Transfer Students

Welcome New Transfer Students :

I am glad that you decided to transfer to Ithaca to complete your college education. I know that it is both exciting and challenging to be a transfer student. As a result you have some needs and interests that are different from those of our first-year students. We have created this web site to provide information and resources regarding the special questions that transfer students typically have. Please take some time to thoroughly review this web site as it will provide you with helpful information.

We have also created a Transfer Experience Program that will help you get to know other students and make an easier adjustment to Ithaca College. Information about the Transfer Experience Program is included on this web site. I encourage you to take full advantage of each of these opportunities as they will help make your First Year at Ithaca a successful one.

As you are aware, “Character" was selected as the foundational theme for the 2008-2009 academic year. Through the components of the Transfer Experience, and other programs on campus during the year, students will read about, discuss and reflect upon issues that relate to character and character development. Character is the complex mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person; the stable and distinctive qualities built into an individual's life that determines his/her response regardless of circumstances. By actively participating in new experiences and engaging in interactions that challenge pre-existing perspectives and values, students will strengthen their understanding of the meaning of character, clarify their own character traits and embrace the importance of ongoing character development. By embracing the challenges and opportunities afforded through the Transfer Experience, students will become more aware of who they are, the values and actions of the person they would like to become, and how to be more intentional regarding their ongoing development as a person of strong character.

Overall, the undergraduate experience at Ithaca College provides a unique opportunity to engage with new ideas and critical reflection, as well as the forum to cultivate the skills for life-long learning and character development. All transfer students are encouraged to embrace the Transfer Experience as it serves as the foundation for what will become their Ithaca Experience. Additionally, students should consider the foundational theme for 2008-2009, "character", as they engage in the many new experiences and interactions, both formal and informal, throughout the first year at Ithaca College.

I welcome you to Ithaca College. I hope you have an outstanding year!

Roger G. Richardson
Associate Vice President Academic and Student Affairs/Dean First-Year Experience