SIUE Helps Transfer Students Better Adjust to Campus Life
It’s not their first time coming to college or receiving college instruction. Still, college students transferring to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville benefit from instructions tailor-made for them. That’s why SIUE’s Kelly Atkins, assistant director for transition services, created Transfer Talk Tuesdays for college students transferring to SIUE.
Transfer Talk Tuesdays will offer its first session from 12-1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept.1 with the Kimmel Student Involvement Center. More than 1,700 transfer students received the Zoom link in their SIUE email account, inviting them to participate. Transfer Talk Tuesdays will convene the first Tuesday of each month from 12-1 p.m. through December.
“I’ve joined forces with campus partners to give transfer students information they need in real time,” explained Atkins. “When students come to the University, emphasis is placed on incoming freshman. When students are preparing to leave, emphasis is placed on internships, practicums and graduation. Transfer students and others may assume they don’t need the same kind of information that freshmen receive. They do.”
Transfer Talk Tuesdays is also designed to provide information when the student can best use it, according to Atkins, “Many students are frontloaded with information when they start at the University. When it comes to utilizing the information they need, they may have forgotten about it, because it was in the first week of the semester. Transfer Talk Tuesdays will give them information throughout the semester when they need it.”
“We plan to offer transfer students a semester-long orientation to the University with the hopes that come January 2021, they are equipped with the tools they need to not just keep going, but to excel,” she continued. “I’m excited about this program and hope that this fall orientation will grow in student and campus partner participation.”
Information about upcoming Transfer Talk Tuesdays can be found at siue.edu/oaa under the Get Advised tab.
Photo:
Kelly Atkins, SIUE assistant director for transition services.
