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ESCANABA -- National Transfer Student Week is observed annually by the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) in the third week of October. It is a week dedicated to recognizing and celebrating students' diverse academic journeys and the professionals supporting them. NISTS' March 2023 report finds that transfer enrollment continued to decline in fall 2022 but at a slower pace than the previous year. Of the 23,199 students who transferred in Michigan in Fall 2022, 80.7% remained in Michigan, while 19.3% transferred out of state. With an overall 7.3% decline in upward transfer (students transferring to seek a higher degree) from 2021 to 2022, the report suggests that baccalaureate degree programs appear increasingly out of reach for community college students, especially those attending urban and suburban community colleges and those focused on transfer pathways.
Lake Superior State University's (LSSU) Escanaba Regional Center is a champion of transfer students. Since its partnership with Bay College established in 1988, LSSU's Escanaba Regional Center has graduated 823 students, and its enrollment is 100% transfer students. During the week-long celebration, LSSU will share transfer stories of its alumni and current students on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LSSU.Escanaba and Bay's campus. In addition to their regular offices in Bay College's Joseph Heirman University Center, students can stop by their table in Bay's HUB on Tuesday, October 17, from 1 to 2 p.m. to learn more about their transfer options.
LSSU Elementary Ed Alum Allie Derouin states, "Being able to work in the school system while attending school helped me gain so much experience and ultimately led me to my position I have now. The professors were always willing to work with me around my work schedule. I would recommend this program to everyone."
Students desiring to remain local have options of earning LSSU's baccalaureates in accounting, business, criminal justice, general studies, nursing, and teacher education without ever having to leave Bay College's Main Campus in Escanaba or West Campus in Iron Mountain; additional programs are available on LSSU's main campus in Sault Ste. Marie. Transfer agreements signed by Bay College and LSSU make it easy to see the Bay College classes that transfer to specific baccalaureate degrees at LSSU.
"LSSU's regional center is a great opportunity for students to stay local while earning a quality bachelor's degree," states LSSU's regional center director, Heidi Rife. She is also a Bay graduate who transferred to LSSU for a bachelor's degree and went on to earn her master's degree.
Students can start their transfer story by contacting Rife for transfer assistance. Rife serves as an on-site advisor at Bay College, assisting students to prepare to transfer and continue their education through LSSU. LSSU Alumni are also encouraged to contact Rife or tag the LSSU Regional Center Facebook Page to share their transfer stories.
Contact Heidi Rife, LSSU Regional Center Director, at 906-217-4123 or the Bay College Transfer Office at 906-217-4047 for more information.