Creating and Supporting
a Culture of Transfer
Presenters:
Cynthia Rico Bravo
Jodi Corliss
Naomi Grisham
Commitment from
SDCC District Colleges
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Transfer as part of the mission statement
Transfer Center with coordinator and staff to
serve as resource center and advocates for
transfer students
Transfer support from district offices to increase
awareness on campus
SD Community College District
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Training of new directors statewide
District supported Transfer Awareness Month
Relationship with Articulation Officer
Networking:
San Diego Education Consortium
 Regional Admission Counselors of California
 Western Association of College Admissions
Counselors
 Transfer Center Directors Association
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San Diego Mesa College
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Evolution of Transfer - TAG
Reputation as “transfer college”
Highest volume of transfers to SDSU and
UCSD
Top 5 of community colleges transferring
Latino/a students
Reputation for innovation in transfer events
and ideas
Created statewide campaign for
“transfer awareness”
Transfer at San Diego Mesa College
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49% of students interested in transfer
Top 5
SDSU
 UCSD
 U of Phoenix
 Cal State San Marcos
 National University
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Latest trends:
leaning more towards private/out-of-state
Transfer Center:
Hub of Transfer Activity
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Notify counselors of updates, opportunities for
transfer
Notify students through transfer database
Notify Mesa College through monthly
newsletter
Transfer major events:
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Transfer Awareness Month, Majors Day,
Transfer Day, Transfer Recognition Luncheon,
On-the-spot Admissions
Transfer Center continued:
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Small group counseling sessions
Work closely with student groups and conduct
workshops with student groups
University representatives on campus
University related workshops
Provide accurate, up-to-date information in the
Transfer Center
Use of social media
Transfer: Its relationship to…
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College Administration
Instructional Faculty ***
Baccalaureate-level Colleges and Universities
High School and Community Outreach
Matriculation Process
Counseling
Curriculum Development and Articulation
Points of Success
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San Diego Education Consortium
CCC member as executive board member
 Community College committee to focus on
issues/opportunities related to community colleges
 Close relationships with private university partners
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Region X Transfer Center Directors’ meetings
Regional Representatives meetings at CCC
Chancellor’s Office
Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program at
San Diego Mesa College
Bridges Program Goals
An institutional program funded by NIGMS
and NCMHD that is designed to increase the number of
community college students from underrepresented
groups and/or health disparities populations (URMs)
who transfer
and complete the baccalaureate degree in biomedical and
behavioral sciences.
Edward Alexander, Ph.D., Professor
Department of Chemistry
Principal Investigator
Jodi Corliss, M.S.
Office of Instruction
Program Coordinator
Instructional
Faculty
Counseling
and
Articulation
Campus-based
Researcher
BRIDGES
SCHOLARS
Administrative
Assistants
Business
Office
Subcontract:
UCSD
Georgia Sadler, Ph.D. and
Larry Alfred, Ph.D.
Critical to the Bridges Grant
1. Institutional Focus:
Impact on Bridges and non-Bridges students alike, so more
students transfer from the community college to the four-year
institution.
2. Partnership:
2-year community colleges with four-year institutions
3. “Baccalaureate Readiness” Program:
well-integrated activities that will provide URMs with the necessary
academic preparation and skills to enable transition and successful
completion of the baccalaureate degree in biomedical/behavioral
sciences.
4. Clear Expectations and Accountability
Partnership/Consortium
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To facilitate a seamless transition of targeted
students from two-year to four-year institutions and their
subsequent graduation with baccalaureate degrees in
biomedical/behavioral sciences
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Up to 4 institutions in the partnership, including the applicant institution,
unless strongly justified otherwise
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An institution may participate in more than one Bridges
partnership if strongly justified by the potential to magnify
the programs’ and institution’s outcomes
Bridges Students
(Eligibility)
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Students from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and
behavioral research enterprise of the nation and/or populations
disproportionately affected by health disparities (targeted groups). Nationally,
these groups include, but are not limited to, African Americans, Hispanic
Americans, Native Americans (including Alaska Natives), Natives of the U.S.
Pacific Islands, and/or rural Appalachians. Recently added: disabled.
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Must be U.S. citizens or non-citizen nationals
or permanent residents.
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Must be matriculated full-time in an
associate degree program in
biomedical/behavioral science fields
at the partner community college.
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2.8 gpa, 12 semester units completed
Student Selection and “Critical Mass”
Student Selection
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Institution’s responsibility to establish student qualifications
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Describe the criteria for selection and retention of Bridges students into
the program
Critical Mass
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16 students in the program, each year
Goals to Improve the Track Record
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Clearly stated goals, and measurable objectives relative to the
baseline and in context of NIH expectations
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Must improve on the previous record and make substantial
progress towards meeting the NIH expectations during the
next 5 years
Mesa College Puente Project
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Puente students have benefitted from the
Transfer Center by:
- Presentations by Center’s Coordinator
- College Representatives visit in
Personal Growth Courses
- College campus visits coordinated by
Transfer Center
Words of Wisdom
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The transfer function and supporting transfer
must be identified as an institutional priority
and involve everybody – administrators, faculty,
staff, universities, high schools, students, region,
colleagues
Transfer Center/Articulation Officer
relationship is golden
Learning Communities
Administrative support is key
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Transfer Center Guidelines
Contact Information
Cynthia Rico Bravo Professor and Counselor
San Diego Mesa College, (619) 388-2471
cbravo@sdccd.edu
Jodi Corliss Bridges Program Coordinator
Counseling Faculty and Dean Emeritus
San Diego Mesa College, (619) 388-2895
jcorliss@sdccd.edu
Naomi Grisham Transfer Center Director
Professor and Counselor
San Diego Miramar College, (619) 388-7380 ngrisham@sdccd.edu