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Transfer Students at UMBC

Transfer Students at UMBC. What we know, what we do not know, and what we are learning C. Jill Randles Office of Undergraduate Education jrandles@umbc.edu. Transfer Students at UMBC Fall 2008 (n=1,071). Transfer Students at UMBC Fall 2008 (n=1,071).

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Transfer Students at UMBC

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  1. Transfer Students at UMBC What we know, what we do not know, and what we are learning C. Jill Randles Office of Undergraduate Education jrandles@umbc.edu

  2. Transfer Students at UMBC Fall 2008 (n=1,071)

  3. Transfer Students at UMBC Fall 2008 (n=1,071)

  4. Transfer Students at UMBC Fall 2008 (n=1,071)

  5. Analysis of New Transfer Persistence What we know...

  6. Trends in Retention Rates for New Full-Time Transfer Students(Fall cohorts, 1995 – 2008)

  7. First Semester Academic Performance is Crucial to Persistence 1 2 > 95% graduate w/in 6 yrs. 1 Graduation data includes up to summer 2007. *

  8. Trends in Graduation Rates for New Full-Time Transfer Students(Fall cohorts, 1995 – 2004)

  9. Trends in Retention Rates for New Part-Time Transfer Students(Fall cohorts, 1995 – 2008)

  10. Trends in Graduation Rates for New Part-Time Transfer Students(Fall cohorts, 1995 – 2004)

  11. MethodologyPopulation • Semester and one-year retention models • 1995 – 2006 fall and spring cohorts of degree-seeking new transfer students (n = 19,010) • Four-year and six-year graduation models • 1995 – 2000 fall and spring cohorts of degree-seeking new transfer students (n = 9,520) • Based on 10th day enrollments

  12. Cohort term Fall/Spring entrant Sex Race Geographic origin Non-traditional-aged student Transfer institutional type Transfer GPA Type of degree transferred in Student-level at entry Major area @ matriculation Dorm status Scholars’ programs Honors College Athlete UMBC merit scholarship Applied for financial aid Pell Grant recipient Expected family contribution Credits attempted (BOT) % STEM coursework Difficulty of coursework Withdrew/cancelled registration 1st semester MethodologyBaseline Model Variables

  13. Top 5: Credits attempted (BOT) Major area @ matriculation Race Student-level at entry Transfer GPA Cohort term (trend) Geographic origin Non-traditional-aged student Transfer institutional type Athlete UMBC merit scholarship Difficulty of coursework Type of degree transferred in Withdrew/cancelled registration 1st semester Factors contributing to New Transfer Students Graduating within Six Years (Baseline)

  14. Engagement Matters: The Role of First-year Experiences • Study presented in June 2007; extends and complements prior analysis (www.umbc.edu/oir) • Focused on 1st semester engagement in an FYS, IHU or LLC (fall cohorts, 2000 – 2006) • Objectives: • Assess participation rates and who was more/less likely to participate • Assess the relationship of engagement in an FYE to retention—semester, one-year and two-year

  15. Engagement Matters: The Role of First-year Experiences • Prior OIR analyses using the NSSE (2005) showed that FYS & IHU participants stated they were more engaged than non-participants (www.umbc.edu/oir). • Students at-risk were less likely to voluntarily enroll. • Non-Scholar students and Non-Honors College students • Commuting students • Transfer students • Highlighted the question: “What does a first-year experience look like for new transfer students?”

  16. Engagement Matters: The Role of First-year Experiences • For new freshmen, first semester engagement in an FYE is positively related to retention—semester, one-year and two-year—after controlling for other factors. • For new transfer students, first semester engagement in an FYE is positively related to semester retention, after controlling for other factors.1 1 Given that few new transfer students participate in an FYE, there is limited statistical power in modeling the longer term impact of FYE engagement on retention.

  17. Looking Ahead from the data... • Further exploration of the significance of race for new transfer students’ persistence • African American transfer students , particularly males, have a six year graduation rate 10 percentage points lower than White transfer students • There is also a need to achieve parity between the 6-year graduation rates of our transfer students and those of our full-time, first time freshman • Looking ahead also meant: • exploring where our transfer students face the greatest difficulty and how they experience UMBC and • how can our first-year experience offerings contribute to and enhance a transfer student’s experience

  18. Let’s begin at the beginning with some of our questions... What are our goals and priorities? How does recruiting and supporting transfer students fit into our long term strategic plan? Does it fit? Who needs to be on board with those goals and priorities? What does our data tell us? Based on what we know, how can we use our limited resources most effectively? How are we working to enhance our relationships with our community college partners? What does it mean to have a campus culture that embraces transfer students? Are we there? So the work began....

  19. Admissions, Orientation, and Articulation • Transfer Student Alliance • Financial awards beyond our transfer sch0larships (80+), TSA awards are $1500 for each of the two years of full-time study • We commit to high achieving students who make an early commitment to UMBC upon completion of their associate’s degree with a 3.5 GPA • Community College Partnerships http://www.umbc.edu/undergraduate/learn/for_txr_students.html Have significantly increased the number of 2+2 transfer programs • ARTSYS • Orientation • Option of half day or full day programs and an option of priority registration

  20. Expanded “Introduction to an Honors University” (IHU) Opportunities • Have taken our first-year IHU and modified it to more effectively address the needs of transfer students • TSS Success Course Topics -09FINAL.doc • Currently piloting the course in Computer Science and Information Systems • Some of our community college partners have created their own version of a first-year seminar so it is important that our transfer course factor in their previous experience • Current model is connected to an upper level course in their major department • NEXT STEPS...

  21. Supplemental Instruction • Targeted efforts to support all students by integrating supplemental instruction into courses that have been identified as putting students at a higher risk of failure • Initial focus is on Math inclusive of Algebra, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, and Differential Equations • Even with many tutoring options, students are not as successful in these courses, and this lack of success impacts their persistence. • Pilot program in Fall 2009 with one course in Pre-Calculus

  22. Success in Chemistry Discovery Center leads to CASTLE • Many students , native and transfer, attending UMBC major in the Sciences and Engineering • Faculty in the Chemistry Department revamped the discussion sessions associate with CHEM 101 to include small group work in which students focus on questions and solutions related to real world problems Result: pass rates well into the upper 80% • This success led to the creation of CNMS Active Science Teaching and Learning Environment which is a lab space that will enable Biology, Physics and Mathematics to adapt their lower-level courses to the model used so successfully in Chemistry

  23. Expanded First-Year Intervention Program • UMBC has had a first-year intervention program for a number of years. • It was a manual process managed by staff in our Learning Resources Center • Recently went to an on-line version • Process was successful in its first year, and what we hope will be possible in the next year, is that faculty can report any student in academic difficulty • We expect that this next step will include new transfer students

  24. Transfer Student Networks: What are they telling us. • In addition to academic support systems, we know students need to connect with their peers and others. • The challenge is to provide a wide enough variety of activities that will help them create meaningful relationships and new peer groups. • To date, one of our most successful efforts has been the Commuter and Transfer Student Retreat. Students who participate in this program bond with each other, and they begin their time at UMBC connected to a group of peers. It is a starting point and supports what our data has shown...all students engage more successfully with the University if they have interactions in small groups

  25. A factor that may impact engagement is that they are VERY confident.

  26. How Do We Engage New Transfer Students? 6% 5% 6% 4% 5% 5% # participants * (n) 1,160 1,134 1,131 1,044 1,093 957 966 * Understated for Shriver; do not have complete data for that year. 6% 6% 6% # participants 4% 2% < .5% 0% (n) 1,160 1,134 1,131 1,044 1,093 957 966 *

  27. Challenge: How can we better communicate what we offer and the benefits...What is in it for them?

  28. Transfer Student SurveyKey Findings

  29. What are our next steps: • Continue to get to know our students • Look at what we are doing and determine how we can make the experiences more relevant to transfer students • Improve our communication to better convey the benefits of our initiatives • Look for ways to overcome the reality that in most cases “students don’t do optional,” and, as the data shows, most transfer students do not think they will need help

  30. Next Steps C0ntinued.... • Continue to pursue a Mandatory First-Year Experience • For transfers, build into their first year experience a focus on advising in the major, mentoring by faculty in their discipline, opportunities for internships/applied experience/undergraduate research, along with the opportunity to connect with each other • Identify the best ways to reach out to our transfer students who are most at risk • Continue to assess all of our current efforts and be willing to adjust as students provide us with feedback

  31. Data taken from the following sources • Transfer Students from Two Perspectives, Ramona Arthur, Director of Off-campus & Transfer Student Services, Dr. Susan Martin, Assessment & Research Coordinator for Student Affairs, Shannon M. Tinney, Research Analyst for Institutional Research • Refer to the Office of Institutional Research web site for more details related to the data shared today. Specifically: • Comparative Study of New Freshmen’s and New Transfer Student’s Persistence (Shannon Tinney, updates Connie Pierson) • Strategic Retention Initiatives: The Role of First-Year Experiences • Academic Performance and Persistence: The Role of Math Gateway Courses

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