Office of the
Chancellor
Press
Release
October 10, 2012
P.O. Box 751
Portland, OR 97207
PHONE (503) 725-5700
FAX (503) 725-5709
www.ous.edu
Source: Elizabeth Cox Brand, Community Colleges & Workforce Development: 503-947-2454
Contact: Di Saunders, Oregon University System; Office: 503-725-5714; Cell: 971-219-6869
Oregon’s public colleges and universities awarded $450,000 by
Lumina Foundation to help implement “Reverse Transfer” degrees
SALEM, October 10, 2012 – A new pilot program between Oregon’s public community colleges and
universities will begin to offer students the option of obtaining an associate’s degree through “Reverse
Transfer,” thanks to a $450,000 “Credit When It’s Due” two-year grant from the Lumina Foundation. A
joint collaboration between the Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development
(CCWD) and the Oregon University System (OUS), reverse transfer recognizes students’ achievements
with an associate’s degree after they have transferred to a 4-year school and have accumulated the
credits needed to fulfill the 2-year degree program requirements. It also recognizes the degree
completion for the community college, which receives no “credit” for the degree through current data
measures tracking completions.
Cam Preus, commissioner of CCWD said, “We are very thankful to the Lumina Foundation for this grant,
and excited about our partnership with the OUS to help students gain credit for the degrees they have
earned. This pilot project will jump start reverse transfer in Oregon and help us understand how to move
from concept to implementation. Bottom line, attaining an associate’s degree on the way to a bachelor’s
degree helps keep students on track to graduation, and helps them in their jobs and careers with an
additional, valuable credential.”
Today’s students move frequently between 2- and 4-year postsecondary institutions in pursuit of
education, training and a degree. Some students transfer into 4-year universities before they complete an
associate’s degree at a community college, with a percentage of this group gaining a bachelor’s degree
eventually through a combination of credits from both institutions. Recent research has shown that
students who are awarded a reverse transfer associate’s degree are more likely to stay in school and
finish a 4-year degree program.
“Some students can get discouraged after they transfer to a 4-year college/university and see more years
ahead of them, still, before they get a degree,” said Melody Rose, OUS vice chancellor for academic
strategies. “If students are awarded an associate’s degree while completing a bachelor’s degree, the
accomplishment of this helps them stay motivated and on track to graduate with a 4-year degree.”
Statistics from recent, early work in this area show retention rates improve by 10% for those students
who receive an associate’s degree through Reverse Transfer once they are at a 4-year institution.
With the tough job market continuing in Oregon, reverse transfer degrees can give an extra edge to
recent graduates. Having both an associate’s and a bachelor’s degree on a resume reflects a broader,
more accurate view of a graduate’s skills and training received over time. For those who do not complete
a bachelor’s degree after transferring but receive an associate’s degree with accrued credits, they have
at least the one degree to help them in their career goals and for job prospects; and if they return to
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complete their bachelor’s degree later it will be easier to re-enter and move more quickly towards
completion. Students who pursue studies and careers in engineering and other technical fields often
benefit from transferring earlier to take lower division classes in their major that will keep them on track
for graduation; getting a reverse transfer degree would benefit these students as well with an additional
technical credential.
There are also benefits for colleges and universities in Oregon who eventually adopt reverse transfer into
their awarding processes.
“Community college completions will more accurately reflect the investment of time, resources and
support that 2-year institutions have in the students who transfer prior to degree completion,” said Preus.
“Institutions awarding reverse transfer degrees will gain credit for the degrees in their completion
outcomes, create closer transfer collaborations with our 4-year partners, and gain alumni who feel a
greater connection to the community college. The counting of completed associate’s degrees will more
accurately reflect the graduation rates and achievements of community colleges; and will be represented
in the state’s important 40-40-20 goal to increase educational attainment in Oregon.”
Community colleges that lose students today before degree completion have to count this as a “failure”
even if students’ academic experience at that school leads them to a bachelor’s degree at a 4-year
institution. Reverse Transfer will record the associate’s degree earned after transfer as a success and
credit the community college with this when calculating their completions.
Three reverse transfer pilot programs are already underway in Oregon: Blue Mountain Community
College, Treasure Valley Community College, and Eastern Oregon University; Klamath Community
College and Oregon Institute of Technology; and Linn Benton Community College and Oregon State
University. The Lumina grant for Oregon will fund pilots in ten community colleges and all seven Oregon
University System campuses. The eventual goal is statewide implementation-- all seventeen community
colleges in the state partnering with one or more OUS institutions to award Reverse Transfer degrees.
Pilot partners will be determining the administrative systems and technology they need in place to begin
tracking and extracting student credit data from transcripts between the two or more institutions who are
partnering. This can be complex given the need to share information between two institutions in two
different postsecondary sectors and will take resources and institution’s commitment to accomplish.
Outreach to students at 2- and 4-year institutions, and to the public, about degree attainment through
Reverse Transfer will also take place as part of the pilot as this is an important part of successfully
implementing the program in Oregon.
The Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development (CCWD) coordinates the efforts of 17 community
colleges statewide and maintains educational opportunities and workforce development capacity in the state. Our Mission is to
contribute leadership and resources to increase the skills, knowledge and career opportunities of Oregonians. For additional
information, go to www.oregon.gov/CCWD.
The Oregon University System comprises seven distinguished public universities and one branch campus, reaching more than
one million people each year through on-campus classes, statewide public services and lifelong learning. The Oregon State
Board of Higher Education, the statutory governing board of OUS, is composed of fifteen members appointed by the Governor
and confirmed by the Oregon State Senate. For additional information, go to www.ous.edu.
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