Attracting and retaining transfer students from community colleges can reap many rewards for independent colleges and universities. Not only do they help bring greater diversity to a campus, but they are usually academically talented students. According to Lisa Ryerson, president of Wells College (NY), nearly one third of the Phi Beta Kappa students at Wells come to the college as transfer students. Joanne Creighton, president of Mount Holyoke College (MA), echoed Ryerson’s assertion and explained that attracting transfer students “supports the college’s mission to find high-achieving students, many of whom are of modest means.”

Ryerson, Creighton, and Linda N. Hanson, president of Hamline University (MN), spoke at the Presidents Institute about the challenges of attracting and especially retaining nontraditional transfer students. The presenters emphasized the essential role of presidential leadership in creating a campus environment where transfer students can succeed.

The three presenters shared some of the strategies used on their campuses to reach out to this population. All three institutions make efforts to recruit transfer students through means such as targeted outreach activities, substantial scholarships and financial aid, and online enrollment and registration that is convenient and easy.

However, an institution’s efforts cannot stop there, they said. All three presidents stressed the importance of providing transfer students with appropriate types of support in the academic as well as social realms. At Mount Holyoke, for example, a new member of the administrative staff was added to identify, advise, and provide support services to transfer students. These efforts are complemented by a peer mentoring program. At Hamline, transfer students find a welcoming campus culture with special housing options and course schedules well suited to their needs. At Wells, nonresident transfer students are given designated study spaces and sleep-over rooms. The panelists emphasized the importance of orientation programs and faculty training.