The Campus Life Council (CLC) discussed their ideas and suggestions for modifying the Transfer-O Program at Notre Dame during their meeting Monday, with a task force chair stating the orientation needs to give more attention to student life, in addition to academic life.
Meg MacCaughey, SUB representative and chair of the Task Force on New Student Introduction to Notre Dame, said her group has met with Catherine Linn, an admissions counselor who works with Transfer-O.
Currently, the Office of Admissions runs Transfer-O, and the program reflects an academic focus.
"Admissions really accentuates the academic transition, and it doesn't give that much attention to student life," MacCaughey said. While Frosh-O emphasizes the transition to dorm life and introduces students to clubs and events on campus, Transfer-O, under the umbrella of admissions, lacks that perspective.
In addition, MacCaughey said the committee of students that organizes Transfer-O is composed only of students who have transferred to the University in the past.
"There are no dorm representatives, or any kind of general Notre Dame students who came in as freshmen," she said.
MacCaughey said that her task force would be looking into ways of adapting the Transfer-O format and possibly involving the Office of Student Affairs to increase emphasis on student life at Notre Dame. She said that involving rectors and commissioners from each dorm would be beneficial.
"We really feel we can make this happen ... and give [transfers] a better sense of what Notre Dame is," she said.
Fr. Jim Lewis, rector of Carroll Hall, said that the work of CLC would be to help "enhance what already exists."
"We're not looking to usurp anything from admissions or the Provost's Office," Lewis said.
In other CLC news:
u Nicole O'Connor, student government Parliamentarian and chair of the Task Force on Student Safety said her task force has developed plans to launch a Web site for student living off campus.
The Web site will feature information taken from student government's guide to living off campus, and the task force is in the process of gathering content related to attractions, retailers, activities and other information about life in the community.
O'Connor said the planned launch date is in March, 2009, so that students moving off campus at that time can utilize the information.
u Student body vice president Grant Schmidt, chair of the Task Force on Technology and Study Spaces in Dorms, said his group is continuing discussions about the use of Google calendars on campus, and recently discussed their use with the Hall Presidents Council. Schmidt said that the Hall Presidents Council will continue to consider using Google calendars.
u Schmidt also detailed a resolution his task force is completing. The resolution deals with installing Pharos printers in all dorms, and Schmidt said while the printers may not be seen as a need, they are always convenient.
"I think we've come up with enough issues" to get the resolution passed, Schmidt said.
