SRU observed National Transfer Student Week from Oct.16-20 to show appreciation for students who transfer from other universities. This fall, around 430 students left their old schools to come to Slippery Rock.
At the beginning of the semester, SRU asked its newest transfers to nominate students, staff or faculty who helped make their transition easier. They decided to call the nominees “The Transfer Student Advocates” and provided each one with a certificate and sticker.
The advocates chosen were Katrina Quinn, Christopher Streidl, Amber Hamilton, Lucien Dean, Tamra Schiappa, Braeden Rodgers, Richard Marchland and Christa Brahler. Students provided multiple reasons as to why they identified these candidates.
“Not only did Dr. Quinn explain the basics of my transition to SRU, but she was also kind, quick and made me feel so comfortable,” Aaliyah Thomas, a fall 2023 transfer, said. “She has been a constant help…she is so wonderful!”
Other transfers expressed appreciation to faculty and staff who went out of their way to help with questions and said they were grateful for students who were welcoming and friendly.
In addition to the nominations, the school also hosted a luncheon for transfer students. There is a commuter lunch every month, but this one was specifically focused on commuters who have transferred.
“Typically within a whole entire academic year…we bring in between 600-700 transfer students,” Emily Price, who is the Associate Director of Transfer Articulation and Readmission Service and helped plan the week’s festivities, said. “[It is] not an insignificant number of students.”
“We’re really excited to shout from the rooftops and celebrate these staff, faculty and students that were recognized, but also just our transfers,” Price said. “We’re very passionate about them.”
One transfer student from Penn State, expressed that the easiest part of transferring to SRU was the application process. “I like Slippery Rock because it’s much easier to get counseling or career appointments and stuff,” he said.
“Another reason I decided to transfer here was because the professors don’t really get research stipends, at least not to the degree that they do at Penn State. So professors are more inclined to actually care about teaching,” the student said.
