As Brooklyn College welcomes students for the Fall 2023 semester, its Transfer Student Success Team is positioned to assist CUNY transfer students in acclimating and graduating through this unique and distinct program, thanks to the ongoing support of The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation.

Now in its fourth year, the Transfer Student Success Team is designed to alleviate what it calls “transfer turmoil” and comprises 10 coaches who offer new layers of advisement to students through deliberate and proactive support before, during, and at the culmination of their Brooklyn College academic journeys. The Transfer Student Success Team program is available to all CUNY transfers and to date has served approximately 3,000 students.

“When we launched this program, it was Fall 2020 and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Michael LoPorto, associate director of Student Success. “While this caused many challenges, it also showed us how to best use technology, such as Zoom and other online communication tools, to better serve students. It made us more available than ever and enhanced what we can do.”

Recently added to the resources is a Blackboard-based, “Transfer Hub,” which contains a message board, a glossary of college terms, and a media center that will include short informational videos and infographics. All transfer students will be invited to join the hub.

Shao Chen came to Brooklyn College after studying at John Jay College. Chen said the Transfer Student Success Team not only helped him figure out what credits he could transfer but also assisted him when he decided to change his major to English.

“I am really enjoying studying English here,” Chen said. “Many of my classmates are excellent writers and the professors have been great.”

Elise Rivera is part of the Transfer Student Success Team and works with students transferring from Borough of Manhattan Community College. She has been part of the program since its inception after advising students at both Bronx Community College and the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP)—a comprehensive and successful CUNY support program for associate-degree students—at New York City College of Technology.

“The commitment to accountability, both from the student’s side and our side—is a cornerstone of our work,” Rivera says. “If a student hits a roadblock, the situation does not stop there. They can come back to us, and we can follow up or offer alternate solutions. Our goal is to eliminate roadblocks and offer a clear path to success.”

Each Transfer Student Success Team coach works with a specific population of CUNY students (listed below). Transfer advisement coaches work with students for their first year, and transfer completion coaches work with students during their second and, hopefully, final year.

Transfer advisement coaches and transfer completion coaches offer individual coaching sessions to students to discuss requirements and policy and troubleshoot any difficulties. Peer transfer coaches offer peer review sessions to discuss requirements from a fellow student’s perspective. This is available throughout a student’s time at Brooklyn College.

Coaches also offer schedule forecasts and transcript diagnostics to every student in the program. Schedule forecasts provide students with an overview of courses they are eligible to take, which they can then discuss with their program advisors. It is intended to encourage conversation and to better prepare students for their meeting with their advisers.

A transcript diagnostic is a summary of all remaining requirements, along with advice regarding curricular opportunities or trouble spots.

During enrollment periods, the Transfer Student Success Team checks in with all students in the program to ensure they have enrolled and to assist with any impediments. The team also offers bridge advisement events for students at our CUNY partner institutions and attends open houses as well. Brooklyn College faculty often headline these events for prospective transfers to have the chance to connect with them and gain valuable insight.

Transfer advisement coaches:

During year one, the transfer advisement coaches connect students to the right support staff in various offices, advocate when necessary, and facilitate informative workshops.

Dashler Guillaume – Cohort: Kingsborough Community College

Ambrosia Powell – Cohort: Kingsborough Community College

Elise Rivera – Cohort: Borough of Manhattan Community College

Dashler Guillaume – Cohort: KCC students.

Kubra Qurashi – Cohort: Hunter College, City College, Queensborough Community College, Medgar Evers College, Queens College, Baruch College, Lehman College, Hostos Community College, York College, Guttman Community College

Transfer completion coaches:

During year two, the transfer completion coaches proactively reach out to students to help remove any barriers to graduation and work with them to coordinate a plan to address any possible pain points, due to either policy or curriculum.

Sabrina Bove – Cohort: College of Staten Island, New York City College of Technology, LaGuardia Community College, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Hunter College, City College, Queensborough Community College, Medgar Evers College, Queens College, Baruch College, Lehman College, Hostos Community College, York College, Guttman Community College.

Andrew Gil – Cohort: Borough of Manhattan Community College.

Shena Lee Martinez – Cohort: Kingsborough Community College.

Aissata Moussa – Cohort: Kingsborough Community College.

Jilyenne Martinez and Mohammad Qurashi serve as Peer Transfer Coaches. Throughout a student’s time at Brooklyn College, Peer Transfer Coaches also send out regular newsletters to inform students of Transfer Student Success Team activities, important dates, and other resources and events. 

For more information, please email  transfersuccess@brooklyn.cuny.edu.  The Transfer Student Success Team is located in Room 3208 in Boylan Hall.