Transfer students coming to Baldwin Wallace University (BW) may have to pack away their sweatshirts branded with logos of their former schools. But it’s a small sacrifice considering that trading those for a new BW hoodie opens the door to amazing opportunities.
“BW creates an environment that is like a warm handoff from the admission side to meeting with a transfer advisor,” says Nancy Jirousek, BW’s former senior director for transfer and military services, who retired in January. “We help students with transfer credits, know what they need to finish and schedule their first semester. That’s very positive because even though these students have experience in school, this is a brand-new environment. They don’t know anyone. They are starting over. This gives them a person to answer any questions they have.”
Jirousek says students transfer for many reasons, including transitioning from a two-year college and an associate degree to a four-year college. Or, perhaps their former school was not what they expected or wasn’t close enough to home. Maybe a student’s specific program was discontinued and completing a degree there became impossible.
Student athletes may also find more playing time at BW.
BW has also gained a reputation for welcoming student transfers who are military veterans or who have a military connection. Michael Brown, BW’s manager, veteran and military services, says he thinks it is the university’s one-on-one support of military-associated transfer students, as well as the acknowledgment that not all vets have the same needs or wants, that makes a difference.
“When they come to us, some veterans still think like they did in the service, and they apply that thought process to education,” says Brown. “Others may have been out of the service for a few years and don’t want to make that experience the central part of their lives, concentrating instead on their career and identity now.”
The idea that all vets have “some sort of combat-related trauma or stress” is also a misconception, says Brown,
especially because “a lot of vets come to us without any overseas experience.”
Jason Longrich is now a BW student after attending the University of Maryland from 2013 to 2014 and serving in the U.S. Navy from 2011 to 2022. During his military career, he was a behavioral health technician with emergency medicine training. Longrich began taking nursing degree prerequisites at BW last fall in preparation for being accepted into the degree program in spring 2025.
“The transfer process was very easy for me,” says Longrich. “I was able to meet with most of my teachers on the first day of class to let them know my situation about coming back to school after so long. They were each very accommodating and offered any help they could. I am so grateful to this school for making my transition so easy, accessible and convenient.”
One-third of transfer students come to BW with degrees, and they appreciate the streamlined process of switching schools. Nontraditional students (some of whom are working full time) also benefit from the convenience of transferring to BW, where they can earn degrees pertinent to their careers, such as the bachelor of allied arts in business.
In addition, the Associate to Bachelor’s program (A2BW) allows maximum credit from an associate’s degree as well as reduced core requirements. BW also has transfer partnerships with six two-year colleges, with Cuyahoga Community College being the largest feeder school.
Jirousek says BW provides a positive connection among faculty, staff and students in a welcoming community. Transfer students also receive academic support and specific scholarship and grant opportunities. BW was named to Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s 2023 Transfer Honor Roll, which recognizes “dynamic pathways … created to support community college transfer students.”
“Students thinking about transferring to BW shouldn’t wait until the last minute,” suggests Jirousek. “It can happen, but the closer to the start of a semester, it’s more of a challenge. Use our resources here to make your move the
best it can be.”