Nearly a quarter of OU students transfer to the university from other institutions, and a recently formed advisory board aims to ease the campus transition for these new arrivals.
Transfer students need quick access to information like where to get student IDs, how to get involved on campus or dates for Camp Crimson, said Sarah Fain, Transfer Student Advisory Board chairwoman.
Students formed the board in the fall to offer resources and comfort to these new students, said Fain, French senior.
According to the 2008 OU Factbook, about 22 percent of students transferred to OU. Until last fall, there had not been a university entity whose sole purpose was the facilitation of transfer students.
“Being a transfer student myself, I know how difficult it can be, especially if you are coming from a smaller school like I did,” said Jake Blocker, advertising senior and Membership Development and Communications chairman. “It can be a bit of a shock on the first day. The board hopes to make the transition much easier for students.”
Rachael Carranza, the board’s adviser and graduate assistant in Student Life for Orientation and Transfer Programs, served as the chairwoman of the Transfer Student Advisory Board at Texas Christian University. Its structure is consistent with OU’s board, whose premise is “transfer students helping transfer students,” Carranza said by e-mail.
“We have such a passionate group of students serving on the board,” Carranza said. “All 15 of them are eager to make the transition process as smooth as possible for new students.”
This spring will be the first full semester of the board’s existence on campus. The board is made up members who are transfer students as well. Fain said its goals are to offer these students guidance and to act as a bridge that connects them to the rest of the university.
“I want to show them what it is like to be a part of the OU family,” Fain said. “You know, to be a Sooner.”
Within the next few months the group’s main goal is to become a recognizable entity on campus. The board will become an integral part of Transfer Days from March 24 to 26 by giving group tours to prospective transfer students.
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