Creating Involvement and Leadership Opportunities for Transfer Students. Monica Van Cleve Jeremy Tolbert Sabra Harrison Clemson University Clemson, South.

Creating Involvement and Creating Involvement and Leadership Opportunities Leadership Opportunities

for Transfer Students.for Transfer Students.

Monica Van CleveJeremy TolbertSabra Harrison

Clemson UniversityClemson UniversityClemson, South Carolina

TODAY’S PROGRAM• Introduction: Transfer Council Executive Leadership

– Monica Van Cleve, Spotsylvania, Virginia– Jeremy Tolbert, Greenville, South Carolina– Sabra Harrison, Tolland, Connecticut

• Clemson University Overview– Statistics– Rankings– Student Life Atmosphere

• Transfer Council: How It Started– Initial Process

• Process Logistics– The logistics of forming a Transfer Council

• Current and Future Goals and Objectives• Question and Answer Session

CLEMSON UNIVERSITYAtmosphere and Lifestyle:

– Clemson University is a southern university with solid academics, competitive athletics, a great location, and fun social atmosphere. Clemson students and alumni are very proud of their school, and this is very evident around campus.

– There are many things to get involved with on campus as there are more than 250 clubs and organizations. However, Transfer Students often have a hard time adjusting to “The Clemson Bubble.”

– The “Clemson Bubble” can be sometimes hard for transfer students to break into as many students already have their broad set of friends.

– Transfer Students sometimes feel overwhelmed with the increased expectations, the ability to make new friends, and get involved on campus.

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY• Clemson University is located in the upstate of South Carolina at the base

of the Blue Ridge Mountains and along the shores of Lake Hartwell.• Clemson is set in a small college town with a beautiful backdrop of

lakefronts and mountains, Clemson attracts students looking for a strong sense of community, school spirit and a love of winning – in academics, in athletics and in life.– Informational Statistics for the year 2006:

• 89% Freshman to Sophomore Retention Rate• 3.99 Average High School GPA• 47% Graduated in Top 10% of High School Class• 14:1 Student to Faculty Ratio• 31% of undergraduate students are out of state students• Approximately 1,000 Transfer Students are admitted each year• Transfer Students must have completed 30 hours of work with a

MINIMUM 2.5 GPA.

*Information obtained from the Clemson University Fact Book

TIGER PRIDEA Few Rankings:A Few Rankings:

– #27#27 of National Public Universities– US News and World Report

– #19#19 The Best Undergraduate Business Schools– BusinessWeek magazine

– #4#4 Best Career/Job Placement Services– Princeton Review

– #3#3 Happiest Students– Princeton Review

– #11#11 Best Quality of Life– Princeton Review

– #1#1 Jock School– Princeton Review

– #6#6 Town-Gown Relations are Great– Princeton Review

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY STUDENT GOVERNMENT

• Clemson University Student Government (CUSG) is a very solid and influential organization on campus that holds a lot of credibility and is very highly respected by administration and students alike.

• There are over 300 people involved in CUSG representing Freshmen, Minority Students, Graduate Students, etc. One crucial group of students was missing.

• Clemson didn’t have anything to meet the unique needs of transfer students.

Here are some of our stories…

GETTING STARTED• Formed a proposal for Student Government’s Senate

President of a council that I had patterned off the Freshman Council.

• Why we needed the council:– Under representation on campus– Academic Student SHOCK (example: GPA decline first semester of college)– Most transfer programs were designed for freshmen which causes a lot of problems

• What the council would do on a year to year basis:– Revise and eventually create admission publications being sent out before arrival on

campus– Monthly newsletters– Replace Orientation Ambassadors– Create and run new transfer student activities

• Short and long term goals for the council• Concerns of the Senate President

-Adequate Transfer Student Interest?

STEPS TO FORMATIONT I M E L I N E

November 2006 Proposal to Student Senate PresidentDecember 05-07Talk to Student Government Members

Steering CommitteeStudent Senate

Spring 2006 Get Feedback from Student Government MembersFall 2007Wrote Legislation document for us to present to CUSGSpring 2007Presented to Student SenateSpring 2007Legislation was passed with overwhelming supportSpring 2007Made an official ConstitutionFall 2007Formed Structure and proceduresSummer and Fall 07PR was through the Student Government Open House and through e mails to all

transfer students.Summer 2007Made application and set deadline.Fall 2007Interview candidates and accepted or declined.

51 Applications. 27 Accepted.Fall 2007Council FORMED.

Transfer council consists of 30 members

The Council meets once a week, every week.

The council is divided into subcommittees

Academic Affairs Activities

First Week Mentors

Orientation Communications

The Subcommittees are responsible for holding their own separate meetings in addition to the weekly Council meeting.

TRANSFER COUNCIL NOW

EARLY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Some of the things we have accomplished thus far include giving new transfers an outlet to get involved, make friends, make connections throughout the campus and help other transfers.

ACCOMPLISHMENTSTO DATE

Academic AffairsWorked with E-Portfolio administratorsServed on advisory boards for transfer credit evaluations

OrientationActed as transfer voice on advisory boardsWere present at January Orientation

First WeekCreated fun, and well attended welcome back eventsA possible phone-a-thon to call and welcome/check in on transfers

CommunicationsWorked on reevaluating the information that transfers receive before startingCreated a check list to help students be prepared for their first days at Clemson

ActivitiesHeld a Transfer Tip Off, a tailgate before one of the basketball gamesHad a Dessert night for transfers to “meet and greet”

MentorsWorked with the residents of the Tiger Den to evaluate the programHave started compiling mentors to be a part of the mentoring program

LONG TERM GOALS

• Implement an effective mentoring program• Lower the failure rate of transfer students• To facilitate a better social environment• To inspire and influence other universities to give

transfer students the representative voice they need and deserve

• Reduce Academic Transfer SHOCK.

THE ENDTHE END

THE THE ENDEND