The "Double Dimes" were not the only students starting orientation two weeks ago today.
Transfer students had their own, busy week of orientation activities, ranging from a welcome dinner to campus tours led by Transfer Advisory Counselors. They also joined first-years at events designed for all new students, such as convocation.
This fall's transfer orientation was "better than it has ever been before," said Sue Wasiolek, dean of students and assistant vice president for student affairs.
Years of improvements, expansions and additions have shaped the program, Wasiolek explained. She added that the decision to include exchange students--for the first time in recent years--was a major, positive change.
"The feedback that we've received from transfer students in the past is that they really didn't think their orientation to the University was adequate," Wasiolek said. "We really took that feedback to heart."
Students among the roughly 30 who participated in the orientation activities said they were pleased with the experience.
"I really can't think of too much to complain about," said Pete Kiehart, a junior who transferred from Ohio University this year. "I was just really happy to feel wanted."
Some noted that Duke's transfer orientation was superior to the freshman orientation they had experienced at their former universities. They described the social activities and the TAC program as particularly valuable.
"[The TACs] were all really cool," said Joshua Silverman, a sophomore who transferred from the University of Chicago. "[They] showed us where to buy staplers and other necessary supplies."
He added that new transfers and TACs continue to socialize.
Although the University has maintained the TAC program for more than 20 years, it was formerly "not as well developed as it has been the past couple of years," Wasiolek said.
Students also said they were happy with their housing assignments. Since Fall 2004, transfer students have had some choice about where they live. Kiehart, for example, requested and received a single room with air conditioning in West Campus' Edens Quadrangle.
Nevertheless, difficulties remained for incoming transfer students.
Some noted that the orientation did not facilitate making friends with non-transfer students.
"They all lived in the same dorm freshman year and already have their groups," said Sara Murray, a sophomore who formerly attended Hamilton College. Murray added, however, that the University probably could not do much more to assist transfers with social integration.
"I think it's really just up to us to get involved," Murray said.
Entering a new academic program is also a challenge, students said. Although they were each assigned an academic advisor during the summer before their arrival at Duke, many said that getting credit for prior coursework had been frustrating.
Students whose former institutions used quarters, rather than semesters, have found the academic transition particularly difficult.
"It's been kind of tough," Kiehart said. Nevertheless, he added, "There aren't a lot of schools on the quarter system. I don't really see the need to cater to them."
Making transfer orientation a successful and positive experience is important, so that the new students feel welcome to share their talents and thoughts with the Duke community, Wasiolek explained.
"They have the benefit of being able to come here and share with us some of the things that they found at the other university that they either liked or didn't like," Wasiolek said. "They're kind of miniconsultants."
Silverman described the orientation program as an unexpected benefit of transferring to Duke.
"It was pretty enjoyable, and it made it easy to come here," Silverman said. "I don't know what I was thinking when I decided not to come here in the first place."
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