NISTS Conference returns to St. Louis

The annual National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) Conference is set for Feb. 21-23 in St. Louis, Missouri. This year's conference theme is "Full Steam Ahead: Leveraging Our Wins to Fuel System Change." The conference is at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch. 

"Transfer professionals are deeply committed to helping students meet their academic goals, but their efforts are often stymied by systemic forces outside their control," Emily Kittrell, NISTS assistant director said. "This year's sessions are purposefully designed to examine that tension while also highlighting important advancements from the past year." 

Tatiana Velasco, Tania LaViolet and John Fink will lead the keynote session Feb. 21. They will share key takeaways from a national and state-by-state look at the major disparities and opportunities for transforming transfer, including new measures of four-year institutional performance serving low-income, older adults, and transfer students of color.  

Velasco is a research associate at the Community College Research Center, and Fink is senior research associate and program lead at the Community College Research Center. LaViolet is director of the bachelor's attainment portfolio at the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. 

LaViolet and Nora Ngo will lead the Feb. 22 action-focused workshop focusing on early finding from the second edition of the Transfer Playbook. Ngo is the transfer program coordinator at the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. 

The plenary panel on Feb. 23 will feature Kate Hamilton offering insights from effective transfer change-makers. Hamilton is senior program manager for the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. 

Kittrell said the conference has three key features that distinguish it from other events: a comprehensive transfer focus, an action orientation and an opportunity to connect with like-minded transfer advocates. 

"There's tremendous value in being able to walk into a learning space where other people immediately 'get' the work you're doing — the fun stuff and the challenges," Kittrell said. "We very intentionally schedule plenty of networking and reflection time throughout the conference so that attendees will feel energized and ready to apply new strategies right when they get back to the office." 

All registrants will also enjoy on-demand access to the full collection of presentation recordings and materials via the user-friendly conference app beginning in mid-March. Access will remain open through May 30, 2024, giving participants plenty of time to extend their learning. 

Retired UNG President Bonita Jacobs founded NISTS in 2002 in response to a lack of professional development opportunities and research literature focused specifically on transfer students. The institute is based at UNG's Dahlonega Campus. 

The 2025 NISTS Conference is set for Portland, Oregon.