University News
Transfer Student Experience Provides Smooth Transition
May 11, 2010
MACOMB, IL – When one thinks of First Year Experience (FYE) programs, probably the first thing that comes to mind is that it's a program in place at a college to assist freshmen with the transition from high school to college. But what about those students who enter a university their junior or senior years after a few years at a community college? Recognizing that there's a transition for those students as well, Western Illinois University created a Transfer Year Experience (TYE) pilot for the 2008-2009 academic year.
According to George Holman, assistant director of residence life for training and development, the program focuses on helping transfer students adjust to living on campus by facilitating social activities, aiding in the development of strong academic habits and addressing issues specific to transfer students. The TYE Community at Western is housed in Higgins Hall, one of WIU's upper-division residence halls.
"The TYE program is really built around transfer students who opt to live on the TYE floor in Higgins; however, the programs implemented by the hall staff are open to any transfer student in the building," Holman explained. "Building upon our experiences with and feedback from the pilot program, this year's curriculum was revised and additional resources were reviewed to further improve the program."
Each month, the TYE program consists of activities that serve to assist transfer students in achieving success, Holman noted. For each month of the fall semester and through January, there are educational sessions, a social program and a guest presentation/brown bag discussion.
"Our educational sessions cover a number of topics, such as plugging into WIU, study skills, time management, money management and planning for the future," he explained. "These sessions, along with social activities, really help to connect students to the campus and the wider community."
Western's TYE resident assistants also provide community-building programs that students in other floors and halls may benefit from, such as movie/games nights, social justice programming, recreational activities and more, Holman added.
For more information on Western's TYE program, contact Holman at GP-Holman@wiu.edu or
(309) 298-3328.
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing
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