Communications

The Office of Transfer Student Success Celebrates Successes

October 2020

The Office of Transfer Student Success (OTSS) celebrated several exciting milestones in October, receiving a distinguished award, hosting a weeklong student event and re-signing the Fuse Memo of Understanding (MOU).

The office provides dedicated services and customized support to prepare transfer students for a seamless transition and a successful path to graduation. Through its Fuse guaranteed admissions program, students who start their higher education experience at a regional Florida College System partner and receive their Associate degree are able to transfer to USF to receive their bachelor’s degree.

OTSS was awarded the 2020 USF Student Success Partnership Award for the 2019-2020 academic year. This award honors a team, company, or organization (private or non-profit, university or community) that has rendered extraordinary service to the student success initiative.

USF celebrated National Student Transfer Week, October 19th – 23rd.  For the third year in a row, over 20 departments and organizations from USF Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee came together for a week-long event aimed at supporting the unique needs of transfer students. Departments and organizations offered workshops, leadership seminars and advisor-led sessions on topics ranging from career planning to choosing a major.

More than half of all USF students are transfer students, bringing diverse experience and unique needs. The event celebrates transfer students, connects them with transfer advisors and other transfer students, and arms them with information and tools to succeed.

As the Fuse program is enters its fifth year, the eight regional Florida College System institutions came together to re-sign the MOU to continue the successful program. What started as a pilot program with 40 students starting at Hillsborough Community College and St. Petersburg College, the program now has over 1500 students; 26 have graduated from USF.

Suhib Altawbah, Fuse and current USF student said, "For the past 4 years the FUSE program has been very helpful making me succeed in my academic career. It has given me a smooth and easy transition from Saint Petersburg College to the University of South Florida. I was lucky enough to be part of an amazing community and I appreciate all the opportunities it gave me."

Check out more about the Office of Transfer Student Success.