UNC makes changes to help transfer students

Transfer students are more likely to face academic problems than freshmen, according to a new University study — and those students think administrators aren’t doing enough to help them adjust.

The study, based on data from spring 2011, is being conducted by the Office of Undergraduate Education. It found that transfers are about 50 percent more likely to end up on academic probation after their first semester than freshmen.

About 9.5 percent of all new transfers end up on probation at the end of their first semester, according to the study.

Cynthia Demetriou, director for retention in the Office of Undergraduate Education, said transfer students can struggle transitioning to a new school more than freshmen students.

“There are a lot of resources to support first-years,” she said. “But there are fewer resources to support transfer students during that process.”

UNC’s undergraduate admissions office made this year’s transfer student orientation mandatory and moved the 2013 transfer application deadline from March 1 to Feb. 15 — both efforts to help transfer students succeed academically.

Rebecca Egbert, senior assistant director of admissions, said moving the application deadline forward will help transfers register for classes and acclimate to UNC more quickly.

Egbert also said the admissions office created the undergraduate admission transfer subcommittee this year to better meet the needs of transfer students.

“It is a committee made up of 15 to 20 folks from departments around campus looking at the needs of transfer students and addressing those so they can make a smoother transition to campus,” she said.

But Jordan Dietrich, vice president of the Tar Heel Transfer Student Organization, said she thinks transfer students’ needs are not being met.

“I think the administration likes to pretend they support us or that they are providing enough resources for us, but it’s not enough,” she said. “I think transfers are overshadowed by first-year students.”

Dietrich said the University does not provide enough advising resources or clear communication with administrators.

Lee May, associate dean and director of academic advising, said UNC’s rigorous classes are not the only reason transfer students have more trouble adjusting than freshmen.

“Everything is new, and their peer group has already figured it out,” she said.

Jimmy Fulcher, publicity chair of the Tar Heel Transfer Student Organization, said he didn’t know who to talk to when he needed help.

“Other than telling me I was admitted and letting me know when bills were due, the University was a complete nonentity during my transfer process,” he said.

“If transfer students have a role in the Carolina family, then we’re basically the feral children they keep out in the barn.”

Lindsey Yales, a junior transfer student, said it’s hard to adapt to UNC, but it can be done.

“The thing about us transfers is that we’ve done college, we know about getting involved, office hours, how classes work,” she said.

“But we haven’t done Carolina.”

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.