How Are Transfer Students
Perceived?
8th Annual Conference of the
National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students
Introduction
• Karen Watson
• Director of Academic Support
• College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
• watsonk@vt.edu, 540-231-6770
• Participants
• Who are you? 2-Year School? 4-Year School?
Examples of Perceptions
• Mizzou Tiger Walk
• Establishing Transfer Orientation
Separate from Freshman Orientation
• Transfer Student/Corps of Cadets
Member/Naval ROTC Member
Discussion Questions
• Discuss in groups the questions on the
pink handout.
• As you discuss the answers to the
questions list of variables that can affect
transfer students’ perceptions and our
perceptions of transfer students
Theories That Include Our Variables
• To understand transfer students’
perceptions
• To understand the transfer transition
• To understand the role of others in the
transition process
Baxter Magolda’s Theory of Self-Authorship
• Three Distinct Phases of Development
• The Crossroads
• Becoming the Author of One’s Life
• Internal Foundations
Wawrzynski & Pizzolato (2006)
“As students move along the self authorship
continuum, they move from feeling dissatisfied
and in need of self-definition (The
Crossroads), through actively working to
develop internal perspectives and selfdefinition (Becoming the Author of One’s Life),
to actually having a set of internally defined
perspectives used to guide action and
knowledge construction.”
Schlossberg’s Transition Theory
• Transition Phases
• Moving in, Moving Through, and Moving Out
• Four Major Factors that influence a
person’s ability to cope with a transition
•
•
•
•
Situation
Self
Support
Strategies
Situation
Self
Support
Strategies
•What kind of
transition is it?
•What kind of
strengths and
weaknesses does
the individual bring
to the situation?
•Does the person
have support from
family, friends, coworkers, and
supervisors?
•Does the person
use several coping
strategies or just
one?
•Is it a positive,
negative,
expected,
unexpected,
•Does he or she
desired or dreaded believe there are
transition?
options?
•Is it voluntary or
imposed?
•Is he or she
optimistic?
•Personal and
demographics
(gender, age,
health, socioeconomic status,
race, etc.)
•In what ways do
people give
support?
•In what way do
they hinder the
person’s efforts to
change?
•Can the person
creatively cope by
changing the
situation, changing
the meaning of the
situation or
managing
reactions to
stress?
(Santiago, 2004,
http://www.cecilasantiago.com/Papers/Transition%20Theory%20ip%20Presentation.ppt#1-14)
Schlossberg’s Marginality and Mattering
• Marginality – feeling that one does not fit in.
Feelings of marginality produce feelings of selfconsciousness. Feelings of self-consciousness
then lead to an inability to perform at one’s usual
ability level.
• Mattering – feeling that one belongs and matters
to others. When present, mattering diminishes
marginality and promotes a healthy and
successful transition.
•
Includes – Attention, Importance, Dependence, Appreciation, Ego Extension
(http://faculty.dc.gcsu.edu/~dvess/ids/cet/ppts/marginality.doc )
The Future
• Learn more about these theories and their
application in my work with transfer
students
• Utilizing theories to update current
transfer programs in our college
• Utilize theories to plan and carry out new
programs especially creating links with the
Virginia Community Colleges