By Heather Zimar, Managing Editor, Journals and Publications, AACRAO, Live from #SEM2026
Transfer students often arrive at a university already feeling like outsiders. They know exactly where to get help at their community college, but the four-year campus can feel like a maze of offices, each with a different answer.
So, how can you help transfer students feel at home before they ever set foot on campus?
California State University, Fullerton and Fullerton College are answering that question together with the Future Titan Center, a one-stop transfer hub which opened in Fall 2026.
“Belonging is not a student affairs initiative,” said Marco Mendoza, Director of TitanHub at CSUF, during his session “Belonging before Transfer: One Stop Strategies at a Community College Partner Site,” at the 36th Annual AACRAO Conference on Strategic Enrollment Management.
Align first, build second
CSUF and Fullerton College committed leaders at every level, from presidents and provosts to faculty and staff. Together they worked through a yearlong, 12-part workshop series based on the Aspen Institute and CCRC Transfer Playbook, learned to use disaggregated transfer data, and joined a national community of practice.
“The center was the outcome, but we had already been aligning along the way,” said Jessica Barco, Associate Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management at CSUF.
One space, many services
The Future Titan Center offers:
- Transfer planning and application support
- Document guidance and financial aid navigation
- Registration readiness
- Referrals to CSUF campus resources
Application help may be what first brings students in, but the real goal is a welcoming space where students feel known.
The right information at the right time
Support follows the full journey, from transfer info sessions and application workshops to admitted student events, personal outreach, orientation support, and registration specialists. Small, well-timed micro-interventions like deadline reminders and readiness checklists keep students moving.
“Students don’t always need more information, they need the right information at the right time,” said Mendoza.
People before processes
Consistent staffing, familiar faces, and warm referrals sit at the heart of the model. “Students remember people before they remember processes,” said Barco.
The team will measure engagement, conversion (from application through first-term persistence), and meaningful interactions with CSUF faculty and staff. Their advice for other institutions: create a transfer home base, embed services where students already coordinate communication across institutions, and track engagement and conversation measures.
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