Occum Hall: A Welcome Home for Transfer Students

Studies show that transfer students are a growing population on campuses across the nation. More than a third of college students transfer from one school to another during their undergraduate experience. Transfer students face unique challenges as they transfer into a new institution. Will all their college credits transfer? Who will be their advisor? Where will they live and make new friends?

One way that Eastern Connecticut State University supports transfer students arriving on campus is to provide them with an instant community in the form of Occum Hall.  Home to transfers and other upper-level students, Occum is located on the northern end of campus near Hurley Hall. Occum Hall staff help transfer students adjust by connecting them to resources and improving their chances to successfully complete their degrees. Built in 1984, Occum Hall is home each year to 109 transfer students and 134 other upper-level students.

Angela Bazin, director of housing and residential life, said one of the ways her office has supported transfer students in the past is through the Theme Housing initiative, which has had a Transfer Transition Theme (T3) to help students in Occum adjust.

Bazin said while T3 is not a current theme this year, in the past it has assisted transfer students with their acclimation to Eastern and hosted campus resource programs, transfer socials, T3 workshops and mentor programs. “Transfer students who were a part of the theme could then serve as a mentor to the new group of transfers for the following year,” she said.

“I enjoyed working with transfer students while I was the hall director,” said Alyssa Duffy, past Occum Hall director. “We had a great sense of community among all floors through RA programs, the Residence Hall Association and other housing initiatives like Warrior Cup, which we won while I was the hall director! I think living in Occum together gives transfer students the experience that a first-year student would have meeting a new roommate for the first time, with both of them being new to the institution and becoming new friends.

Jordan Wheeler is a psychology major from Preston, CT, who transferred from Three Rivers Community College. “I am so grateful that Occum Hall is for transfers like me. I share experiences with the people here, and everyone is very welcoming. Eastern itself is beautiful, and every person I have met — students and professors — are very kind. I was nervous about the transition to living on campus, but I am happy here. And being right next to the Dining Hall is a huge bonus!”

Alizha Sanchez, an English and Early Childhood Education major from Bristol, CT, who transferred from Tunxis Community College, agrees: “I love being a student at Eastern because it has been a very welcoming community with many clubs and activities put on by the Campus Activity Board. I especially love being in Occum. The RAs are very kind and have put on some interesting events and many can appreciate their study groups.”

Transferring to a new school can be a major challenge, difficult and even overwhelming, but Bazin said Eastern’s Occum Hall offers transfer students services to help them deal with any obstacles they may face. “The student population of Occum Hall has remained pretty consistent over the years. Whether those living in the hall are new, incoming transfer students who were placed there, or returning upper-level students who assigned themselves through the housing selection process, the hall tends to be a quieter hall than other upper-level halls.

“Proximity to Hurley Hall, the Student Center and the Fine Arts Instructional Center make it more attractive than other halls with double bedrooms. I think Occum is a great opportunity for transfer students to ease into life on campus while getting to know new roommates and finding their place at Eastern.”