University Advancement

Public Relations and Strategic Communications

MEDIA RELEASE

Transfer Students Get an Honor Society to Call Their Own at CSUN

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Oct. 16, 2007) — When Leroy Geter transferred to Cal State Northridge from a San Diego community college in 1973, he had to find his own way on the large campus, get through the admissions process, scramble to find housing, and fit in with students who had been friends for years.

"There was nobody available to say: ‘Go here. Do this. This is what you need,’ " remembered Geter. As coordinator of transfer student initiatives, he focuses on enhancing the experiences of CSUN’s transfer students, who primarily come from community colleges—some having completed their two-year degrees—to seek their bachelor’s degrees from CSUN.

To help these newcomers become more deeply connected to the campus, Geter has launched a CSUN chapter of Tau Sigma, the national honor society for transfer students. The society recognizes outstanding academic achievement, provides a common bond and encourages greater involvement of transfer students at universities.

CSUN’s chapter will be the first in the California State University system, according to Geter, the chartering advisor. Induction is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 3.

Some 3,800 transfer students enrolled last year at CSUN, said Geter. The students may not be clueless when they arrive on campus, he said, but they do need support to succeed and to graduate.

Because many of them commute, the best way to give transfer students a sense of community is to involve them in an organization of their own, said Geter. "Who wouldn’t want to build a community around honor and excellence?"

Geter’s unit also is organizing a Transfer Student Association.

To identify potential members, he sought an analysis based on the grade point averages of transfer students who came to CSUN a year ago. The results indicated that nearly 600 full-time students had completed their first term with at least a 3.5 grade point average. Of that number, 65 have accepted the invitation to join Tau Sigma and have paid the $45 membership fee.

Tau Sigma members will become student ambassadors who can help the university address the needs of transfer students and welcome new transfers, Geter said. They also will qualify for scholarships offered by the national honor society, and can attend national conferences of transfer students to explore issues of importance to them.

"You’ll have students who are excelling, talking genuinely about their experiences and explaining what the university is like," said Geter. "They’ll be role models."