When Stephanie Sanders earned a health promotions diploma at Humber College, she knew transferring to university was her next step.<\/p>\n
She had her sights set on a school but her mind changed with one trip to Brock University to visit a friend.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came here and saw the campus and the area,\u201d she said. \u201cPlus they have a great physical education program here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sanders, 22, said Brock made transferring from college to university stress-free. She received five transfer credits towards her honours degree in physical education.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy transfer experience was pretty easy. I was able to just slide into it,\u201d she said, noting she participated in Smart Start and found it helpful.<\/p>\n
Reno Fernley, 24, is a transfer student from Durham College, where he graduated from fitness and health promotion. At Brock, he\u2019s working on attaining a bachelor\u2019s in kinesiology.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reputation of the kinesiology program is what drew me here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Fernley didn\u2019t attend the Smart Start program but said that as a mature student, he had no trouble navigating his way around Brock\u2019s programs and services using the website.<\/p>\n
Sanders and Fernley shared their transfer student experiences at a recent symposium for Brock faculty and staff who work with this population.<\/p>\n
The event was aimed at educating the Brock community about transfer students \u2013 an individual who has studied at another accredited university or college prior to studying at Brock. A transfer student may apply part way through studies at their current post-secondary institution, or they may have already graduated.<\/p>\n
Brock recognizes the importance of transfer students and is committed to helping meet their unique needs, said Registrar Barb Davis.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always been a population we\u2019ve welcomed,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ve always had a commitment to transfer students.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brock even publishes a view book specifically targeted to them.<\/p>\n
Davis said it is vital that Brock continues its efforts to attract and support transfer students.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are starting to see more competition from other schools,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
With the province\u2019s shift in demographics resulting in far fewer university-aged students, Davis said many universities are turning to other pools of potential students.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of work going on in the province right now to understand and encourage student mobility,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
That mobility works both ways \u2013 from college to university and from university to college.<\/p>\n
She said creating pathways for students to come to Brock and for Brock students to go into other programs here or at other post-secondary institutions is an ongoing effort.<\/p>\n
Davis said the top two Faculties with transfer students are Applied Health Sciences and Social Sciences.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to create even more opportunities for those students and increase the numbers,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
This Fall, Brock welcomed more than 800 new transfer students from Canadian colleges and universities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are on the leading edge when it comes to transfer students,\u201d said Melissa Beamer, Manager of Recruitment Services.<\/p>\n
She said there are services dedicated to transfer students at Brock and the University really values the experience and maturity transfer students bring to the classroom.<\/p>\n