Transfer Student Ambassadors at NISTS Highlight the Need for Colleges to Transcend Tuition-Free Policies
Supporting Transfer Students: A Focus on Completion and Collaboration
In the world of higher education, the experiences of transfer students are often overlooked. However, four students at various universities are making strides to change this narrative.
Herman Chavez, a UCLA student, is pursuing a BA double major in Comparative Literature and Ethnomusicology. He credits UCLA's supportive network of faculty and staff as the greatest benefit of his transfer process.
Meanwhile, Noelle Dana, a student at The University of Notre Dame, is working on her BA in Classics and Philosophy, Science, & Mathematics. She advocates for a greater emphasis on fully integrating transfer students into the campus community. Noelle experienced a rocky transition due to a lack of focus on transfer students during Welcome Week.
Katie Ibsen, a senior at UC-Berkeley, shares similar sentiments. She believes that institutional approaches can impede the organic relationship between content creators and their audience. Katie's transfer to UC-Berkeley was influenced by a trip with the anthropology club to the Museum of Anthropology at UC Berkeley.
Paolo Canteras, a student at UC Irvine, faced financial challenges during his transfer, with higher per credit hour costs and additional expenses. He expressed concern for students facing food insecurity and the need for more mental health support on campus. Paolo left a nearly-complete business finance degree in the Philippines to start college over in the United States, and none of his previous credits transferred to UC Irvine.
In response to these challenges, Paolo created a Student Transfer Engagement Access and Mentorship (STEAM) course to help other transfer students. Katie now helps other transfer students navigate the process and shares tips on her YouTube vlog, The Vintage Academic.
The book Beyond Free College: Making Higher Education Work for 21st Century Students details recommended actions for universities to focus on student completion and support for transfer students. It recommends reimagining key institutional practices such as student records, transcript evaluation, credit transfer, credential issuance, and inter-institutional partnerships to better accommodate diverse learner pathways and improve student success outcomes.
Specifically, it emphasizes designing student records and transcripts to be more transparent and supportive of mobility, creating more efficient and student-centered credit transfer processes that acknowledge prior learning and reduce barriers, issuing credentials that reflect varied learning achievements, and developing strong partnerships across institutions to facilitate smoother transitions for transfer students.
These actions aim at increasing degree completion rates by addressing structural challenges transfer students often face rather than solely focusing on free tuition policies. Although the specific detailed recommendations from "Beyond Free College" are not fully outlined in the search results, the highlighted focus on reimagining administrative systems and fostering collaboration signals a holistic approach to supporting transfer students and completion.
Additional context on transfer student support includes the importance of transfer scholarships and financial aid options that many universities offer to ease cost burdens and support transfer pathways.
The students' stories reflect the theme that transferring provides an opportunity to achieve a dream and a degree otherwise unattainable. As universities continue to evolve, it is crucial that they prioritize the needs and experiences of transfer students to ensure a supportive and inclusive learning environment for all.
Education and self-development are key priorities for transfer students like Herman Chavez, Noelle Dana, Katie Ibsen, and Paolo Canteras, as they strive for personal growth and learning within their respective universities. These students advocate for a more integrated campus community, efficient credit transfer processes, transparent student records, and smoother transitions for transfer students, emphasizing the importance of student completion and support in higher education.
