Share What Works –
Best Practices in
Transfer Services
NACADA 2009
Presentation Agenda
• Introductions &
Definitions
• Review of Literature
• Best Practices
• Group Activity
We are…
College of Southern Nevada, Counseling Department
• Jason Cifra, Director of Counseling
• Jana Wolf, Counselor – Transfer Services Coordinator, Cheyenne
• Lisa Cohen, Counselor – Transfer Services Coordinator, Henderson
• Nadine Huyck, Advisor – Transfer Services Coordinator, Charleston and
UNLV Transfer Liaison
Why is Earning a Degree Important?
• United States needs to produce 64 million
additional degrees between 2005 and 2025 to
meet domestic workforce needs—a gap of 16
million degrees.
• A significant portion of the adult population in
most states has some college but no degree,
particularly within minority groups, which
suggests an area of focus for increasing degree
attainment.
Why is Earning a Degree Important?
• The United States ranks tenth among
industrialized nations in the percentage of 2534 year olds with an Associate’s degree or
higher.
• Ranks near the bottom of industrialized
nations in the percentage of entering students
that complete a degree program.
• Where older adults are more educated than
younger adults.
Why is Earning a Degree Important?
• Racial and ethnic disparities in degree
completion and educational attainment affect
all states.
• These same groups are the largest growing
population in many states.
Definitions of Transfer
“Transfer can be defined as a transition
between post-secondary institutions, in which
the second institution (the receiving
institution) grants the student credit for
coursework taken at the first institution (the
sending institution).”
McCormick and Carroll (1997)
Definitions of Transfer
Freshman transfer students have:
• Taken fewer than 24 transferable credits.
• Earned a minimum 2.5 GPA or higher from a
regionally accredited college or university.
• Maintained good academic standing with the
last institution attended .
Definitions of Transfer
Traditional transfer students have:
• Taken at least 24 transferable credits.
• Earned a minimum 2.5 GPA or higher from a
regionally accredited college or university.
• Maintained good academic standing with the
last institution attended .
Types of Transfer
• Vertical (2-4) Two-year to four-year
institutions.
• Horizontal (2-2; 4-4) Two-year to twoyear or four-year to four-year .
• Reverse (4-2) Four-year to two-year.
• Gypsy/Multiple (?-?-?) Attending
more than two institutions.
(Jacobs, 2004)
Who are the Transfer Students?
• Grubb (1991) reported that a considerable
number of minority students who receive a
baccalaureate degree started at two-year
institutions.
• Cohen and Brawer (2003) suggest that the
students least likely to transfer are adult
students who attend community colleges parttime.
Who are the Transfer Students?
In their NCES national study based on
longitudinal data, Peter and Cataldi (2005) found
that nearly twice as many younger, dependent,
traditional-age students (58%) attended more
than one institution compared to independent,
non-traditional students (27%).
Who are the Transfer Students?
• Eggelston and Laanan (2001) reported that
nearly 50% of community college transfer
students are from CTE programs.
• Many community college students transfer
prior to earning an associates degree (Cohen
& Brawer, 2003; Dougherty, 1992; McCormick
& Carroll, 1997; Townsend and Ignash, 2000).
Who are the Transfer Students
Classic Transfer and “Swirling”
•
For traditional aged students, transferring from a
community college to a four-year institution is a
positive factor in BA degree completion.
•
This is also true of four-year-to-four-year college
transfer (though not as significant).
•
Swirling in and out of institutions (whether CC and/or
four-year is negative) (College Board 2008).
Student Challenges
Community college students
transferring to a four-year institution
have been well documented that they
may experience a number of academic
and social adjustment challenges
(Berger &
Malaney, 2003; Britt & Hirt 1999; Cedja, 1994; 1997; Diaz, 1992; Graham & Hughes, 1994;
House 1989; House & Keely 1993; Laanan 1996; 1998; 2001; 2004; Townsend, 1993; 1995;
Townsend & Wilson, 2006).
Student Challenges
“The drop out rate is high [for community
college students] and for students who decide to
transfer to senior institutions, they experience a
difficult adjustment process” (Laanan, 2003).
Student Challenges
Nowak (2004) interviewed 23 community
college transfer students and eight faculty
and found:
– That often the four-year institution made assumptions that
students transferring from community colleges had similar
experiences, when in fact community colleges are vastly
different.
– Perceived that they had to search things out on their own
at the university and did not feel that they knew many
people on campus .
Student Challenges
Bauer & Bauer (1994) surveyed 92
community college transfer students and
reported:
• Nearly 33 percent experienced difficulty with
making friends at the university.
• 31 percent shared they struggled to meet new
people.
• 30 percent reported personal self confidence
issues after transferring and had difficulty
“fitting in”.
Student Challenges
Gumm (2006) found that the
community college transfer
student’s interaction with
peers was a high social
predictor of transfer student’s
Persisting the following
semester.
Successful Transfer Indicators/Factors!
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Credits in collegiate math.
Credits in summer session.
Continuous enrollment.
Minimal no penalty repeats/withdrawals
from courses.
More units completed at the community
college.
“Classic”(Junior) transfer (Adelman 2006).
Best Practice Principles
• Establish transfer to a four-year institution as a
high institutional priority.
• Identify and invest in core resources for transfer
at the institutional level.
• Clarify state policy and plans for 2/4 transfer, and
set goals and measures for performance.
• Ensure that articulation and credit transfer
agreements are in place.
Best Practice Principles
• Develop intensive academic support programs
based on models of “academic excellence” (e.g.,
academic counseling, peer tutoring, and
reciprocal learning techniques.)
• Offer a rigorous curriculum for all students that
includes writing, critical thinking, mathematics,
and the sciences.
• Establish strong community and family linkages
that foster intellectual stimulating, secure, and
culturally rich environments for students on and
off campus.
Best Practice Principles
• Establish partnerships with public and private
receiving institutions to create streamlined
transfer processes and activities such as
priority admission, orientation, and advising.
• Develop training and methods of
communicating information to students and
staff.
Best Practices in Action
• SITE is a six-day residential academic program
for educationally disadvantaged students. The
program motivates and prepares firstgeneration, low income, and
underrepresented community college
students to transfer to a four-year institution.
• SITE is held at UCLA.
Best Practices in Action
Transfer FIGS – University of Oregon
• Transfer First-Year Interest Groups are designed
for transfer students with major or pre-major
status, but open to all transfers.
• Transfer FIGS are promoted during orientation.
• Transfer FIGS have a transfer student Teaching
Assistant to help address the unique needs of
transfer students transitioning to campus.
Best Practices in Action
Transfer Mentors/Ambassadors –
University of North Texas
• Transfer Ambassador Program connects new
transfer students with current UNT transfer
students.
• Transfer Ambassadors attend transfer orientation
sessions and help personally mentor new transfer
students.
• Transfer Ambassadors participate in a "Transfer
Panel" to answer questions at orientation.
Best Practices in Action
Transfer Seminars
• Radford University – UNIV 100-T
– Transfer student academic transcript evaluation
– Getting involved
• NIU – UNIV 201 –Transfer Transition course
– 1 –credit, 12-week graded course
– Extended orientation – academic & social aspects of the
community
Best Practices in Action
Orientation Options
• University of Utah
– A 3-hour transfer orientation
– A 6-hour comprehensive transfer orientation
– An overnight transfer orientation
– A combined (freshmen & transfer) orientation
– Mini orientations (during the first day of classes)
Best Practices in Action
• University of California, Santa Cruz –
Dedicated living-learning communities or
housing for Transfer Students.
• Tau Sigma – Transfer Student Organization
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50 chapters nationwide
14 Scholarships of $500 to $2,500
Transfer student BBQ
Open house and transfer days
Best Practices in Action
University of Central Florida – Mission Statement
Transfer and Transition Services provides assistance,
referrals, and advocacy to enhance students'
opportunities for strong academic preparation, a
smooth transition to UCF, and successful progress
toward graduation. We provide these services to
transfer and transitioning undergraduate students
through academic and transition advising,
programming for students and advisors, coordination
of articulation agreements, and through publications
and other communications for all constituents.
Best Practices in Action
Dallas County Community College – Mission Statement
The mission of the Transfer Services/Articulation and
University Relations office is to ensure seamless
transfer of credit courses from DCCCD. The Transfer
Services office will provide information to students,
advisors/counselors, staff and faculty on articulation
agreements, course transfer, academic planning and
related student services through the development and
maintenance of the transfer Web site and organization
of staff development programs.
Best Practices in Action
• Ensuring Transfer Success (ETS) Counselor
Institutes developed by the University of
California and California Community Colleges
to train advisors, counselors, and directors.
Best Practices in Action
• Nevada System of Higher Education Common
Course Numbering and guaranteed admission
to UNLV, UNR, and NSC with completion of
Associate of Arts, Business, and Science
(transfer degrees).
What’s Happening at Your School?
What’s Up at CSN?
1. Creation of Transfer Center and Transfer Services
Coordinators.
2. Transfer partnerships with local public, private, and
out-of-state institutions.
3. Articulation worksheets for all transfer programs.
4. Transfer Website.
5. Transfer Partner visits, workshops, and cross-training.
6. Strategic Planning aligned with Institutional Transfer
Goals.
What’s Up at CSN?
CSN Transfer Survey Results:
1. Most have thought about transfer within their first
two semesters.
2. Top Interests: Transfer Process, Application, “Who can
I talk to?”, “How soon can I apply?”, Financial Aid,
Transfer Credits, and “Someone to help me out!”
3. Top Factors: Cost, Distance, and Location.
4. Preferred Methods of Communication: Phone and
email.
5. Age Range: Mostly 15-21, but all ages represented.
6. Number of Participants: 191.
How Advisors and Counselors Can
Help!
• Interaction with students no later than the
first term at a community college to develop
an academic plan of action for successful
transfer.
• Sustained intervention is the key by faculty
and staff at community colleges and four-year
transfer destinations.
• Ensure that transfer is perceived by students
as expected and attainable.
How Advisors and Counselors Can
Help!
• Create an environment of belonging in which
students feel stimulated to achieve at high
academic levels. Be aware of “transfer shock”
that students have may experience.
• Collaborate with counterparts at receiving
institutions for training, information sharing, and
professional development.
• Collaborate with all stake holders in developing
articulation plans and transfer agreements.
We Need to Encourage Students To:
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Stay continuously enrolled (even if part-time!)
Complete at least 20 units in first year
Use summer sessions strategically to build and
maintain momentum.
Complete at least one course in collegiate
mathematics.
Complete at least one course in English
composition.
Completion as many units as possible at the
community college before transfer
Don’t “swirl”.
We Need to Support Policies That:
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Implement a minimum progress requirement (to
encourage continuous enrollment).
Tighten up withdrawal/repeat rules.
Encourage skill building in collegiate math and
English composition.
Encourage completion of major preparation.
Support transfer at the junior level allowing
students to complete both GE and prepare for a
major.
Expand advising services advising tools, and
counselor professional development.
Advice to Receiving Institutions
• See Checklist of Best Practices example from
Best Practice Guide - A Resource for Receiving
Institutions (British Columbia Council on
Admission and Transfer, 2008)
The presentation today and the resources used are available
online.
Please visit us at:
www.csn.edu/transfer
Special Thanks to Scott Peska, M.A., Associate Director of
First-Year Experience and Orientation and Coordinator of
the First Year Connections Programs, Northern Illinois
University for sharing his resources.