This fall, more than 900 students transferred to Kent State University. National Transfer Student Week is Oct. 21-25, and the university is hosting events specifically designed for transfer students.
With a percentage of the student body made up of transfer students of different class standing and different majors coming from all over the country, this is an opportunity for these students and the Kent State community to engage.
The Student Success Programs staff strives to make sure students are aware of the opportunities they have as transfer students.
“We’ve created a transfer-student track, so they are welcome to come to general events that are open to all new students, but we hold some events that are transfer student specific,” said Barbara Miller-Harris, assistant director in Student Success Programs who oversees transfer student orientation. “This is intentional so they can meet other students who have that same experience of coming from somewhere else and being new all over again.”
The goals of National Transfer Student Week are to connect students to campus resources, celebrate their transfer contribution to campus community and inform campus partners about this student population.
In addition to celebrating this student population this week, events for transfer students throughout the year include transfer trivia nights, bowling parties at Eastway and partnerships with other on-campus events like Real Late Reels.
Many of these events are hosted by the Transfer Advisory Council, an organization for first-year transfer students to meet and find a community on campus.
“I didn’t know there were specific opportunities for transfer students,” said Emily Meckley, senior managerial marketing student and president of the Transfer Advisory Council. “I knew about Destination Kent State, but I never got a chance to do that. When I found out there were options for transfer students, like Transfer Kent State, I decided I wanted to get into it and provide that community for other transfer students.”
The Transfor Advisory Council is just one of the leadership opportunities transfer students specifically can get involved in.
Tau Sigma National Honors Society is an exclusive honors society that aims to recognize transfer students’ academic achievements, and its leadership thoughtfully prepared for the week.
“We delivered little button pins that say ‘I am a Transfer Student’ to transfer students so they feel welcome on campus,” said Sean Fine, senior theater studies major and president of Tau Sigma.
The transfer student organizations on campus are encouraged to provide comfort for students who may feel nervous as a new transfer student at Kent State.
“As a transfer student, it’s difficult to adjust at first, but it’s easy to find a niche where you can fit in and do whatever you want to do and try to be successful,” Fine said. “I found a lot of comfort in extracurricular programs here.”
From the beginning of the transfer process for students, Student Success Programs and its staff are there every step of the way.
“We want to make sure we streamline the transfer process so that the students have the best introduction to Kent State so they are automatically set up for success,” Harris said.
National Transfer Student Week helps provide a positive community with events every day that encourage transfer students to share their stories and recognize their potential.
“We want to celebrate transfer students and help them get connected to university resources, faculty and staff,” Harris said.
To learn more about National Transfer Student Week, visit www.kent.edu/success/transferweek.
To learn more about the Transfer Advisory Council, visit www.kent.edu/csi/transfer-advisory-council.
To learn more about Tau Sigma National Honors Society, visit www.kent.edu/success/tau-sigma.