University of South Carolina's National Resource Center selected as successor to the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students

COLUMBIA, S.C., March 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

An international resource for scholarship and innovation in student transition research, the NRC has served for 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 NRC, 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. 

"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." Learn more about the NRC at sc.edu/fye.

SOURCE The University of South Carolina at Columbia - National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition