Students attending SFCC looking to transfer to a four-year university are in luck: The transfer center is getting a facelift.

SFCC is an associates degree and college transfer community college.  Established in 1967, its main purpose is to act as a gateway to more opportunities in higher education for its students.

Cynthia Vigil, SFCC’s interim dean of Student Support Services, is in charge of the on-campus transfer center.

Currently, the center resides in building 17, room 127; however, the lights are off and the desks are empty.

“Right now our transfer center is not staffed,” Vigil said. “Along with our career center, which is in the same boat.”

Vigil acknowledges the loss of former program coordinator Gabby Ryan who left SFCC to work for the City of Spokane.

“Those two offices,” said Vigil, “they should really be combined.”

More than 60 percent of students who start their journey at SFCC start with the intention to transfer to a four-year school.

“So, I started calling it the career and transfer center,” Vigil said. “I’m putting in for a position to replace our former career program coordinator but, renaming it to fit the new title.”

Though most students at SFCC look at transferring to EWU, some choose different routes.

“If they go out of state, we still want to support them with that,” Vigil said. “And for our students that may need jobs in the interim between graduating and transferring.”

Vigil said the college has career technical students and business management students.

“Of course we want to be able to help them with internships and opportunities as well,” Vigil said.

And in the spring, the center will have a new program coordinator and a new career counselor.

“The spring will be a huge rollout period in terms of the new center,” Vigil said.

Every quarter, SFCC hosts a transfer fair, where colleges in the state gather in the SUB to provide information to students.

“I want balloons!” Vigil said. “I want a big fanfare saying ‘Hey! If you guys say you’re going to transfer, let’s get you talking to these schools.’ ”

On SFCC’s website, the transfer page offers appointments with transfer advisors from other schools in the area.

“Students think that they should only be thinking about this their second year,” said Vigil. “But no, your first year. Don’t miss out on the opportunities to take the classes you need.”

Appointments with transfer advisers are held on a scheduled basis from September to June.

“Number one advice,” Vigil said. “If you know you’re going to one of these schools and you want to know how to get ready, go your first year so you’re prepared.”

SFCC’s Eastern Day was held in January as an effort to show most SFCC students what their future may hold at Eastern Washington University and how they can get there with ease.

“Eastern has a great setup,” Vigil said. “It’s a program called Maps. It will tell you exactly what classes to take for your major while you’re completing your AA degree.”

The transfer center is ready to help students who want to study out of state as well.

“If you’re going to go out of state and it’s going to cost you $60,000 a year, you should know that,” Vigil said. “And that’s something the transfer center can help you with.”

Not only will the new transfer and career center provide you with pathways to take but, it will also provide one-on-one efforts with students.

“When you go to college, that school is taking you on,” Vigil said. “You are believing that school is going to help you and provide you certain services.

“So what can we do as an institution to help you get there?”

“Start Here, Transfer There.” is the first heading on the transfer center’s website, it bodes well as a motto for the whole program.

“You want to go to Hawaii? Let’s get you there,” Vigil said. “That’s the purpose of the transfer center. Helping students with the process of getting to where they want to be.”

For more information about transferring from SFCC click here.