This CNM Instructor Helps Empower Faculty to Support the Transfer Process

As a long-time instructor at CNM, Sarah Egelman has seen many students graduate and transfer to a four-year university. That’s why she jumped at the chance to spend a year as a Presidential Fellow overseeing changes that will help even more students continue their educational journey. 

Her main focus was creating faculty resources that will allow them to better support CNM students before they leave the college.

"Having a better grasp of the student transfer experience is important for faculty because we are always student-facing," Sarah says. "During my fellowship I was able to take a deep dive into the transfer process and developed resources for faculty to more easily incorporate transfer information into their courses."

To fully understand the transfer process, Sarah worked closely with CNM’s Advising Team. She shadowed a CNM advisor and worked with the advisory team to identify potential student barriers around things like transfer deadlines and resources. 

Sarah then created a variety of templates that Advising could share with CNM faculty. 

“As faculty, we can’t advise students ourselves, but we can share information about resource fairs, scholarship opportunities, or best times to speak with their advisor, and the goal of these templates is to make sharing that information with faculty easier,” she says.

Sarah also drafted a term-long communication plan for faculty that would serve as a framework for how and when to talk about transfer opportunities with students. 

Ultimately, Sarah hopes her work as a Presidential Fellow helps guide and support faculty in the ongoing effort to help students who want to transfer to a four-year university. 

“My hope for the future is that there is continued faculty support when it comes to incorporating transfer information in the classroom,” Sarah says. “Transferring to another institution after CNM is about more than paperwork, it’s about motivating students to continue their educational journey, and if they have a great experience at CNM from start to finish, they will be more likely to continue that journey somewhere else.”