SIERRA MILLS
Chief Copy Editor
Graphic Provided by the National Institute for the Study of Transfers | Edited by SIERRA MILLS | Chief Copy Editor
When it comes to being a transfer student, some students might not feel a sense of belonging on their new campus.
Every year, during the third week of October, there are special events to celebrate those who have come to the SUNY Fredonia campus from other colleges and universities.
National Transfer Student Week (NTSW) is an event held by Academic Advising, Tau Sigma (the Transfer Student Honor Society), Transfer Student Organization (TSO), The Transfer Mentoring Program and the Faculty Student Association (FSA), where the main priority is to allow transfer students to feel a sense of belonging and connection to Fredonia’s campus.
Non-transfer and transfer students alike are welcome to each of these events.
To get more info about the transfer experience, a display is currently in the library where some transfer students are showcased. There are also flyers available with more information.
Dominik Zimmer, president of the on-campus honor society Tau Sigma, describes NTSW as, “Organized from a national point of view to celebrate and promote transfer students and their endeavors.”
The NTSW celebration starts with the Kickoff Event held by Tau Sigma Honor Society on Sunday, Oct. 15, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Pumpkin carving and painting appear in the event’s itinerary, allowing transfer students the opportunity to simultaneously celebrate the fall season while also connecting with other transfer students. Prizes are available to the winners of the carving contest.
On Tuesday, Oct. 17, the Transfer Student Organization as well as a Transfer Student Mentor will be at tables in the McEwen Hall lobby to give transfer students a chance to grab some free Fredonia merch and contribute to a poster that will highlight our transfer students’ past institutions.
This event also gives students a chance to fill out a survey for Academic Advising to gain perspective on the current transfer student experience.
That same Tuesday, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., focus group discussions will be held that allow students to speak on their experience as a way to show Academic Advising how to make the transferring experience more effective for the future.
This will be followed by a workshop held by the Career Development Office (CDO) titled “Interview Faceoff,” where students will learn interview skills for their future careers in a fun, competitive environment. Prizes will also be awarded.
On Thursday, Oct. 19, TSO will hold a social event to allow transfers to connect with other students from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. This gathering will have bingo games and ice cream for attendees to enjoy. Gift card prizes will be awarded at this event to the winners.
On Friday, Oct. 20, there will be another tabling event in the University Commons lobby, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., to give students another chance to get some free merch, add to the poster and fill out the survey.
Zimmer said, “It’s really a great way to expose transfer students and non-transfer students to different services [and] ways that we can help support student presence on campus.”
Sierra Mills is currently interning with Academic Advising as the Transfer Student Mentor, and is one of the main contributors to the planning and execution of NTSW.