SUNY Cortland honored for transfer student support

07/16/2024

SUNY Cortland transfer students Parker Arenas and Skyler Turpin ended their first year on campus as high-achieving scholars who are sure of their majors, value their professors and enjoy many extracurricular activities.

They didn't necessarily start their Cortland journey that way. They had some challenges early on, but they didn't have to face them alone.

Arenas, a junior criminology major from Brewster, N.Y., started college at Michigan State University. Enrolling at Cortland in early spring 2023, he missed orientation experiences among his cohort of 749 transfer students among Cortland's 6,800 students overall. So, despite his outgoing personality, at first, he had trouble making friends.

Turpin, a senior inclusive childhood education major from Horseheads, N.Y., began her college career as a University at Buffalo psychology major. Soon after transferring to Cortland, she nearly burned out while trying to balance an unrealistic course load with a full plate of extracurricular activities.

Both found the university had many resources to help them transition to a more manageable, enjoyable and ultimately successful approach to a rigorous, four-year college experience.

That strong support of transfers is a big reason why SUNY Cortland was recently named to the Transfer Honor Roll published by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), an international honor society that includes high-achieving students from two-year colleges.

It's a prestigious list that recognizes 228 campuses nationwide, including only four within the SUNY system. SUNY Cortland is New York's only public institution to be honored every year since 2018.

The Transfer Honor Roll is determined by 40 key metrics related to the support and success of transfer students, including actual college cost, campus life for transfer students, admission practices, and bachelor's degree completion. To be named to the PTK Honor Roll, colleges and universities are assigned a "transfer friendliness" rating based on qualities such as transfer student support services, financial aid, admissions outreach and campus opportunities. The top 25% of highest-rated campuses are recognized.

Parker Arenas, left, and Skyler Turpin share their SUNY Cortland transfer student experience. In the top image, new Fall 2023 transfer students attend an orientation session.

SUNY Cortland has a high transfer student acceptance rate, and nearly 85% of the university's transfer students from community college successfully complete their four-year degree.

Thirty-seven percent of the incoming transfers received institutional need-based aid and 7% received institutional merit-based aid, with the average aid award being almost $4,000. For the prior year, 10 transfer students were awarded a Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship to help them afford their education.

As beneficiaries of the support initiatives SUNY Cortland offers, both Arenas and Turpin are helping new transfers adjust to the four-year experience as interns with the Transfer Team Network, the university's peer mentoring program. This summer, they are assisting Advisement and Transition staff with Orientation activities and, in the fall, plan to assist in teaching COR-101 or COR-201, the mandatory one-credit courses that help ensure success for incoming first-year students and transfers, respectively.

In addition to the Transfer Team Network program, SUNY Cortland offers a wide array of supports. They include:

• Online tools that help students map a clear path to the university.
• A formal transfer orientation program.
• A COR 201 required course for transfer students, modeled after the one for first-year student success.
• National Transfer Student Week, an October event series to celebrate transfer students.
• Reverse transfer degrees, enabling transfer students to complete their community college associate degree while working toward their bachelor's degree at SUNY Cortland.
• Transfer-specific recognition in the form of the national Tau Sigma honor society.
• Transfer student scholarships offered through Tau Sigma.

Arenas and Turpin also credit their success to staff members in Advisement and Transition, which specializes in academic advising for all students, including transfers. And they have advice for the next generation of transfer students.

"Step out of your comfort zone," advised Arenas. "Really immerse yourself in all campus has to offer. That's the way to feel at home and you're not going to do that just by staying inside. Engage in anything that is offered to you."

Arenas was inducted into Alpha Phi Sigma, the criminal justice collegiate honor society, and aspires to a federal government law enforcement career. He served the last academic year on the Student Government Association as e-board secretary, and he can't wait to intern with a real police agency before he graduates in spring 2026.

Turpin, who was inducted into Tau Sigma this past spring, agreed.

"I would say to transfer students that they need to explore anything that would interest you in terms of clubs and organizations, and make connections with the faculty here," she said.

Turpin joined a social sorority and quickly built a whole network of friends and engaged in the Greek organization's many volunteer activities. She looks forward to stepping into her first real classroom observation this coming year and plans to teach elementary general education or special education after she graduates in 2025.

Prospective transfer students can contact the Admissions Office to learn about the application process or Advisement and Transition for support resources.

Visit the Phi Theta Kappa website for more information on SUNY Cortland's recent recognition.

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