This year, the transfer orientation program saw multiple changes, including introducing the transfer Cross-Cultural Experience (CCE).
Although Cal Poly’s Week of Welcome caters primarily to incoming freshmen, the program also serves the university’s incoming transfer population.
Part of this effort to elevate the transfer experience was through creating a new position: Chair for Transfers and Supporters. Ana Leon, a psychology senior and a transfer student, is the first to serve in this role.
As Cal Poly continues to welcome a growing number of transfer students, the university aims to ensure transfers feel just as integrated and supported as their freshman peers, Dale Stoker, Director of New Student & Transition Programs, said. He added transfers make up just under 20 percent of each admitted class.
“We have recognized there has been a gap in really supporting our transfer experiences as part of our orientation program,” Stoker said. “One of my goals is to really make sure transfers are feeling belonged and connected.”
Attracting nearly 100 participants, the CCE track featured slightly different activities such as Ember Chats, delving into more vulnerable topics around a bonfire that may not always fit larger group settings, Stoker said.
Regardless of track, all groups attended events like the Transfer Social and Transfer Carnival. At the Transfer Social, Leon said students were connected with resources such as CalFresh, basic needs support, off-campus housing, the Guardian Scholars program and Students with Dependants.
Antony Tartakovskiy, a computer science junior and transfer from City College of San Francisco, found orientation exceeded his expectations. His group participated in paintball, kayaking in Morro Bay and trivia night at Woodstock’s Pizza.
“I had no clue what to expect, but it [was] awesome,” Tartakovskiy said.
In contrast, Kai Swangler, computer science junior and transfer from Cuesta College, found her experience less fulfilling.
“A lot of us had to request time off from work, and so the gaps in the schedule were frustrating,” Swangler said.
Most assigned leaders in the program were also transfer students, like microbiology senior Gabriella Gathman and business administration senior Heather Gutierrez. The duo said they pulled from their own experiences when planning for WOW.
“We don’t want [our WOWies] to feel overbooked,” Gathman said. “People have to commute and some people couldn’t come because they had work or family responsibilities, so we try to be accommodating.”
WOW traditionally lasts from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. for incoming freshmen, but to accommodate transfers who commute, the mandatory portion of WOW ends around 6 p.m.
Looking to the future, Stoker plans to continue developing the orientation program by recruiting more transfer WOW leaders.
Correction: This article has been updated at 5:38 p.m. to correct an incorrect attribution.
