real strength at Russell Sage is engaged learning — and that encompasses internships and work-study positions in local nonprofits; collaborative research with faculty; substantial community service projects, student teaching, and health science clinicals and much, much more. 

All Sage students graduate with at least two engaged learning experiences on their resume, which is a huge advantage as you transition from undergraduate success into early career success!

Also See: With Gator Gateway, Russell Sage College Takes a More Personal Approach to Student Support