Transferring to ASU inspired Downtown Phoenix president to improve the experience

There was a lot that Nora Thompson, a senior studying public service and public policy, wishes she had known as she transferred to ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus in the middle of her sophomore year. But she soon became involved in student government at ASU to help make sure other transfer students are set up for success.

When she first transferred to ASU, Thompson attended a welcome event designed for transfer students. She was approached by the associate dean of students at the Downtown campus at the time, Chad Morgan, who suggested that she join the Undergraduate Student Government at ASU.

Thompson kept the idea in the back of her mind but didn’t act on it until much later. As her first semester at ASU came to an end, Thompson began looking for extracurricular activities on campus she could get involved with the following year. 

Nora Thompson began advocating for improvements in the transfer experience at ASU when she got involved in student government.

“I was just kinda looking through what I should do next year, and USG was hiring,” Thompson said. 

Thompson applied to USG and mentioned her transfer student experience in her interview. When asked by her interviewer what she would like to work on if she were to be in USG, Thompson recalled immediately talking about increasing transfer student resources.  

“I said, oh my goddess, transfer student resources for sure,” Thompson said. 

The inspiration to increase these resources at ASU came from Thompson’s own ups and downs. 

Thompson transferred from Pima Community College and originally chose to attend ASU because of her interest in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. She discovered quickly that ASU’s Watts College of Public Service and Public Policy was a better fit and changed her major to public service and public policy. 

“Happily, I was able to find the school of public policy here at ASU,” Thompson said. 

Although Thompson was happy to find her passion for public policy and public service by transferring to ASU, as a transfer student at the Downtown campus Thompson says her transition that first semester was not easy. 

Her biggest challenges were navigating the housing landscape downtown and connecting with financial aid and scholarship resources geared for transfer students. Thompson said the needs of transfer students differ from those of first-year students and in some instances require different resources and services.  

As soon as Thompson got involved with USG, she hit the ground running to change things. 

“I figured you know if I were to do anything, might as well become a senator and talk about transfer student issues,” Thompson said.

Along with USG, Thompson also got involved with the Watts College Council, where she began reaching out to transfer students within her major to learn about challenges they faced as well.

Thompson teamed up with Cynthia Terrazas, president and founder of the Sun Devils Transfer Alliance, and began hosting events to learn more about what resources transfer students needed most. The Sun Devils Transfer Alliance is a campus organization that allows transfer students to connect and network with each other. 

One of the first steps Thompson made was holding a transfer student dinner night. The focus of the dinner was to talk to students to find out what they wish they had known when transferring into ASU, said Thompson. She also worked to survey the transfer student population, talk on virtual panels and host welcome events.

“We had big plans to do another dinner and more stuff. Unfortunately, COVID hit and we weren't able to,” Thompson said.

Currently, Thompson works to continue building resources for transfer students through USG initiatives. A specific goal she has is to focus on increasing their available housing and financial aid.

According to Thompson, as president of Undergraduate Student Government at ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus, she no longer works to support a specific group of students at ASU but to represent the student body as a whole. 

“Basically as president, the goal is no longer focusing on specific groups; it’s more holistically trying to solve the issues of everybody at the university,” Thompson said. 

However, as a transfer student herself, Thompson always looks to support others like her when she is able. 

“I definitely do still have a lot of love and care for that group of people, and they are for sure at the forefront of my mind when it comes to policy decisions,” Thompson said.