New to UBC (NUBC) Student Survey
Report on Transfer Students, UBC Okanagan
Prepared by:
Sham Pendleton
Planning and Institutional Research, UBC
Stephanie McKeown
AVP Students, UBC Okanagan Campus
Table of Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
Introduction ............................................................................................ 4
Survey Questions.................................................................................... 4
Response Rates ....................................................................................... 4
Summary of Findings: ........................................................................... 5
Demographics ......................................................................................................... 5
Living and Commuting ........................................................................................... 7
Finances and Work ................................................................................................. 8
Expectations about Learning................................................................................... 9
Tutoring................................................................................................................. 12
Areas of Concern .................................................................................................. 12
Proficiencies .......................................................................................................... 13
Engagement........................................................................................................... 14
Mental Health........................................................................................................ 15
5. The Transfer Process ........................................................................... 16
Activities undertaken in prior year ....................................................................... 16
Reasons for not attending UBC directly after high school ................................... 17
Time spent ............................................................................................................. 17
Transfer credit experience..................................................................................... 18
Admission services and application processes at UBC ........................................ 19
Course registration ................................................................................................ 20
6. Student Comments ............................................................................... 21
7. Summary ............................................................................................... 24
2
List of tables and figures
Table 1: Response Rates ..................................................................................................... 5
Table 2: Transfer Student Cohort and Respondents ........................................................... 5
Table 3: Gender distribution ............................................................................................... 6
Table 4: Ethno-racial groups ............................................................................................... 6
Table 5: Sexual orientation ................................................................................................. 7
Table 6: Commuting to UBC Okanagan ............................................................................. 7
Table 7: Intent to work for pay ........................................................................................... 9
Table 8: Expectations about learning environment .......................................................... 10
Table 9: Expectations about ability to balance academic and non academic time during
first year at UBC ............................................................................................................... 11
Table 10: Ability to balance academic and non academic time in prior year ................... 12
Table 11: Tutoring received and expected ........................................................................ 12
Table 12: Concerns about first year at UBC ..................................................................... 13
Table 13: Self-rated proficiencies ..................................................................................... 14
Table 14: Self-rated abilities ............................................................................................. 14
Table 15: Participation and intent to participate in 'high impact' activities ...................... 15
Table 16: Participation in and intent to participate in international activities .................. 15
Table 17: Negative feelings in prior year ......................................................................... 16
Table 18: Concerns about negative feelings in upcoming year ........................................ 16
Table 19: Primary activities before transferring to UBC .................................................. 16
Table 20: Reasons for not attending UBC directly after high school ............................... 17
Table 21: Time spent in prior year .................................................................................... 17
Table 22: Transfer credits received or not received.......................................................... 18
Table 23: Reasons for not receiving transfer credit .......................................................... 18
Table 24: Ease of transfer credit process .......................................................................... 19
Table 25: Satisfaction with admission and application services ....................................... 19
Table 26: Did students actively seek information on transfer?......................................... 19
Table 27: Finding information about transfer to UBC...................................................... 19
Table 28: Assistance of counselors at sending institutions ............................................... 20
Table 29: Availability of courses at UBC ......................................................................... 20
Table 30: Satisfaction with overall transfer experience .................................................... 20
Figure 1: Students requiring financial assistance................................................................ 8
Figure 2: Intent to work for pay .......................................................................................... 9
Figure 3: Expectation of Transfer respondents compared with Direct Entrants ............... 10
Figure 4: Grade expectation and actual performance of 2008 cohort ............................... 11
3
1. Introduction
In August 2009, the Offices of the Vice President, Students and Planning and
Institutional Research undertook a survey to measure characteristics of our incoming
students, including their expectations prior to their arrival at UBC. The survey was
administered at both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan and was administered to all
new students (direct entrants and transfer students). The NUBC Survey, unlike other
surveys that UBC has participated in, is unique since it attempts to measure the impact of
the first year experience for both direct entrants and transfer students. In addition, the
survey will provide benchmarks to help us assess progress towards UBC’s strategic
objectives as set out in Place and Promise, UBC’s strategic plan. In February, the same
students were surveyed again to determine how our student expectations have been
altered by their first year experience at UBC. This report summarizes results for transfer
student respondents to the New to UBC survey at UBC Okanagan and a follow up report
will assess student responses to the February survey.
2. Survey Questions
Survey questions were developed specifically for UBC’s learning environment and
strategic plan. Questions from other surveys were also included to provide benchmarks
for assessing the experience and expectations of our students compared to students at
other public Canadian and U.S. institutions.
The survey also provided students with a self assessment tool and a mechanism whereby
they could request additional information or seek advice. For example, students were
asked if they were confident in their ability to manage their academic time with their nonacademic time. If they selected ‘not confident’, another question was displayed which
asked if they would like to be contacted with information to help them achieve a balance.
Follow up emails and/or contact was then initiated with students where appropriate. The
ability to probe further allowed Student Services Units and or Faculty academic advising
units to intervene early in order to make students aware of the resources available to them
to help them stay on track and have a successful year.
3. Response Rates
The survey was administered in August 2009 and closed on September 15, 2009.
Students received one to three emails requesting participation, from the initial invite to
two additional reminders. Incentives were offered and respondents were entered into a
prize draw for one $500 Air Canada travel voucher and two $200 Air Canada travel
vouchers.
4
An overall response rate of 64.2% was achieved for direct entrants (those admitted to
UBC directly from a secondary school) and 62.0% for transfer students (those admitted to
UBC from a post-secondary institution). A response rate of 62% is impressive
considering that in 2008, UBCO achieved a response rate 31% on the NSSE survey.
Table 1: Response Rates
Direct Entrants
UBCV
UBCO
Total
Invited
5435
1352
6787
Responded
3493
861
4354
Response Rate
64.3%
63.7%
64.2%
Invited
2190
518
2708
Responded
1357
322
1679
Response Rate
62.0%
62.2%
62.0%
Transfer
UBCV
UBCO
Total
An analysis of response rates by degree program shows that that survey response rates are
similar to the distribution of student registrations by program. For example, 51.6% of all
transfer registrants are in the Bachelor of Arts program and 50.0% of all respondents
were from the Bachelor of Arts program.
Table 2: Transfer Student Cohort and Respondents
Faculty/School
Total in Cohort
Respondents
Arts
267.3
161
Science
90.7
53
Human Kinetics
38.9
26
Management
44.5
26
Nursing
29.0
21
Applied Science
20.7
16
Social Work
13.0
9
Fine Arts
7.8
5
Health Sciences
4.1
3
Pre-Pharmacy
2.1
2
Total
518
322
% of cohort
51.6
17.5
7.5
8.6
5.6
4.0
2.5
1.5
0.8
0.4
100.0
% of respondents
50.0
16.5
8.1
8.1
6.5
5.0
2.8
1.6
0.9
0.6
100.0
4. Summary of Findings:
Demographics
Of the total respondents, 69.6% are female and 30.4% are male. Female students
represent 65.3% of the total new intake of transfer students in undergraduate degree
programs so are slightly over-represented in the survey. Domestic students represent
5
96.9% of the total transfer group and international students represent 3.1% which is
representative of the total new intake for transfer students.
Table 3: Gender distribution
Gender
Domestic
International
N
%
Female
218
6
224
69.6%
Male
94
4
98
30.4%
Total
312
10
322
100.0%
96.9%
3.1%
100.0%
%
When asked to self-identify by ethno-racial groups (using the Statistics Canada Census
form of the question), 85.3% said ‘White’ while 4.7% self-identified as Chinese, Korean
or Japanese and 4.4% as Aboriginal. According to the 2006 Statistics Canada Census,
non-visible minorities represented 95% of the total population while those of Chinese,
Korean and Japanese descent represented 2% of the population in the Kelowna
Metropolitan Area.1 Note that the ethno-racial distribution of transfer students differs
significantly from that of direct entrants. For direct entrants, 76.4% self identified as
‘White’, 12.2% self-identified as Chinese, Korean or Japanese and 2.6% as ‘Aboriginal’
indicating that there are more ‘White’ and ‘Aboriginal’ students selecting the transfer
route compared to students of Asian descent.
Table 4: Ethno-racial groups
(students could select more than one category)
n
%
White
273
85.3%
Aboriginal
14
4.4%
Chinese
11
3.4%
Black
6
1.9%
Filipino
6
1.9%
South Asian (e.g., East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, etc.)
3
0.9%
Latin American
2
0.6%
Southeast Asian (e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodian, Malaysian, Laotian, etc.)
3
0.9%
Arab
3
0.9%
West Asian (e.g., Iranian, Afghan, etc.)
3
0.9%
Korean
3
0.9%
Japanese
1
0.3%
Other
5
1.6%
1
http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMA&Code1=915__&Geo2=PR&Code2=59&Data=Count&Search
Text=Kelowna&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=Visible%20minority&Custom=
6
Students were also asked about sexual orientation. Of those who responded (8% of our
respondents chose not to answer this question), 97.6% identified as heterosexual and
0.3% as Gay/Lesbian.
Table 5: Sexual orientation
Do you identify yourself as:
Heterosexual
Gay/Lesbian
Bisexual
Unsure
Total
Not answered
Grand Total
n
289
1
3
3
296
26
618
%
97.6%
0.3%
1.0%
1.0%
91.9
8.1
100.0%
Other demographic information
 89.1% of respondents learned English as their first language (compares with 83%
for the region according to Statistics Canada)
 35.9% can speak two or more languages well enough to conduct a conversation
 14.9% have lived in another country besides Canada for at least one year
 Compared to direct entrants, fewer transfer students have fathers who have
completed a post-secondary degree (38.0% transfer students compared to 50.2%
direct entrants) and mothers who have completed a post-secondary degree (40.3%
transfer students compared to 48.3% direct entrants). Parental education is
strongly correlated with socio-economic status. Therefore, transfer students are
more likely to be from a lower socio-economic status than their direct entry
counterparts.
Living and Commuting
Eighteen percent of the respondents planned to live on campus during their first year and
of those living off-campus, 56.6% plan to drive or use a vehicle with others which is not
surprising given the lack of good public transport routes in the Kelowna area.
Table 6: Commuting to UBC Okanagan
How do you plan to commute to UBC?
(Select the mode of transport you will use most often)
n
%
Vehicle (alone)
81
31.2%
Vehicle (with others/carpool)
66
25.4%
Walk
10
3.8%
Bicycle
5
1.9%
Public transport
96
36.9%
Other
2
0.8%
7
Finances and Work
Respondents were asked if they needed a loan to finance their first year at UBC. Fiftytwo percent of transfer students said ‘yes’ compared to 29.6% for direct entry students.
Of those who needed a loan, the majority (75%) said they would rely on government
student loans to fund their first year. In comparison, 30% of international transfer
students said ‘yes’ compared to 10% for the international direct entry group.
Transfer students are older, are from lower socio-economic backgrounds, work more than
direct entry students and have more family responsibilities. Therefore it is not surprising
that more will require loans. In addition, a greater proportion of international transfers
will require loans (30% transfer compared to 10% for direct entry) and this is most likely
due to the fact that most of these students have already spent significant sums of money
towards their post-secondary studies.
Figure 1: Students requiring financial assistance
Respondents were also asked if they had any concerns about their ability to finance their
entire university education and 27% of domestic transfer students said they had ‘major’
concerns while 52% said ‘some’ and 21% said ‘none’.
8
Figure 2: Intent to work for pay
Of those who said that they had major concerns, almost all 95.3% or 82 students said
‘yes’ when asked if they would like to receive additional information about financial
assistance and awards.
When asked if they planned to work for pay while undertaking their studies, 23.6% said
‘no’. Approximately 53.7% planned to work 11 or more hours per week compared
33.5% for direct entry students.
Table 7: Intent to work for pay
During this coming year, do you plan to work (for pay)?
No, I don't plan to have a job
I plan to work less than 10 hours per week
I plan to work between 11 and 20 hours per week
I plan to work more than 20 hours per week
n
76
73
134
39
%
23.6
22.7
41.6
12.1
Of those who planned to work for pay, 73.7 % or 179 students said ‘yes’ when asked if
they would like to receive additional information about on-campus work opportunities.
Expectations about Learning
In 2008, the Center for Learning and Student Success at Florida Atlantic University
administered a survey to incoming freshman on ‘their feelings about their first semester
9
of college, their intended study habits, anticipated challenges, planned use of their time,
etc”. Some questions specifically addressed the learning environment.
We asked the same questions on the learning environment to UBC students to determine
how our students felt about the courses that they had registered for before they started
their studies. The same set of questions were also asked in a post-survey (UES Survey)
of our students administered in Feb/March 2009. A detailed analysis of the UES survey
will ascertain if student expectations about their courses remain the same of if they have
changed after experiencing the learning environment at UBC
On a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is ‘strongly agree’, respondents seem to be very positive
about the learning environment at UBC and are confident in their ability to succeed in all
of their courses (results between male/female are not statistically significant). The results
are very similar to those of direct entry students.
Table 8: Expectations about learning environment
My courses will be interesting
I see the value in each of the courses I will be taking this
semester
I am confident that I have the ability to succeed in all of my
courses
Valid N
Mean
Standard Deviation
GENDER
F
M
221
96
4.26
4.18
.94
.86
Valid N
Mean
Standard Deviation
221
4.24
1.02
95
4.17
.90
Valid N
Mean
Standard Deviation
222
4.44
.93
96
4.44
.86
Respondents were also asked about grade expectations for first year and most are
confident of their ability to achieve good grades.
Figure 3: Expectation of Transfer respondents compared with Direct Entrants
10
As demonstrated in Figure 4, students’ grade expectations exceed their actual
performance in their first year at UBCO however the differential is not that great. In
2008, the average admission average for transfer students was 73.7% and 73.4% for end
of term UBCO grades.
Figure 4: Grade expectation and actual performance of 2008 cohort
UBCO 2009 Transfer respondent grade expecations compared
to actual grades achieved by transfer students in 2008
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
Expected
Actual in 2008
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
.0%
80-100 (A-, A, 68-79 (B-, B,
A+)
B+)
55-67 (C-, C,
C+)
50-54 (D)
0-49
Similarly, most students seem to be very or somewhat confident about their ability to
balance their academic and non-academic time (96.3%). Of those who responded ‘not
confident’, 63.6% or 7 students requested that additional information be sent to them to
help them achieve balance.
Table 9: Expectations about ability to balance academic and non academic time during first year at
UBC
n
%
Somewhat confident
171
53.1%
Very confident
139
43.2%
Not confident
12
3.7%
322
Total
100.0%
Transfer students were also asked how well they were able to balance their academic and
non-academic time during their last year in college/university. Most students, 90.7%,
indicated they had ‘some’ or ‘no’ difficulty balancing their academic and non-academic
time the previous year indicating that students who choose the transfer route are able to
quickly adjust to the shift from secondary to post-secondary studies; a result one would
expect given the smaller classes and smaller size of these students’ sending institutions.
11
Table 10: Ability to balance academic and non academic time in prior year
n
%
With some difficulty
201 62.4%
Without any difficulty
91
28.3%
With a lot of difficulty
21
6.5%
I was unable to balance my academic and non-academic time
9
2.8%
Total
322 100.0%
Tutoring
When asked if they had received some extra tutoring in key subjects, 18% said that they
had received tutoring in Math, 9.6% in English and 7.1% in Writing. A slightly higher
proportion said they expected that they would need tutoring in first year English (20.5%),
and only 4.7% would need tutoring in first year Math, but almost double anticipated
needing tutoring in Writing (13.7%).
Table 11: Tutoring received and expected
English
Reading
Mathematics
Science
Second/Additional Language
Writing
Other
Have had:
9.6%
3.7%
18.0%
5.9%
5.3%
7.1%
0.6%
Will need:
20.5%
1.9%
4.7%
9.6%
8.7%
13.7%
1.9%
Respondents who said they would need tutoring were asked if they wanted to receive
additional information about tutoring services offered at UBC and 77.2% or 95 students
said ‘yes’.
Areas of Concern
Transfer students cited ‘financing my education at UBC’ as their top concern when asked
what concerns they have about the university. For these students the top three areas
where respondents are ‘very concerned’ is their ability to finance their education at
UBCO, being overwhelmed with all the things they are expected to do in the first
semester and the ability to make the kind of friends they want.
12
Table 12: Concerns about first year at UBC
Very
concerned
Concerns at UBCO
Financing my education at UBCO
Being accepted for who I am
Getting into my first choice of major
My ability to do the coursework
Getting the academic advising I need
Getting the career and professional advising I need
Getting the personal counseling I might need
Getting along with my roommate(s), housemate(s), or family
members
Being able to make the kind of friends I want
Being away from family and friends; being 'homesick'
Being able to maintain good health
Being able to cope with expectations of parents and family
My personal safety in and around campus
If UBCO is the right choice for me
Finding affordable housing while I'm a student at UBCO
Being overwhelmed with all the things I’m expected to do
my first semester
Somewhat
concerned
Not concerned
n
89
22
36
37
36
43
%
27.7%
6.8%
11.2%
11.5%
11.2%
13.4%
n
149
61
90
153
150
145
%
46.4%
18.9%
28.0%
47.5%
46.6%
45.0%
n
83
239
196
132
136
134
%
25.9%
74.2%
60.9%
41.0%
42.2%
41.6%
11
25
3.4%
7.8%
80
91
24.9%
28.3%
230
206
71.7%
64.0%
53
27
34
17
5
19
45
54
16.5%
8.4%
10.6%
5.3%
1.6%
5.9%
14.0%
16.8%
114
82
117
94
61
88
71
165
35.5%
25.5%
36.3%
29.2%
19.0%
27.3%
22.0%
51.2%
154
213
171
211
255
215
206
103
48.0%
66.1%
53.1%
65.5%
79.4%
66.8%
64.0%
32.0%
Compared to transfer students, the top three areas where direct entry students were ‘very
concerned’ was their ability to do the coursework, financing their education and getting
the career and professional advising that they needed. Again, this is not surprising given
that transfer students are older and have already adjusted to the challenges of a postsecondary learning environment therefore they are more confident in their ability to do
well and have also most likely availed themselves of the academic and career advising
available to them at their sending institutions.
Proficiencies
Respondents were asked to assess themselves in terms of abilities and proficiencies using
a six point scale where 1 was ‘very poor’ and 6 was ‘excellent’. Transfer students were
more likely to express more confidence in their proficiencies as compared to direct entry
students, with the exception of mathematical & statistical skills, other research skills &
physical health.
13
Table 13: Self-rated proficiencies
Proficiency:
Self-awareness and understanding
Honesty
Cooperativeness
Ability to speak clearly and effectively in English
Interpersonal skills (relating to others)
Analytical and critical thinking skills
Ability to read and comprehend academic material
Intellectual self-confidence
Ability to prepare and make a presentation
Leadership skills
Physical health
Ability to be clear and effective when writing
Computer skills
Creativity
Other research skills
Athletic ability
Library research skills
Quantitative (mathematical and statistical) skills
Artistic ability
Transfer
98%
98%
97%
96%
96%
94%
93%
92%
92%
89%
89%
87%
84%
84%
75%
75%
71%
60%
54%
Direct Entry
95%
98%
98%
94%
95%
93%
91%
88%
84%
88%
92%
80%
79%
83%
80%
75%
70%
72%
53%
Of particular interest with respect to Place and Promise (UBC’s strategic plan), at least
90% (or more) of students believe themselves to be "good, very good, or excellent" at the
following abilities.
Table 14: Self-rated abilities
n
%
Ability to appreciate, tolerate and understand racial and ethnic diversity
318
98.7%
Ability to take personal social responsibility
315
98.5%
Ability to appreciate cultural and global diversity
312
97.5%
Ability to appreciate the fine arts (e.g., painting, music, drama, dance)
285
89.3%
These high self-rated abilities are of course problematic for comparison over time, since
there is evidently little room to increase. This problem has been studied by researchers at
U C Berkeley, and the solution for the second administration of the question is to re-word
the question in terms of how their UBC experience has changed their abilities in these
key areas, and also to ask students in retrospect about their initial abilities in these areas.
Engagement
We wanted to know how engaged students were and expected to be in a variety of nonacademic activities.
Almost 50% of transfer students had already engaged in a study group and volunteer
work, and the majority of students also intended to continue that practice. Very few
students had participated in co-ops or internships, which is to be expected, but more than
28% thought they would get that chance during their studies at UBC.
14
Table 15: Participation and intent to participate in 'high impact' activities
Did do
Direct
Transfer
Entry
Participation in:
student leadership activities
14.5%
54.9%
research activities
36.2%
43.3%
co-op education
2.6%
12.6%
internship or practicum
8.6%
7.2%
volunteer work
45.1%
80.2%
community service as part of a class
15.1%
52.8%
political activities
6.9%
13.3%
tutoring or teaching other students (paid or
voluntary)
16.4%
42.9%
Study group
49.3%
Not asked
Intend to do
Direct
Transfer
Entry
34.2%
41.1%
43.4%
43.6%
28.0%
45.2%
41.1%
48.9%
53.3%
55.3%
33.2%
35.1%
22.4%
24.4%
30.9%
55.6%
30.7%
Not asked
Transfer students, proportionally, were less likely to have participated in non-academic
activities when compared to direct entry students, particularly ‘volunteer work’ and
‘community service as part of a class.’ It’s possible that transfer students are unable to
participate in many co-curricular activities since larger proportions of transfer students’
work for pay compared to direct entrants or transfer students are more aware of how
difficult it is to balance their academic and non-academic activities.
UBC's strategic plan envisions international travel for community service and education
to be highly desirable components of a UBC degree, and even prior to entering UBC a
majority of our students have these aspirations. Both the plan and the intentions of our
students exceed current levels of these activities by a wide margin and suggest major
changes in the delivery of these opportunities.
Table 16: Participation in and intent to participate in international activities
Did do
Intend to do
Direct
Direct
Transfer
Entry
Transfer
Entry
Participation in:
as part of school organized sport
8.4%
27.3%
21.7%
27.3%
for leisure
54.2%
68.8%
65.9%
64.1%
to participate in community/voluntary service
9.6%
20.2%
43.0%
46.3%
for work
7.6%
6.9%
34.9%
43.8%
for education
15.7%
29.7%
49.8%
57.6%
Mental Health
Consistent with many other first year surveys, this survey sought to measure (and perhaps
even assist with) the extent to which our students suffer from negative feelings.
Those who were concerned about the upcoming year were given an opportunity to
request information about counselling services and were then sent a follow-up e-mail
about available services; 48% or 82 concerned students took advantage of this offer.
15
Table 17: Negative feelings in prior year
Overwhelmed by all I had to do
Depressed
Very lonely
Extremely anxious
Very angry
n
212
66
53
97
16
%
65.8%
20.5%
16.5%
30.1%
5.0%
A higher proportion of transfer respondents (50.6%) selected extremely anxious and/or
depressed compared to the direct entry group (40%), and 61.4% (see below) felt some
concern that this would continue during their first year at UBC.
Table 18: Concerns about negative feelings in upcoming year
n
%
Very concerned
18
7.2%
Somewhat concerned
154
61.4%
Not very concerned
79
31.5%
Students were asked if they had any unanswered questions about their first year at UBC
and if they wanted an advisor to contact them. About 1/4 of the respondents said yes and
of those who said yes, 54.2% or 39 students requested that an advisor contact them.
5. The Transfer Process
In order to continuously assess the transfer process, including course credit articulations,
transfer students were asked a series of additional questions about their activities prior to
undertaking studies at UBC, expectations about and satisfaction with transfer credits
awarded as well as the registration process at UBC.
Activities undertaken in prior year
While prior research studies undertaken by the BC Council on Admissions and Transfer
(BCCAT) have shown that transfer students tend to study part-time, most students in this
study (71.1%) indicated that they were attending another institution full-time before
transferring to UBCO. An additional 5.3% said they were studying part-time while 18%
said they had worked full-time.
Table 19: Primary activities before transferring to UBC
n
Attending another institution full time
229
Attending another institution part time
17
Working full-time
58
Family responsibilities
7
Other
11
%
71.1%
5.3%
18.0%
2.2%
3.4%
16
Reasons for not attending UBC directly after high school
Data from the Student Transitions Project (STP) indicates that students with high
secondary school grades tend to attend university directly after high school while those
with lower grades select the transfer route. Respondents were asked why they didn’t
attend UBCO directly after high school and the top three reasons provided were (i) hadn’t
considered UBCO at the time, (ii) thought UBC was too expensive, and (iii) UBCO was
too far away. Approximately 8.6% indicated that they didn’t think they had the grades to
get into UBCO while 4.8% had actually applied and had been denied admission.
Table 20: Reasons for not attending UBC directly after high school
n
I hadn’t considered UBCO at the time
143
I thought it was too expensive
65
UBCO was too far away
65
I was concerned about housing/living in Kelowna
53
I didn’t have the grades to get in
27
My friends were going elsewhere
19
I applied but was not admitted
15
My parents were not supportive of my choosing UBCO
10
%
45.4%
20.6%
20.6%
16.8%
8.6%
6.0%
4.8%
3.2%
Time spent
Transfer students appear to have limited interaction with their instructors outside of class
in the previous year, with 71.1% of respondents reporting they spoke with instructors
outside of class time between 1 and 5 hours. Approximately 74.1% had worked for pay,
47.2% had spent some time volunteering and 26.4% said they had spent time looking
after dependent children or family members.
Table 21: Time spent in prior year
Time
Studying / Talking with
(hours)
homework instructors
outside of class
0
1-5
6 - 10
11 - 15
16 - 20
21 - 25
26 - 30
> 30
8.1
25.2
23.4
19.6
9.3
6.2
8.1
20.5
71.1
4.7
1.6
.6
.3
Working
(for pay)
25.9
5.9
12.8
13.4
19.7
9.7
7.8
4.7
Volunteering
52.8
35.2
10.4
.7
.3
.7
Looking after
dependent
children or family
members
73.6
14.5
4.8
1.3
1.0
1.0
3.9
17
Transfer credit experience
In 2005, UBC undertook a study of students registered in Arts and Science to determine
engagement of transfer students compared to direct entry students based on results of the
Undergraduate Study Survey on Student Satisfaction and Engagement (USS). The USS
study also explored the transfer credit process and found that students who transferred to
UBC reported high levels of satisfaction with the transfer credit process. In addition, 83%
of all respondents in the USS survey who started their studies elsewhere reported
receiving all or most of the transfer credit that they expected when they transferred to
UBC. When asked if their prior institutions prepared them for courses at UBC, 88% of
transfer students said that they felt “very prepared or somewhat prepared”. Furthermore,
transfer students were as likely as direct entrants to agree (76% vs. 74%) that the prerequisite courses taken either at UBC or elsewhere had provided them with the necessary
preparation for the more advanced courses at UBC.
In comparison, transfer students in the NUBC survey were asked if they received all or
most of the credit that they expected upon transfer. Once again, a high proportion,
81.7%, said they received all or most of the credit that they expected.
Table 22: Transfer credits received or not received
Received none of the credit I expected
n
11
%
3.4%
Received some of the credit I expected
37
11.5%
Received most of the credit I expected
76
23.6%
187
58.1%
11
3.4%
Received all of the credit I expected
I did not expect to receive transfer credit
Of those who did not receive expected credit, the majority (57.5%) said it was due to
their original courses or program of study not being designed for transfer or that they
completed more credit than was allowed for transfer. An additional 25.8% said they
received unassigned credit when they expected to receive specific course credit although
unassigned credit is applied to a student’s degree program. Note that transfer students
could select more than one response for this question.
Table 23: Reasons for not receiving transfer credit
My original courses or program were not designed for transfer to UBCO
I received unassigned credit when I expected to receive specific credit.
I had completed more credits than were allowed to transfer.
My courses transferred but I could not use all of the credits toward my degree.
I didn't know or understand transfer requirements.
n
40
31
29
23
15
%
33.3%
25.8%
24.2%
19.2%
12.5%
Using a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is ‘strongly agree’ transfer students were asked to rate the
transfer credit process from their institution to UBC. Approximately half the students
said that the process was very easy or easy with an additional 55.2% indicating that the
process was ‘okay’. However, approximately 17% said that the process was difficult or
18
very difficult indicating that UBC should further investigate barriers with respect to the
transfer credit process.
Table 24: Ease of transfer credit process
Very easy (intuitive, simple)
Easy (manageable without help)
OK
Difficult (time consuming, needed help)
Very difficult (frustrating, confusing)
n
92
83
88
42
12
%
29.0%
26.2%
27.8%
13.2%
3.8%
Admission services and application processes at UBC
Respondents were asked about admission services at UBC and 70.5% indicated that they
were somewhat or very satisfied with the admission and application processes at UBC.
Table 25: Satisfaction with admission and application services
n
%
Very dissatisfied
29
9.0%
Somewhat dissatisfied
36
11.2%
Neutral
30
9.3%
Somewhat satisfied
107
33.2%
Very satisfied
120
37.3%
A large proportion of respondents (56.9%) indicated that they had actively sought
information on how to transfer to UBCO and when asked if they had planned for transfer,
45.4% indicated ‘yes’. When asked if they believed that they would be admitted to
UBCO upon application, 58.2% thought they would be admitted, 16.2% said ‘no’ and
25.6% replied ‘neutral’.
Table 26: Did students actively seek information on transfer?
n
%
Strongly disagree
26
8.1%
Disagree
38
11.9%
Neutral
74
23.1%
Agree
109
34.1%
Strongly agree
73
22.8%
However, despite actively seeking information, only half or 53.8% ‘agreed or strongly
agreed’ that they had no difficulty finding information about transferring to UBCO with
approximately 18.4% indicating that they had difficulty finding information.
Table 27: Finding information about transfer to UBC
n
%
Strongly disagree
10
3.1%
Disagree
49
15.3%
Neutral
89
27.8%
Agree
119
37.2%
Strongly agree
53
16.6%
19
It appears that few students are relying on counselors at their sending institutions for
information about the transfer process as only 29.6% indicated that they ‘agreed or
strongly agreed’ that meeting with counselors at their previous institutions significantly
helped them with the transfer process.
Table 28: Assistance of counselors at sending institutions
n
%
Strongly disagree
49
15.4%
Disagree
60
18.9%
Neutral
115
36.2%
Agree
59
18.6%
Strongly agree
35
11.0%
Course registration
Most transfer respondents indicated they were not able to get into some of the courses
they wanted as the courses were either full (43.9%) or their transfer credits were not
recorded on the system (6.5%). Registration for second and third year students at UBC
begins in July at which time, most transfer students would have received an offer of
admission so it’s possible that problems with course registration is not necessarily a result
of the transfer process but more generally a result of available course spaces for all
students at UBC, especially those in second year who assigned registration dates at the
end of the release schedule.
Table 29: Availability of courses at UBC
I was able to get into the courses that I wanted at UBCO
I was not able to get into some of the courses that I wanted at UBCO because they
were full
I was unable to get into some of the courses that I wanted at UBCO because my
transfer credits were not recorded on the UBC student system
n
159
%
49.5
141
43.9
21
6.5
While 66.4% of respondents were satisfied with the overall experience of transferring to
UBCO, 19.6% remained ‘somewhat or very dissatisfied’ and a further 14% said ‘neutral’
indicating that more work needs to be done in order to improve the transfer experience to
UBCO.
Table 30: Satisfaction with overall transfer experience
n
Very dissatisfied
27
Somewhat dissatisfied
36
Neutral
45
Somewhat satisfied
97
Very satisfied
117
%
8.4
11.2
14.0
30.1
36.3
Students were asked if they had any unanswered questions about their first year at
UBCO. Just over one-fifth of the transfer students (23.1%) said ‘yes,’ similar to the
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response from direct entry students (23.4%). Of those transfer students who said yes,
54.2% (39 students) requested that an advisor contact them.
6. Student Comments
Students were asked to identify two areas that excited them the most about the upcoming
year, and for the most part it was meeting new people and looking forward to their
learning that inspired their enthusiasm. Many were also eager to be in a new
environment and have a fresh start.







Meeting new people
Learning
New environment
Interesting classes and programs offered
Location of the UBC Okanagan campus
New challenges and experiences
Attending UBC
Students were also asked to identify two areas that worried them the most about the
upcoming year, and finances was the number one worry, with doing well in their courses
and maintaining good grades coming in second.








Finances
Doing well (e.g., maintaining good grades, falling behind)
Time management and balancing work, school and life
Workload/course load (e.g., being able to keep up with the amount of work
needed to succeed)
Meeting new people and making friends
Commuting back and forth to campus
Being away from home, their family members and friends
Orientating themselves around campus and the university
The survey culminated with the question on what UBCO could do to improve the first
year experience for transfer students (based on their experiences so far, before classes
began), and issues related to the transfer process was the largest area where students felt
that UBCO could improve. Of the total respondents, 222 or just over two-thirds
submitted a response.
Other key areas included:




More user-friendly web site(s); information is difficult to find
More one-on-one contact with students during the admission process
Help with course advising and degree navigation
More timely offers for on-campus housing and/or off-campus housing
information
21
 More first and second course offerings available for transfer students registering
later than direct entrant first-year students
The following are a sample of some of the comments that students provided:
The school should make it more clear how the course transfer process works. For
example most people are unaware that you can be given credit for courses that are not
assigned to specific courses.
When a transfer student applies or is excepted with the letter of acceptance the procedure
to receive transfer credits should be included. I did not know that i needed to ask for my
credits to be transfered seperatly.
I am still confused about transfer credits and think that having an easy format would be
beneficial.
Communication with students regarding transfer credits is a must. I took a third year
English course at OUC and was given a 2nd year transfer credit by UBCO but was never
told any reasons why. Frustrating !!!
UBC Vancouver and UBC-O should have the same transfer credit. All courses that
transfer to UBC Van should transfer to UBC-O. I had to get permission from UBC-O to
accept a credit that transfered from Langara to UBC Van but did not to UBC-O.
Make it very clear that UBC and UBCO do not offer the same courses as there is no
transfer guide for the two. It is assumed that something at one school will be the same as
something at another school, but it is not. Also, make people very aware that certain
courses are restricted to certain programs, as I have never encountered so much
restricition within a university before.
I think you guys do a great job. I feel excited to come to the university and above all,
welcomed. All the people I have interacted with at UBCO are helpful and personable. It
really makes all the difference. I appreciate it and am looking forward to September!
It's a big step for a lot of students, especially ones from other provinces and countries. If
there could be more one on one in terms of contacting students more often and helping
them with all of their needs.
Have a separate phone line for transfer students so we can speak to someone directly,
and they can direct us to the proper department.
Have an assigned cousellor to each student that they can contact with questions so that
cousellor is familiar with their situation
22
Advising times, whether in person or over the phone, to be more flexible. Hard to meet
with an advisor when you live in another province and found it very difficult to talk/even
get a hold of someone.
Maintaining contact with students is really important. My friends along with myself who
applied at schools including UBCO felt the process of applying was most difficult with
UBCO then any other school.
My only problem was that some of the courses I needed were full by the time I got my
acceptance letter and was able to register.
It is frustrating to be invited to come study at UBCO only to find that there are not
enough classes offered for the number of students attending the institution. This appears
to be an administrative problem. Perhaps a clearer explanation of registration nuances
would smooth the transfer process. Possibly create a formal waitlist for classes. Feel
free to contact me.
I think that UBCo did a great job helping me transfer. I received a ton of emails and the
counselors were very helpful. There isn't really any thing else that needs to be done. I
think it is up to the individual to figure out the rest themselves because UBCo helped out
a lot. All of the information is easy to find.
Worried about a "First year experience with a third year work load" in regards to
understanding library systems, campus, research databases, etc.
I find the UBC websites a little complicated to navigate through sometimes, making
specific questions hard to answer.
Making the new SSC website easier to navigate was a fantastic improvement as that was
one of the initial road blocks I kept hitting until it was simplified.
I have absolutely no complaints. Your website is comprehensive and the application
process was far simpler than I had anticipated!
I find the UBC websites difficult to navigate. there are so many different ones that don't
seem to connect to each other. At Okanagan college there was one website that you
could access everything from. There is no information on what website to go to for
different things except for links sent via email.
I have absolutely no complaints and feel that all my needs as a transfer student have been
met.
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7. Summary
The most important feature of this survey will be the results from the second phase: what
experience did these students have in their first year at UBC? However, even at this
stage we can make some tentative conclusions:
1. Our incoming students feel very competent and able in areas in which UBC has
focused some strategic directions (e.g. global citizenship, understanding
diversity). UBC must be up to the challenge of offering an even richer
educational experience with respect to these "global" abilities.
2. The results of this survey contradict the notion that transfer students largely
consist of students who would have chosen UBC as direct entry had their
admission grades been high enough. Major reasons cited for choice of the
transfer route included wanting to start at a smaller institution, financial, and
distance from UBC -- much as envisioned by the original mandate for the college
sector. However they started their post-secondary studies, these students have
chosen to complete their degree at UBC. The research on post-secondary
education shows that different students have different needs and the transfer
system in British Columbia in partnership with UBC provides a viable
educational option for a significant group of students.
3. The principal concerns of new transfer students are related to financing their
education followed by being overwhelmed with everything that will be expected
of them in their first year at UBCO and their ability to succeed.
4. Transfer students are likely to be from a lower socio-economic background than
their direct entrant peers and they also differ significantly in their ethno-racial
distribution. They are also older than their direct entry peers (upon graduation)
and tend to work more. For UBCO, this means that transfer students contribute to
the diversity of the overall undergraduate student population at UBC.
5. Students are somewhat frustrated with the complexity of beginning university;
especially the transfer process, course selection and registration. UBC needs to
do a better job of coordinating all communications with students, including print,
web, and interpersonal.
24