FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina’s National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition (NRC) has been selected as the new home for the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS), which has been based at the University of North Georgia since 2012. The transition brings together two respected organizations known for advancing student success research and professional practice across higher education. 

An international resource for scholarship and innovation in student transition research, the NRC has served for nearly forty years supporting educators and institutions with first-year programming, academic advising and strategies that promote student learning and persistence. The addition of NISTS builds on this foundation, expanding the NRC’s capacity to address the needs of transfer students and the educators who serve them. 

“For more than two decades, NISTS has shaped how higher education understands and supports transfer students,” says Kate Lehman, Executive Director of the National Resource Center. “At the National Resource Center, we see this transition as both a privilege and a responsibility to preserve NISTS’s invaluable resources and relationships while integrating them into our broader mission to champion all students in transition. We warmly welcome the NISTS community into ours and look forward to advancing this work together with renewed energy and purpose.” 

“For 23 years, NISTS and the National Resource Center have engaged in a celebrated partnership that’s spanned publishing, presenting, and advocacy. This shared experience positions the NRC to preserve the treasured elements of the NISTS community while advancing the field of transfer and learning mobility, says Janet Marling, Executive Director of the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students. “We have the utmost confidence in Kate and her team and are grateful to the University of South Carolina and the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support for their championing of this important endeavor.” 

Founded in 2002 at the University of North Texas, NISTS has established itself as a national voice on transfer student success, offering research, resources and professional learning opportunities that influence how colleges and universities serve students who move between institutions. Its integration into the NRC creates a more comprehensive national hub for transition-related research and professional development. 

“I’m honored that the National Resource Center will continue the important work on transfer students that NISTS has championed for so many years,” says Dan Friedman, Assistant Vice President for University 101 Programs and the NRC. “Their vision and dedication to advancing student success have made a lasting impact, and we’re excited to build on that strong foundation and elevate the work even further. The University of South Carolina has long been a leader in studying and supporting students in transition, and we are poised to expand this legacy advancing research, resources and partnerships that strengthen the transfer student experience. This transition reflects our deep commitment to supporting student success well beyond the first-year experience.” 

“Transfer students and the faculty and staff who champion them play a vital role in expanding educational access and opportunity,” says Silvia Patricia Rios Husain, Associate Vice President for Student Success. “The partnership between NISTS and the National Resource Center ensures that this essential work not only continues but grows stronger, in alignment with the work we do. By bringing together two national leaders in student transition research and practice, we’re creating new opportunities to share knowledge, support practitioners and strengthen student success across institutions. This transition underscores our shared commitment to ensuring that every student’s pathway to a degree is supported, valued and celebrated.” 

The NRC, housed within USC’s Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support, is home to several national initiatives that promote effective teaching, research and policy around student transitions. It serves thousands of educators each year through conferences, grants and publications that inform evidence-based practice. The addition of NISTS aligns naturally with this mission and expands the Center’s impact across the higher education community. 

“The National Resource Center is one of the University of South Carolina’s proudest contributions to higher education,” says J. Rex Tolliver, Vice President for Student Affairs and Academic Support. “Welcoming the NISTS portfolio into the NRC expands both the reach and reputation of USC as a leader in student success. This moment reflects our enduring commitment to excellence in research, practice and partnership and signals to the national higher education community that USC continues to shape how institutions support students through critical transitions from their first year to transfer and beyond.” 

Higher education leaders across the country have expressed strong support for the transition. Bernie Savarese, NRC Board Member and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Research and Student Success for the University of Tennessee System, called the merger a meaningful advancement for the field.  

“This merger represents a powerful step forward for higher education. By uniting NISTS’s deep expertise in transfer student success with the NRC’s long-standing leadership in student transitions, we’re strengthening the national infrastructure that supports all learners and improves outcomes across institutions.” 

The NRC plans to formally highlight the merger at the 45th Annual National Conference on The First-Year Experience in February 2026.