On May 26th, UMBC welcomed academic leaders and enrollment professionals from Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) and the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) for the Strategic Transfer Excellence Plan (STEP) Convening. Supported by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) and the Aspen Institute, the event brought together partners to align priorities, strengthen collaboration, and advance a shared vision for improving the transfer student experience.

STEP is a student-centered partnership focused on creating seamless pathways from community colleges to UMBC. Through the initiative, the partner institutions are working together to identify and remove unnecessary barriers to transfer, reduce time to degree, and increase bachelor's degree attainment for community college students. The partnership has committed to five shared goals:  expanding transfer enrollment from AACC and CSM, improving first-year success, increasing graduation rates for community college transfer students, reducing equity gaps in student completion, and strengthening STEM pathways.

The convening was centered on laying the foundation for the next phase of the work through discussions on governance, accountability, stakeholder engagement, communication strategies, and the resources needed to support long-term implementation. Participants represented a broad cross-section of the transfer experience, including deans, faculty, and leaders from admissions, advising, financial aid, the registrar, institutional research, information technology, orientation, student success, and student affairs.

Student voices grounded those conversations in lived experience. They highlighted the different pathways students take to UMBC and the opportunities institutions have to better support them along the way.

Zoha Waleed and Joaquin Seminario, AACC students who presented research through UMBC's inaugural URCAD Partners program, shared how participating in undergraduate research before transferring helped them see themselves as part of the UMBC community and inspired them to consider pursuing PhDs.

Laura Comey, who participated in dual enrollment at CSM before enrolling at UMBC as a first-year student, reflected on the lasting impact of her community college experience.

"Looking back, CSM was not just the place where I earned college credits. It was the place where I learned how to be a college student. It was where I learned how to advocate for myself, how to ask for help, how to lead, and how to imagine a bigger future for myself."

Markala Pharr, who transferred from CSM to UMBC, shared how delays in credit evaluation affected her first semester.

"Since I also had to wait for certain courses to be reevaluated during my first semester, my options for classes were limited."

Together, the students reinforced a central theme of the convening: transfer students bring resilience, experience, and valuable perspectives to their institutions, and their success depends on intentional, coordinated systems that make navigating the transfer process as seamless as possible.

The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) and the Aspen Institute, also in attendance recognized the partnership's commitment to expanding opportunity, noting its excitement about the life-changing impact the initiative can have for students across the region through UMBC's efforts to expand access and invest in transfer student success.

This summer, STEP enters Phase 2 of the Maryland Transfer Initiative, with work focused on stakeholder engagement and governance, shared vision alignment, resource alignment, and strengthening data and institutional infrastructure. As executive leadership across all three institutions continues to guide the partnership, STEP will serve as the framework for advancing coordinated action that improves outcomes for current and future transfer students.

For many student employees, a campus job is a way to earn income while pursuing a degree. In UMBC's Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (OFAS), it is an intentionally designed learning experience.

 
New student employees complete a five-week onboarding process that combines online learning, shadowing and reverse-shadowing experiences, office resources and hands-on practice. The approach is intentionally scaffolded, allowing students to gradually build knowledge while gaining confidence in supporting students and families navigating the financial aid process. The learning does not stop there. Student employees participate in regular check-ins and professional development activities, including monthly refresher trainings designed to reinforce concepts, encourage reflection and create opportunities for growth.

A conversation with Meaghan Walker, financial aid services coordinator, revealed the thinking behind this approach to student employment.

For Meaghan, whose background is in secondary education, student employment is an extension of teaching. Student employees serve as the first point of contact for many visitors, making them the face of the office and an important part of the student experience. Meaghan focuses on helping students understand professional workplace expectations while creating an environment where they feel comfortable asking questions and growing through challenges.

"We want students to leave with skills they can carry into any professional environment," Walker said. 

That approach requires paying attention to individual needs. After noticing a student employee struggling to retain information, Meaghan initiated a conversation that the student later said helped them succeed in the role. Experiences like that reinforce the importance of meeting students where they are and creating space for honest conversations that lead to growth. Students are also able to see the impact of their work through customer satisfaction surveys completed by the students and families they serve.

 
The office's commitment to student development will be formally recognized through UMBC’s digital badges. Student employees will earn badges that acknowledge the communication, problem-solving and customer service skills they develop through their work. Meaghan helped spearhead the initiative herself, creating a way for students to document and communicate the knowledge and experience they gain while serving the campus community.

 
The investment in student employees is rooted in a larger vision for the office. Andrea Cipolla, director, wanted to create opportunities that mirrored the experiences that helped shape her own professional journey.

 
"We wanted it to be more than a part-time job while students are in college," Cipolla said.
With training and support, student employees can perform many of the same functions as professional counselors, helping students and families navigate questions about financial aid while gaining valuable professional experience themselves.

 
"Meaghan took it and ran with it by adding badging herself—a testament to how much she cares about the students and them gaining the skills they need for after college," Cipolla said.
The office has left a lasting impression on student employees.

 
"It feels like community—I don't think I'll have a greater office experience than here," said Serenity Hamiel, a recent graduate and former student employee. "The people make it what it is."

 
Hamiel described OFAS as a safe space where staff members support one another through challenges and celebrate growth. While she was surprised by the amount of information involved in the role at first, the hands-on experience eventually helped her develop a rhythm. She said the experience gave her a better understanding of her own financial aid and prepared her to navigate future professional environments with confidence.

 
Austin Miller, another recent graduate and former student employee, said the role challenged his assumptions about financial aid. While his own experience receiving aid shaped his understanding of its importance, working directly with students and families broadened his perspective on the many circumstances that affect college affordability. The experience ultimately influenced his decision to pursue a career in financial aid.

 
"I know that financial aid can make or break a college experience," Miller said. "It's important to recognize the power we have to make an impact."

 
Both Hamiel and Miller described the office as a safe space—an environment where questions are welcomed, support is readily available and growth is encouraged.

 
That emphasis on learning and development will continue as the office transitions to its new name, the Office of Student Financial Wellness and Assistance. The change reflects the work already taking place: helping students navigate not only financial aid, but also the knowledge and skills needed to make informed financial decisions. That mission extends to the office's student employees as well, who are developing valuable professional skills while helping others do the same.

Addressing Barriers and Celebrating Results

UMBC’s recent enrollment data reflects the impact of these efforts. The university welcomed 863 transfer students — a significant increase compared with the previous fall and one of the largest incoming transfer populations in recent years.

This work also aligns with broader institutional goals around retention and graduation. Over the past decade, both overall transfer populations and college-specific transfer cohorts have shown upward trends in graduation rates, reflecting stronger transitions from community colleges to bachelor’s degree completion.

Financial concerns and credit transfer uncertainties are among the most common barriers for community college students. By helping students make informed decisions early — clarifying coursework, financial planning, and understanding career pathways — Pre-Transfer Advising reduces uncertainty and increases confidence.

A Holistic Approach to Transfer Planning

Transfer success at UMBC begins with the student experience — and the Registrar's Office is driving the improvements that make that success possible. For the Transfer Services team, every transcript, evaluation, and policy update is centered on one goal: ensuring students have the information they need to move forward. 

Smart Technology Meets Smart People

Launched in 2022, Smart Panda has transformed how transfer credit evaluations are processed.

Before its implementation, staff manually entered each course detail from incoming transcripts — a time-consuming task made even more challenging by the growth in electronic and dual-enrollment transcripts after COVID-19. Now, Smart Panda's Raptor tool assists data entry by capturing transcript data, and its Rule Builder helps create course equivalencies that populate directly into the student record system.

This shift allows staff to focus on quality checks and complex evaluations rather than repetitive data entry. "Technology can make us faster, but it doesn't replace our expertise," one team member explained. "Equivalencies change, and it takes knowledgeable people to keep everything accurate."

The project — more than five years in the making — highlights the team's persistence and creativity. "We approach these projects as a team," the Transfer Services staff shared. "Everyone brings different strengths. We brainstorm, problem-solve, and learn together to create the best possible outcomes for students."

Meeting Students Where They Are

The Transfer Services team works closely with offices across campus to ensure credits are evaluated fairly and efficiently.

• Daily coordination with Admissions keeps transcripts moving.

• Support for registration and graduation helps ensure students meet prerequisites and degree requirements.

• Ongoing collaboration with Study Abroad and academic departments builds new equivalencies that recognize the full range of student learning experiences.

The Maryland Transfer With Success Act has also expanded flexibility, allowing credit to be awarded for a broader range of coursework and for new forms of prior learning. Combined with Smart Panda's efficiencies, these efforts support the new 20-day turnaround goal — giving students faster decisions and clearer pathways forward.