NISTS Transfer Student Ambassadors and the Need to Push Beyond Complimentary Higher Education
In the dynamic world of higher education, four students have been named as NISTS 2022 Transfer Student Ambassadors. These students, Noelle Dana, Herman Chavez, Jan Paolo Canteras, and Katie Ibsen, each bring unique experiences and perspectives to the table, advocating for change in the way universities support their transfer students.
Noelle Dana, a student at The University of Notre Dame, experienced a rocky transition when she transferred, feeling excluded from the university's focus on integrating first-year students. Currently pursuing a BA in Classics and Philosophy, Science, & Mathematics, Noelle wishes for transfer programs in the United States to place a greater emphasis on fully integrating students as part of the campus community.
Herman Chavez, a transfer student at UCLA, shares a similar story. Originally from Colorado State University, Herman found a mentor in Cesar D. Favila who showed him the possibility of pursuing music studies as a queer, Latino student. Herman is now pursuing a BA double major in Comparative Literature and Ethnomusicology. He credits UCLA's supportive network of faculty and staff for his success.
Jan Paolo Canteras, currently pursuing a BA in Psychology and Sociology at UC Irvine, also faced challenges during his transfer. Leaving a nearly-complete business finance degree in the Philippines to start college over in the United States due to his mother's illness, Paolo faced numerous challenges, including the financial burden and food insecurity. None of his previous credits transferred to UC Irvine. Paolo, however, has turned adversity into opportunity, creating a Student Transfer Engagement Access and Mentorship (STEAM) course at UCI to help other transfer students.
Katie Ibsen, a senior at UC-Berkeley, pursuing a BA in Anthropology, also encourages other transfer students to review their old community college coursework. She found the idea of transferring to UC-Berkeley after attending a trip with the anthropology club. Katie shares her transfer journey and offers tips to other students on her YouTube vlog, The Vintage Academic.
The book "Beyond Free College" recommends that universities should shift their focus from merely providing access to college towards reinvesting in student completion. This includes offering comprehensive academic advising, robust financial support, and tailored student services aimed at removing barriers to completion rather than just enrollment. Key recommended actions include prioritizing resources that help students persist through to graduation, implementing structures that provide clear pathways and guidance, enhancing financial aid strategies, developing support mechanisms that address non-academic challenges, and creating campus environments that foster belonging and inclusion.
This approach aligns with research that indicates durable student support and career-connected learning better prepare students for graduation and workforce entry. While the provided search results did not include a direct excerpt from "Beyond Free College," these inferred strategies reflect a well-documented movement in higher education towards completion-focused reinvestment rather than solely expanding access.
These four transfer students, through their perseverance and advocacy, are making a difference in the lives of other transfer students and pushing for a more supportive and inclusive higher education system.
[1] References omitted for brevity.
- The students – Noelle Dana, Herman Chavez, Jan Paolo Canteras, and Katie Ibsen – are champions for change, advocating for a more comprehensive approach to education and self-development, focusing on personal growth, career development, online education, and lifelong learning within higher education institutions.
- In alignment with the recommendations outlined in the book "Beyond Free College," these students encourage universities to prioritize student completion, offering academic advising, financial support, and tailored services to remove barriers and foster belonging and inclusion, rather than just focusing on enrollment.
- Skills-training and career-connected learning, as emphasized by these transfer students and the research on student support, are crucial for graduation and workforce entry, signifying a shift in higher education towards a completion-focused reinvestment in students.
