Mississippi State University will host Community College Recognition Day Nov. 7 to help recruit transfer students.
The event will include a tour of campus, lunch and a chance for transfer students to meet with faculty and members of MSU clubs and organizations.
Brent Thompson, co-director of public relations for Student Association, said the event recognizes the large number of transfer students that come to MSU and places as much emphasis on them as high school students and incoming freshmen.
“We want community college students to feel just as welcome as high school students,” he said.
Bill Kibler, vice president for Student Affairs, said MSU plans to persuade transfer students to attend MSU by using its overall message of the importance of attending a four-year institution, as well as some of MSU’s strong points, such as having a high retention rate, the highest graduation rate and the most majors offered than any other university.
“We are the most comprehensive university in the state,” Kibler said.
Thompson said from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., MSU will set up tents on the Drill Field and hand out free cookies to transfer students who participate in the event. Free cookies will also be given to MSU students who wear their community college shirts on campus.
The information provided at the event will be tailored to suit community college students, he said.
“The event will not focus on questions about going to class on time or developing studying skills or freshmen-related questions,” Thompson said. “They’re already college students. They are prepared to be here.”
He said most transfer students want to know when they can make their schedule so they can get started because they already know what they want.
“Community college students already live off campus or are used to making their own decisions and being self-sustaining,” Thompson said.
MSU representatives will speak directly to transfer students during Community College Day about the many options they have at MSU, which are more than incoming freshmen.
“What we want them to make sure they do is learn about all the options that are there that we have here and take advantage of those,” Kibler said. 
Thompson said he is expecting more students to attend this year’s Community College Day than last year.
“Community colleges are catching on,” he said. “The better this event is this year, the better participation we will have in the future.”
Kibler said providing events for transfer students is important, because their population is almost as large as incoming freshmen and high school students.
“It wouldn’t be possible just for the eight universities to meet all the higher educational needs of all of the students in the state of Mississippi,” he said. “The 15 community colleges in the state enroll pretty close to the same number of students as the eight universities and do an exceptional job in allowing students to enter college.”
Kibler said community colleges do a great job in offering low tuition, smaller classrooms and the option for students to live at home.
“We’ve had student body presidents at Mississippi State University that have been transfer students, so clearly you can get involved, get engaged and go to the very top of student leadership on this campus as a transfer student if you commit yourself (and) are motivated to do it,” he said.