Maneuvering Through the Pandemic and the Livelihood of Transfer Students

(HAMMOND, La.) Thirty percent of students at Southeastern Louisiana University are transfer students of who are facing a new reality of COVID-19 while trying to finish school.

In the year 2020, world news media and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a global pandemic due to the infection rate and number of cases associated with COVID-19, which is a disease caused by the coronaviruses. New transfer students experience a less than traditional time at Southeastern amidst the new social distance protocols.

A transfer student is a student who was admitted and attend a university after having had coursework at another institution.

“I think we have seen a little bit of a drop, because there’s no in person meeting,” transfer student coordinator Hunter Waddell said of the rate of students transferring during the pandemic. “But on the upside, we’ve all had to evolve and reshape the way we do all of our work on campus.”

Transfer admissions recruiter Tristyn Wheeler said, “With COVID-19 going on, we aren’t able to do a lot of in person recruitment activities…In general, transfer admission rates have been bad and good. A lot of people have been admitted through lighter admission requirements.”

Wheeler said some students don’t want to chance it by transferring due to the pandemic whereas others see it as an opportunity to try something new because of the less restrictive requirements.

“Our requirements to being admitted have changed a little bit,” he said. “As far as it relates to the new coronavirus there isn’t anything specific when it comes to that.”

“There is no specific COVID-19 protocol for transfer students… when students transfer in, I just send them a booklet and a PowerPoint presentation on what they should do, and I include links to websites stating what the campus protocol is for social distancing. I figure most of them know to adhere to what’s regularly practiced by the rest of the world,” said Waddell.

Waddell also believes that there is a balance between students who prefer virtual learning versus those who prefer traditional in classroom settings. He has noticed more popularity of virtual classes with non-traditional students who are commuters, have jobs, or are full time parents.

However, Wheeler said that based on his research most students are ready for in-person, traditional classroom settings.

Though Wheeler does not know the exact rate of graduation amongst transfer students, he expects a rise in spite of COVID-19 because there has been an 11% increase in admissions for transfer students within the last two years.