THE TENTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
FOR THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR
THE STUDY OF TRANSFER
STUDENTS
January 25, 2012
Fort Worth, Texas
THE FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE
TRANSFER ADVISING PROCESS OF ADVISERS
IN THE ALABAMA TRANSFER ADVISING
CORPS: A GROUNDED THEORY
PRESENTER: Alan L. Webb Ed.D.
Co-Presenter: John Dantzler, Ph.D.
Co-Presenter: David E. Hardy, Ph.D.
Co-Presenter: Stephen G. Katsinas,
Ph.D.
The University of Alabama
PROBLEM
National
Transfer Rate 22%
Alabama
Transfer Rate 4%
Rural
Transfer Rate
2%
PROGRAM
The Alabama College Transfer Advising
Corps
 The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
 Purpose: Place recent graduates on
community college campuses to assist
with transfer
 Goal: To increase the community college
to four year institution transfer rate.

SETTING
Appalachian region – 35 counties located
in the northern third of the state
 Black Belt region – 17 counties located in
the central section of the state
 Both regions are characterized by
underemployment and poverty
 Both regions were formed around an
agrarian lifestyle

PARTICIPANTS

Nine recent graduates from the University
of Alabama
 Originally
from rural communities (Seven)
 Transfer students (Eight)
 First generation college students (Seven)
 Eighteen months in the field (Nine)
PURPOSE

To develop a theory that explains the
factors which exert an influence upon the
transfer advising process in community
colleges located in rural counties in the
state of Alabama.
METHOD

Grounded Theory
 Explains
a phenomenon
 Data collected from individuals involved in the
phenomenon
 Data collection and analysis progressively
focused by means of theoretical sampling
 Theory grounded in data taken from the
substantive field
RESEARCH DESIGN





Concept Analysis –Delineation of initial concepts
Category Analysis – Ordering of concepts into
categories
Context Analysis – Focusing of historical, social
and political environments
Process Analysis – Incorporation of variation into
the theory
Theoretical Analysis – Integration of categories
into an organic whole
PYRAMID DESIGN
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
•
•
What factors influence the transfer advising
process as it unfolds in the experience of the
ACTAC Advisers who are advising students from
rural community colleges in the state of
Alabama?
How do these factors influence the transfer
advising process as it unfolds in the experience
of the ACTAC Advisers who are advising
students from rural community colleges in the
state of Alabama?
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
How do these factors influence each other in the
transfer advising process as it unfolds in the
experience of the ACTAC Advisers who are
advising students from rural community colleges
in the state of Alabama?
 Which factors exert a powerful influence upon
the transfer advising process as it unfolds in the
experience of the ACTAC Advisers who are
advising students from rural community colleges
in the state of Alabama?

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Which factors exert a negative influence upon
the transfer advising process as it unfolds in the
experience of the ACTAC Advisers who are
advising students from rural community colleges
in the state of Alabama?
 Which factors exert a positive influence upon the
transfer advising process as it unfolds in the
experience of the ACTAC Advisers who are
advising students from rural community colleges
in the state of Alabama?

THEORETICAL LITERATURE
Prescriptive Advising
 Developmental Advising
 Deficit Remediation Advising
 Strengths Based Advising
 Academic Centered Advising

ASSESSMENT OF LITERATURE
No Transfer Advising Theories
 Theoretical Terminology
 Theoretical Generation
 Theoretical Grounding

FINDINGS

Institutional Factors
Communication
 Competence
 Concern
 Personnel Relationships
 Support
 Environment
 Organization
 Senior Leadership
 Partnerships

FINDINGS

Cultural Factors
 Economic
Perceptions
 Ties to the Location
 Ties to the Past
 Fears
 Personal Perceptions
 Perceptions of Outsiders
FINDINGS

Contextual Findings
 Educational
Support
 Educational Preparedness
 Educational Affordability
FINDINGS

Adviser Factors
Transfer Student
 First Generation College Student
 Academic Background
 Personal Belief System
 Family Background
 Home Town
 Emotional Investment
 Training
 Near Peer Advising

FINDINGS

Student Factors (Core Category)
 Goal
Formation
 Academic Standing
 Personal Characteristics
 Background
INFLUENCE THOERY
CONCLUSIONS
Thirty-one factors influence the transfer
advising process
 The influence these factors exert is
nonlinear and random
 These factors influence each other in a
singular fashion, in an enhanced fashion,
and in a combined fashion

CONCLUSIONS
Cultural factors, contextual factors, and
adviser factors exert a powerful influence
on the transfer advising process
 Cultural factors and contextual factors
exert a negative influence upon the
transfer advising process
 Adviser factors exert a positive influence
on the transfer advising process

RECOMMENDATIONS
Replication Studies
 Focused Category Studies
 Quantitative Studies
 Transfer Advising Model Study
 Scenario Analysis Study

Conclusion
A look at the past
 A look at the present
 A look at the future

Questions