Transcript Update: Admissions Requirements

Commonwealth Transfer Advisory Group
Transfer Initiatives in Massachusetts:
Clearing the Way for Student Success
Francesca B. Purcell, Director for Academic Policy
Student Transfer Symposium | May 9, 2008
Museum of Science, Boston
Background
CTAG Charge
Commonwealth Transfer Advisory Group
established in April 2007 to:

Evaluate policies and practices

Diagnose barriers

Compare other state approaches

Make recommendations

Identify costs
Background
CTAG Work
From May 2007 to May 2008, CTAG has:

Studied national literature, data, policies, & websites

Provided analysis on Massachusetts transfer data

Surveyed Massachusetts transfer professionals

Heard presentations from out-of-state and in-state experts

Investigated technology solutions
Findings
National Transfer Themes
Common Findings on the National Scene

Increasingly complex student enrollment patterns

Crucial role of community colleges

Inefficient transfer costs time and money

Growing federal and state interest in transfer
Findings
Massachusetts Transfer Trends
Scope and Direction of Transfer
 A significant percentage of new students previously earned credits at
another higher education institution.
 Student transfer is multidirectional.
 Community college students tend to transfer prior to earning an
associate degree.
 Students mostly transfer within their geographical region although
this varies greatly by region.
Academic Performance of Transfer Students
 There is generally a positive relationship between the range of
transferable credits completed at a community college and
subsequent grade point averages and graduation rates from the state
colleges and the University of Massachusetts campuses.
Findings
MA Transfer Policies/Agreements
Policies & Agreements Supporting Students
who Graduate from a Community College

Commonwealth Transfer Compact
(guarantees credit transfer)

Joint Admissions (guarantees admission)

Tuition Advantage Program (33% tuition discount)

Early Childhood Education and
Elementary Education Compacts

Additional Articulation Agreements
Findings
Sample MA Transfer Challenges
At the Institutional Level:
 Lack of clear and comprehensible information.
 Lack of understanding about which credits will transfer toward a
bachelor’s degree.
 Inconsistency in course acceptance and application to the degree.
 Students not consistently taking transferable courses.
At the System Level:
 Current policies and agreements inadequate and confusing.
 Inconsistent and/or insufficient advising.
 Lack of understanding and communication among sectors.
 Difficulty sustaining and adhering to statewide transfer policies.
Findings
Sample Transfer Solutions
National Responses to Transfer Barriers

Statewide transfer agreements

Common general education transfer core

Centralized transfer website

Electronic transcripts/Online degree audits

Comprehensive reporting of transfer student success rates

Standing Oversight Committee

Legislation
Guiding Principles
1. Student Success
The primary goal of removing
obstacles to transfer and creating
a coherent and clear transfer process
is to help students succeed in
meeting their educational goals.
Guiding Principles
2. Shared Responsibility
Transfer is a shared
responsibility amongst
higher education
institution leaders,
faculty, and
administrators;
state agency policy
makers and legislators;
and students.
Guiding Principles
3. Academic Quality
A statewide transfer policy compatible
with academic quality and institutional
integrity can be instrumental in
improving student success.
Guiding Principles
4. General Education
The student learning
outcomes associated
with the general
education programs
at the Massachusetts
public institutions of
higher education
as a whole are
comparable and are
more important than
individual courses.
Guiding Principles
5. Recognition of Contributions
Any transfer student within
the system of Massachusetts
public higher education who
earns a degree should be
deemed successful and the
respective institutions
should be counted as
contributors to the student’s
educational achievement.
Guiding Principles
6. Faculty Collaboration
The development and
assessment of
program-to-program
and course-to-course
transfer across
institutions is best
accomplished by
regular and sustainable
faculty collaboration
based on the
establishment of
common student
learning outcomes.