Students who transfer from one college or university to another face many challenges that they are often left to navigate either on their own or with very little help. Enter the Tr.A.C.E. (Transfer, Accelerate, Complete, Engage) Program, launched earlier this year by the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and designed by Matthew Claeys, CAS’s Transfer Success Coordinator.

From early outreach and advising for prospective students to registration and preparation for arrival on campus straight through to graduation, Tr.A.C.E. provides academic and social support to a previously underserved population in CAS: transfer students. The program is built around four main pillars: specialized advising, an elective course called "Transfer to Triumph," the Transfer Student Leader internship program, and events and initiatives in collaboration with other units on campus. 

In designing the program, Claeys’s goal was to meet transfer students where they are, leveraging their experiences, determination, and resilience during the transfer process as strengths, and recognizing their diverse pathways into the university. During the research phase, he conducted surveys and focus groups with as many current transfer students as he could. Tr.A.C.E is built on a foundation of student experiences. 

"Many transfer students—who arrive at a new institution partway through their academic journey—may feel like they’re late to the party," Claeys says. Socially, they may feel like friend groups have already been established and they’re on their own to figure things out. Academically, they’re playing catch-up with degree requirements and possibly trying to determine what they want to study. "The Tr.A.C.E. program allows transfer students to continue their academic journey with confidence at UVM and creates opportunities to connect with peers and engage on and off campus," Claeys adds.

Currently, there are around 550 transfer students enrolled in CAS. University-wide, there are around 1,100 such students, comprising around eight percent of the entire student population.

Starting in their second semester at UVM, all CAS transfer students are eligible to apply for Transfer Student Leaders internship positions through Tr.A.C.E.. This semester, 11 students are in these positions; the roles include two co-directors, one communications intern, and eight Transfer Student Leaders. 

"The Transfer Student Leaders are expected to dedicate around two to three hours per week to the program," Claeys says. This includes training multiple times throughout the semester, attending weekly meetings, sending out communications to new transfer students, and planning and helping coordinate events and initiatives. All Transfer Student Leaders have the option to earn one elective credit. 

The other internship roles are more intensive and allow students to earn up to three credits per semester. The two co-directors dedicate six to eight hours a week, working closely with Claeys and the rest of the leadership team. They facilitate weekly meetings with the Transfer Student Leaders and play a greater role in coordinating the logistics for events and initiatives. Tr.A.C.E. also has a dedicated communications intern who spends six to eight hours a week managing social media and online strategy and creating content and marketing for the program. 

All these internship roles provide students with meaningful opportunities to develop leadership and professional skills. "Watching the students grow as leaders is probably the most rewarding aspect of my role," Claeys says.

In the short time it has been in existence, the program has already been making an impact. One of its early major achievements can be seen during orientation. Tr.A.C.E. has been collaborating with both the Orientation Office and Student Engagement Office to fundamentally change the nature of what orientation looks like for transfer students. They are now grouped together instead of being grouped with incoming freshmen, and their orientation group is led by previous transfer students. 

"We have 26 students enrolled in my fall 'Transfer to Triumph' course," Claeys says. "And then this semester, we had our first university-wide Transfer Appreciation Week, which featured some popular events like a Swagapalooza, where we gave out free UVM swag to transfer students. We also had a campus scavenger hunt and a game night. It was an exciting week." 

The program just recently launched a new website and Instagram page. "We are getting a lot of feedback, especially from the most recent cohort, about how appreciated they feel and how happy they are with the opportunities to engage on campus," Claeys says.

Along with continuing to scale and refine the program, one of the main goals going forward is to collaborate with campus offices, clubs, and organizations. Claeys also plans to continue to identify specific advising needs and expand the website into a one-stop shop of resources for transfer students. Longer-range ideas include providing help with finding off-campus housing, offering scholarships specifically for transfer students, and reaching out to alumni who were transfer students to foster connection and pride in past and present transfer experiences.

Claeys adds that his journey into this work is not incidental and that it’s rooted in experience, both as an advisor and as an instructor. "In those roles I’ve witnessed the profound impact that a sense of belonging, intentional leadership, and community engagement can have on a student’s trajectory," he says. "Tr.A.C.E. is the manifestation of that understanding, and I hope to continue to create a support structure that’s both relevant and empowering for transfer students."