Campus celebrates National Transfer Student Week

10/19/2022 

SUNY Cortland is recognizing National Transfer Student Week with campus events, a door-decorating contest and highlights on campus community members who experienced the transfer process.

The week’s campus events include:

• Transfer Fall Festival: Taking place Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Corey Union Exhibition Lounge, transfer students can de-stress during midterms with pumpkin painting and other activities. The first 15 transfer students to attend also receive a free stuff-a-buddy bear. The event is sponsored by the Tau Sigma Honor Society, a national honor society specifically for transfer students.

• Take a Transfer Student for Donuts: Donuts and cider will be provided Thursday, Oct. 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. near Newmark Pavilion for transfer students and faculty and staff members who have chosen to recognize them.

Throughout the week, the university’s Transfer Network Team will share advice and other highlights on the transfer experience from the @cortlandadvise Advisement and Transition Instagram.

Faculty and staff spotlights also are shared below, recognizing campus community members who previously transferred along with their advice for current students.

Each year, nearly 800 students choose SUNY Cortland as their transfer destination. 2022 marked the fifth consecutive year that the university earned recognition on the Transfer Honor Roll published by Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for high-achieving students from two-year colleges. Cortland is the only campus in the SUNY system to hold that distinction.

The university’s National Transfer Student Week activities, along with many helpful transfer student support services, are led by Advisement and Transition, which recently relocated temporarily to Brockway Hall, Jacobus Lounge for an office renovation.

Faculty and Staff Transfer Highlights

Hugh Anderson

Senior Study Abroad Advisor, International Programs Office

Transfer path: From Gloucester County College, now Rowan College of South Jersey, to Hofstra University

Advice for transfer students: “Explore every inch of campus and get involved. You can get up to speed quickly by going to events, talking with students, faculty and staff, and pushing to learn as much as possible about your new home.”

Jena Nicols Curtis

Professor, Health Department

Transfer path: From American University in Washington, D.C., to the University at Albany

Advice for transfer students: “Reach out to your advisor early and often. We can help you find your way in your new program. And lots of us have been the new kid on campus, so we can relate.”

Nancy Kane

Lecturer, Kinesiology Department 

Transfer path: From Elmira College to Purdue University to the University of Colorado, Boulder

Advice for transfer students: “Don’t be afraid to change your life. Surprises are in store.”

Doug Langhans

Senior Admissions Advisor, Admissions Office

Transfer path: From Alfred State College to Alfred University

Advice for transfer students: “Think about the transfer process as early as you can so that you are well-prepared for the transition. Most colleges, including Cortland, have various online tools to help make your transition smooth. Plus, they have admissions advisors willing to help you with that process.”

Kim Wieczorek

Associate Professor, Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department

Pictured at left with Renee Potter, lecturer in the Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department

Transfer path: From the College of St. Catherine, a small private school in St. Paul, Minn., to the University of Minnesota, a very large university

Advice for transfer students: “The fastest way to make friends and feel belonging is to join teams, clubs and groups. Follow your passions and you’ll find so much that helps you move forward in a positive way.”