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Supporting the Academic and
Social Integration of
Transfer Students
Institute for the Study
of Transfer Students (ISTS)
January 24, 2007
Thomas Brown
[email protected]
www.tbrownassociates.com
Everybody’s talking about
transfer students…
Transfer Success in Missouri
Transfer students are the majority of
entering students at two urban
campuses…it is imperative to study
the success of these students.
University of Missouri report, 2004
Indicators of Success in Washington
Two indicators focus specifically on
outcomes for Washington community
college students who transfer….
Promoting Student Success Through
Greater Accountability
Washington H.E. Coordinating Board
April 2005
Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities (MNSCU)
Board policies for student success
include transfer and graduation.
Definitions of success include students
who transfer….
MNSCU Student Success Measures Project
May 16, 2007
Student Success in Connecticut
Successful transfer is one measure of
success…
Student Success in Connecticut Colleges
September 2007
In California…
Student success should be measured
through outcomes, including:
Time to degree
Graduation rates
Four year degrees conferred on
transfer students.
How Are California Public Colleges Doing?
July 2007
Today’s Session…
Who are transfer students? Why do
students transfer?
 What are their strengths?
 What challenges do transfer students
encounter as they move in, move
through and move on from higher
education?
 What individual and institutional
initiatives can enhance their learning,
development, and persistence?

Obstacles to successful transfer
Negative
attitudes and low expectations
Lack of adequate information about the
social and academic climate of the new
institution
Course transferability issues
Problems with registration, orientation,
academic advising, housing, etc.
Student expectations based on positive
prior institutional experiences.
“Strategies for Successful Transfer Orientation”
Ward-Roof & Cawthorn, 2004
Keys to transfer success
Faculty/staff
support
Personal motivation/self discipline
Supportive environment
Peer support
Courses completed/availability of
needed courses
Heidi Kippenham
U of North Dakota
AACRAO Conference 2007
Keys to transfer success
Professional development
Many key competencies are developed
after educators arrive on campus.
Therefore, colleges must assume the
responsibility for teaching and developing
their own educators to enhance student
learning inside and outside the classroom
by providing professional development
programs.
Brown & Ward, 2007
Group introductions
Name
Institution/Organization
Your
title/position
Your role, responsibilities, relationship to
transfer students and issues.
What is one successful aspect of your
efforts to support transfer students?
What challenge, issue, or question do
you hope to have addressed today?
Who are transfer students?
Institutions must clearly and
accurately define their transfer
populations when attempting to
develop or modify programs
and services for transfer
students.
Kerr, King, & Grites, 2004
They are traditional aged and senior
citizens. They are overachievers and
underachievers. They are international
students; moms with young children;
they are students with disabilities; they
are displaced homemakers; first
generation students and students in
recovery needing a nurturing
atmosphere….
Bernice Dunn, 2004
Treating everyone the
same may be equal
treatment, but it
may not be equitable
treatment.
A Principle:
Human beings seek to
economize on the energy
required to make
distinctions.
Example:
Most houseplants die
because we treat them all
the same.
Multiple issues…
Transfer
students
First-generation
Adult and re-entry students
Students of color/multicultural/international
Student with disabilities
Student-athletes
Undecided students
First-year students (at their new institution….)
LGBT Students
Underprepared Students
Others??
Transfer in US Higher Ed
 1/3
of all students will transfer at
least once.
 43% of two-year students will
transfer at least once.
 20% of students will attend three or
more institutions.
Wellman, 2002; Ewell, Schild, & Paulson, 2003
Who are Transfer students?
Vertical transfers: 2 to 4 year campuses
Horizontal transfers: 2 to 2 year campus
4 to 4 year campus
Reverse transfers: 4 year to 2 year
Swirling transfers: transferring multiple
times to various institutional types
Swirling
Taking advantage of the varied
educational opportunities and
experiences available in the
diverse US higher education
system.
Others??
Who are transfer students on your
campus, in your state,
system/district, etc.?
What do you know?
What more do you need to know?
Why do students transfer?
Poor institutional fit

New or changed personal, educational, or
career goals

Social environment incongruent
with students expectations, abilities
comfort level, academic performance or
skills level.
“Advising Students in Transition”
Peggy King, 2000
Only 43% of transfers to
4-year institutions are from
2-year institutions.
Wellman (2002)
Why do students transfer?
Two-year to four-year
 Financial
considerations
 Admissions requirements
 Availability of developmental
coursework
 Geographic proximity
King, 2000
Two-year to four-year transfer
The two year college is perhaps the
most effective democratizing agent
in higher education.
Knoell & Medsker, 1965
Community colleges make winners
out of ordinary people….
Leslie Koltai, 1993
Community colleges are on the
front lines of American higher
education in providing
increased opportunities for
students who otherwise would
be denied access….
“Advising Multicultural Populations for
Achievement and Success.”
Tom Brown & Mario Rivas, 1993
New Directions for Community Colleges
Two-year to four-year transfer

45% of all US undergraduates are
enrolled in community colleges.

47% of all students of color enter higher
education through two-year colleges.

52% of community college students are
first generation.

57% of community college students are
women.
CCSSE 2005
Over the years, research
has consistently shown that
students, when they
transfer, perform as well as
student who initially enroll
at four-year colleges….
Transfer students tend to be one
of the best retention risks in
higher education today. These
students have one or two years
of college experience, are more
mature, and often have
determined an educational
objective….
Michael McCauley, 2000
We must know the
characteristics of the
successful transfer students
at our institutions so we can
identify the services needed
for other transfer students to
succeed.
Tartar & Miller, 1995
A challenge…
Many community college
transfer students struggle
against the perception that
they cannot succeed at fouryear institutions….
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
What misconceptions about transfer
students serve as obstacles to their
successful academic and social
integration?
What are some myths about transfer
students on your campus?
How might these be challenged or
changed?
What are some of the strengths
of transfer students?
How do transfer students
contribute to institutional
mission, the learning
community, peer groups, etc.?
A high percentage of
students in two year
colleges indicate their plans
to transfer; however, too few
students achieve their goal.
Why students leave college:
Psychological factors
Environmental factors
Societal factors
Institutional factors
What about us?
What about me?
Institutions are far more likely
to attribute attrition to student
characteristics than to
institutional characteristics.
What Works In Student Retention, 2004
We build beautiful campuses,
 We hire distinguished faculty,
 We develop a challenging
curriculum…
then the “wrong” students show up!
Dr. Betty Siegel, President Emerita
Kennesaw State University
What happens to students
after they enroll frequently
has a more powerful impact
on whether they persist or
leave.
Vincent Tinto, 1993
Talking About Leaving
Students with 650+ Math SATs
40% leave engineering
50% leave biological sciences
60% leave mathematics
Why undergraduates leave the sciences
E. Seymour & N. Hewitt, 1997
Why do students leave college?
Incongruence
What they encounter is not
what they expected….
Why do students leave college?
Isolation
Inability to connect with
significant members of the
campus community….
What do students say?
They
feel anxious about transferring
credits.
Policies, procedures, and
expectations are complex and
confusing.
They feel lost and experience
difficulties getting connected to their
new communities.
Kippenham, 2007
Ann Lynch’s
Moving in, moving through,
and moving on provides a
conceptual framework for
organizing academic advising
and other support services.
Arthur Chickering, 1994
Model for transfer students
Pre-transfer: moving in
Transfer:
moving through
Post-transfer: moving on
Gernand, 1992
Pre-transfer issues
Raise
awareness of transfer issues
Locate relevant transfer resources
Prepare for transfer, including enhancing
positive social, academic, and personal
skills.
Assess options re: majors, careers, etc.
Understand articulation processes
Manage personal, social, financial issues
Steele & McDonald, 2000
Academic Advising Articulation
Task Force
University of Arizona, Arizona
State University and community
colleges
Members: Faculty, advisors,
administrators, and transfer
student ombudspersons (TSO)
Effective articulation
Offers
consistency in the treatment of
transfer students.
Faculty should have major involvement and
responsibility for creating agreements.
Transfer students should have equal
access to programs at receiving institutions.
Simplify, simplify,simplify processes.
Should enable students to progress.
Not “one size fits all”.
Sullivan, Dyer, Franklin 2004
Transfer issues
Ensure
that beliefs about transfer
are based on fact
Cooperation between institutions is
important.
Managing “transfer shock”
Steele & McDonald, 2000
Obstacles to successful transfer
•Transfer students often have a false sense
of security viz. their understanding of the
higher education environment, and they
miss orientation programs they may feel
are going to be redundant or unnecessary.
•Transfer students often have pre-
conceived ideas about their new
institution.
Strategies for Successful Transfer Orientation
Ward-Roof & Cawthorn, 2004
Transfer Shock
The tendency for a student’s
GPA to drop in the first
semester after transfer to a
new institution.
Bird, 1956; Cedja, 1994; Cantrell, 1996
Transfers often think that what
they did at their previous
school will be all they have to
do to be successful here….
Karen Watson, Academic Advisor
Virginia Tech
Transfer success solutions
1. Acknowledge differences
between institutions.
2. Recognize losses incurred
during transfer.
3. Understand new expectations.
4. Learning new rules, policies.
Bingham-Newman & Hopkins, 2004
We need to get students to
understand that they may
need to sharpen their study
skills and apply them in a
different way to understand
transfer shock and how they
can avoid it.
Karen Watson
What are some differences
between two-year and four-year
campuses that could undermine
transfer student success?
Personal, social, cultural
Academic, career, or other?
How could adverse effects of
difference be mediated?
How might institutions
act affirmatively to
bridge gaps between student
expectations and their
experiences?
Programmatic Initiatives
Articulation agreements-institution and
departments/programs
2. Specialized transition courses for transfer
students (required)
3. Specialized transfer orientation programs
4. Special Web pages
5. Peer mentor programs
6. Developmental academic advising
7. Honors programs
8. Financial aid programs
9. One-stop centers (Transfer center)
10. Transfer ombudsperson
1.
Transfer students need to be
provided with services similar
to those offered to first-year
students, although we need to
recognize that their needs are
different from first years.
Vincent Tinto, 1993
Receiving institutions need to
structure transfer student
orientation programs to
include the academic, social,
psychological, and cultural
aspects of campus life.
Grites, 2004
Six key elements for transfer orientation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Institution information—history, traditions,
mission, etc.
Academic information—policies, programs,
people
Logistical—parking, financial aid, library, etc.
Social issues—student activities,
organizations, events
Assessments—placement, career, etc.
Transition issues—diversity, safety,
commuting, academic and social challenges.
Austin, 1998
Keys to Orientation Success
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Institutional awareness and commitment to
transfer student issues and needs
Adequate resources and services
Family involvement
Provide opportunities for peer interactions
Involve transfer students in program planning
and implementation
Strengthen relationships with sending
institutions
Assess and use results for future program
improvement and development
Ward-Roof & Cawthorn, 2004
What academic issues should be
addressed in orientation?







Academic expectations and success
Meetings with department and programs
Meetings with academic advisor
Library and technology resources
Academic support services (e.g., tutoring,
study skills)
Honors programs
Academic research opportunities
NACADA Transfer & Transition Survey, 2002
What social needs should be
addressed in orientation programs
Counseling and career planning services
 Health and wellness
 Volunteer opportunities
 Athletics and intramurals
 Clubs and organizations
 Issues for commuter students

NACADA Transfer & Transition Survey, 2002
Transfer Center
Separate office or facility designed
exclusively to provide services and
direction for transfer students.
Centralized knowledge, skills, and
resources
Staffed by professional staff, faculty,
peer mentors
Total
Intake
Model
Organizational Models:
(TRANSFER CENTER)
Shared
Student
Transfer Center
Academic
Sub-unit
Examples of 4 year Initiatives
One-to-one
advising
Transfer orientation website
Information sessions during orientation
Weekly email (e.g., Academic Fitness at Virginia
Tech)
Outreach to first generation students
Monitoring midterm grades
Discussing major
Email re: locating housing, commuting
Retention practices responsible for greatest
contribution to retention in 4-year public
colleges and universities fall into three
categories:
1.
2.
3.
Academic advising (including
selected cohorts, more advisors).
First-year programs (learning
communities, integration of
advising with first-year programs,
University 101-type courses.
Learning support (tutoring, SI,
summer bridge programs).
Academic advising is
critical to the success of
transfer students.
Kerr, King, & Grites, 2004
Academic advising is assisting
students to share the
responsibility for academic
planning with faculty, with
students finally being able to find
their own answers and use their
advisors as sounding boards.
Academic Advising for Student Success
Susan Frost, 1991
Changing Environment & Changing Students
Need for Information
Changing
Needs for
Advising
Need for Consultation
Moving In
I
Moving Through
I/S
I/S
Moving On
S/I
S
I = Institutional Faculty, advisors, etc.
S = Student
Changing Contexts for Advising
PRESCRIPTIVE
DEVELOPMENTAL
Lynch, 1989; Brown& Rivas, 1994; Creamer, 2000; Brown, 2005
Issues for multicultural students
Two-year colleges are the
point of access for
significant numbers of
students of color.
Barriers to success for
multicultural students
Lack
of identification with teachers and
counselors
Poor attitudes and expectations for teachers
Lack of support systems
Unclear goals
Feelings of inadequacy/fear of failure
Undefined values
Lack of minority presence
Quality Education for Minorities Project, 1990
Differing experiences for white
and multicultural students
More
difficulty adjusting to large classes
Feel alienated upon transferring
Feel stigmatized as a “transfer student”
Concerns about emphasis on
competition for grades
More difficulty adjusting to academic
environment.
Greater feelings of insecurity about the
university environment.
Laanan, 1999
Effective interventions for
Multicultural Transfer Students
Collaboration
between 2- and 4-year
Transfer focused workshops and orientation
programming
Advisors who take the initiative to reach out
and connect students to academic, financial,
student support services, minority
organizations, etc.
Advisors probe students re: major and career
choices, and provide support re: personal
experiences on campus, family issues, etc.
Peer mentor program
Laanan, 1999
Cognitive, Emotional and
Behavioral Barriers
Undermining
attributions
Ego involvement
Reluctance to seek assistance
Rivas & Brown, 2007
Faculty at 4-year institutions
often negatively perceive
the capabilities of
community college
transfers.
Gonzalez, 2002
Community college transfer
students are viewed by faculty
and staff receiving institutions
as possessing less ability and
preparation and are deemed
less likely to succeed than
those entering directly from
high school….
Bingham-Newman & Hopkins, 2004
Attributions
When something happens
in life, to what do we
attribute the cause?
Shift attributions from
ability to background.
Students’ attributions and
those of faculty and staff.
Creating strong and satisfying
transfer experiences requires
strong partnerships between
students, faculty/staff involved
in matriculation[, teaching and
advising.]
Dougherty, 2004
Establish a Transfer Student
Discussion Group
Promote
awareness of transfer issues and
collaborate to improve campus climate.
Involve key people from Recruitment,
Admissions, Enrollment Management,
Academic Advising, services for special
populations (e.g., TRIO, athletes, international).
Data Driven (e.g., feeder institutions, students,
areas of interest).
Empower the group to make things happen….
Heidi Kippenham, 2007
Institutions don’t change.
Institutional/organizational
change happens only when
individuals take the initiative to
create change in their areas of
responsibility.
Peter Senge, Professor
MIT Center for Organizational Learning
Supporting the Academic and
Social Integration of
Transfer Students
Institute for the Study
of Transfer Students (ISTS)
January 24, 2007
Thomas Brown
[email protected]
www.tbrownassociates.com