Orientation makes transfers feel right at home

When Amy Korn arrived at the University last week, she did not know what to expect. As a transfer student, she was looking forward to her stay at the University, but at the same time she had many questions, and few answers. How was she going to transfer her credits from Brandeis? What classes did she have to take? How was she going to make friends entering in the middle of the year? The Transfer Orientation Program, now in its seventh year, set out to answer those questions for her. The program, which is organized solely by students, ran for five days last week and was aimed at creating a more comfortable atmosphere for transfer students, according to College Junior Jeff Cohen, one of the program's three directors. "The goal of the program is to create the easiest transition possible for the transfer students," he said. In an effort to alleviate the problems that transfer students encounter, the program includes meetings with Credit Transfer Coordinator Shelley Krause and College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Dean Eric Schneider. Krause gave the official welcoming speech to students last Tuesday, as well as a session where she offered tips on how to get credits transferred. "I tried to orient the students in terms of our general requirement and offered them suggestions on selecting courses," said Schneider. "Basically, I explained the A to Z's at Penn." Along with academic tensions that transfer students experience, the program aimed to make the social transition easier, said Cohen. The program organized parties and social events that allowed the transfer students to get to know one another and have fun on and around campus. Cohen, along with College juniors Aimee Taxin and Nancy Epstein, the two other directors of the program, said the only problem they think the program faces is a lack of University funding. "We are funded by the SAC and they give us practically no money," said Taxin, a transfer student herself. "We think we should receive funding directly from the University." The program provides the same services as a freshman orientation, Cohen said, adding that it should be treated the same. Taxin said the lack of food service for the week the transfer students were here is an example of the University's negligence. "The University basically leaves the transfer students out in the cold," Cohen said. In the past, some efforts were made to receive University funding, but no changes were made, Cohen said. He added that he plans to talk to Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson sometime in the spring. Monetary problems did not damper the "amazing" time the transfer students had during orientation. "I loved [the transfer orientation program]," said College sophomore Amy Korn. "It was very inclusive. I said to a friend of mine that it was like coming into a co-ed fraternity without pledging." Transfer students applauded the amount and variety of activities that the program offered. They felt that they were being welcomed into the University community with open arms. "This is the fourth college I've been to and this is the best [orientation program] I've ever seen," College junior Bill Weber said.