Abstract
The new ONTransfer.ca web-site/database is a wonderful planning tool to help students who are debating whether or not to attend or transfer to another post-secondary institution in Ontario. However, in some cases, once the student has been admitted and is enrolled at a university the path is often no longer as well defined. This is the case at Laurentian University. This project evolved in order to answer questions regarding the transfer student experience before targeted programming for them could be developed.
Transfer students are likely the most diverse group of students in terms of the range of ages as well as their individual and unique situations. Despite this diversity the main academic concerns of transfer students are generally consistent; they are most concerned with the length of time they have to graduation, financial matters, and the number and actual transfer of credits approved for transfer. When a transfer student arrives at university, they often experience “transfer shock” due to the new campus culture. Differing ways of counting credits, different academic regulations, and a different registration process are all areas of confusion for this population. Transfer student programming, therefore, plays a major role in retention strategies...