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Transfer Policy and Implications

Transfer Policy and Implications. Views from the Trenches Bonita Jacobs, Ph.D. Marc Cutright , Ed.D . Amy Fann , Ph.D. Janet Marling, Ph.D . University of North Texas. “Examining the efficacy of s tate transfer law and policy through large-scale qualitative i nquiry”

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Transfer Policy and Implications

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  1. Transfer Policy and Implications Views from the Trenches Bonita Jacobs, Ph.D. Marc Cutright, Ed.D. Amy Fann, Ph.D. Janet Marling, Ph.D. University of North Texas

  2. “Examining the efficacy of state transfer law and policy through large-scale qualitative inquiry” Funded by a grant from TG Public Benefit Program

  3. A bit about transfer… • 60+% of bachelor graduates have credit from more than one institution • Despite transfer “swirl,” state focus is on conventional community college-to-university transfer • Trends and conditions suggest this will accelerate • The regulatory environment is increasing

  4. Common State Policies • General education common core • Common course numbering • Statewide major articulation • Block credit transfer • Transfer associate’s degree • WICHE, 2010

  5. A Bit About Texas • 90% attend public institutions • 52% are in community colleges • 6 four-year systems • 50 local elected boards for CCs • 1 board for 8 technical colleges • 4 single university systems

  6. About Texas State Policies • Common course numbering system for the community colleges (but not the 4-year institutions) • 6-drop rule • 30 excess-hour rule • Field of study core curricula (but 4-yr institutions have some leeway) • Associate’s degree will transfer core complete • Top 10%

  7. Establishing the Context

  8. Caveats on findings • Data subject to deeper analysis and researcher collaboration and consensus, including grad students • However, researchers agree that this iteration of findings will endure in some shape or form

  9. Methods

  10. Methods • Statewide qualitative study • 12 Institutions • 6 universities/6 feeder community colleges • Criteria for selecting institutions • Number of transfer students sent/received • Geographic diversity • Graduate student involvement/training • Yearlong course developed • Study timeline Fall 2010-Fall 2011

  11. Interviews with Administrators • Administrator interviews at 12 campuses • 4-7 individuals per campus • 67 individual interviews • 5 small focus group interviews • Interviews tape-recorded and transcribed • Basic protocol with administrators: “Which state policies help you with transfer student success, which do not?”

  12. Student Focus Groups • Two student focus groups at 12 campuses • 12 focus groups at the university level • 4-15 students per group (125 students) • 12 focus groups at the community college level • 6-15 student per group (128 students) • Criteria: Transfer intent students/students who had transferred • 90 minute focus-group interviews, including brief questionnaire

  13. Policy Themes

  14. Themes – Community Colleges • There appears to be little incentive for Texas community colleges to shape student course taking for most efficient transferability • It's simply not part of the fiscal reward system

  15. Themes – Community Colleges cont. • Community colleges must abide by the common course numbering system, but not universities • Makes it easier for senior institution evaluation of transcripts • But more difficult for CC students and advisers to navigate without error

  16. Theme - Transcripts • Lack of a common transcript form and lack of transparency across institutions is an impediment • Delays transcript evaluations • Inhibits student ability to comparison shop

  17. Themes - Universities • Texas universities believe they should get more fiscal credit for completion by non-originating students • Fiscal credit is awarded primarily for first-time, first-year starters-completers • Several Texas universities admit more transfer students than native students

  18. Themes – Universities cont. • Texas universities believe they should get more fiscal credit for completion by non-originating students • Fiscal credit is awarded primarily for first-time, first-year starters-completers • Several Texas universities admit more transfer students than native students

  19. Theme - Credits • While acceptance of transfer credits has improved, there are persistent issues. High among these is spotty application of earned credits toward degrees, even in the face of evidence of equivalency in content and rigor • Possibility of untested prejudice and discrimination against CC credits • Unwillingness or inability of institutions to get faculties to engage in meaningful disciplinary discussions

  20. Theme – Six Drop Rule • The Texas six-drop rule is believed by many to inhibit transfer as much as it encourages individual student efficiency • Legislative mandate in 2007. Cost containment and degree efficiency Negative effects are perceived to be rigidity upon transfer, punishments for life changes, etc.

  21. Theme – Available Assistance • Students find that even advertised and promoted assistance for transfer is unavailable and ineffective • State law mandates university report on transfer efforts (but not for community colleges) • There is no audit or requirement for submission of the effect of these efforts • Students find out-of-date info, learn of services that effectively do not exist, etc.

  22. Student Themes

  23. Student Focus GroupThemes • Transferability of classes • Advising “Luck of the draw” • Need for comprehensive student advising • Starting from scratch • Teaching students how to use information • Orientation • Student success courses • Special program • Online transfer information

  24. Transfer of Classes • Overall, biggest complaint, transfer of credits, especially at the departmental level • Having to repeat courses • Applied v. academic courses • Not knowing, or not knowing in time about petition process for challenging transcript evaluation • Some advisors pro-active in informing students about options while other students have found out on their own and have to “push” advisors to provide paperwork and or help them petition

  25. Advising: “Luck of the draw” • “It seems like the advisors really don’t tell you…in the college of business, you just kind of get the luck of the draw. They don’t tell you exactly what you need.” • “you can’t choose who your counselor is so you’re getting different information, it’s really confusing.” • “I would tell a new transfer student to ask questions, and don’t believe one person. Make sure you hear it from two or three people before you believe it.”

  26. Comprehensive Advising Model: Starting from Scratch • “I told [the counselor] I wanted to do business management and they didn’t ask me if I planned on transferring, they didn’t ask me if I wanted a 2 year or 4 year degree, they didn’t ask me anything, they just grabbed the [degree plan], and it was an Associate of Applied Science, it’s not an Associate of Arts... I got half way through and I went to talk to a [university] recruiter and he said, “we’re not going to take half these classes because they are technical vocational classes.” What was the point of getting a degree plan and following it if half of these classes aren’t even going to transfer? Essentially I started over…”

  27. Comprehensive Advising Model: Teaching Students How to Use Information • “They don’t tell you exactly what you need but they say, “this counts.” That doesn’t really show you how it fits into the structure.” • “[Getting] loans and financial aid was a complicated process and confusing, and [the counselors] didn’t help much, they just tell you go to this website and fill it out. They don’t tell you what to fill out or what you needed or anything.”

  28. Comprehensive Advising Model: Orientation • “I found registration [orientation] really helpful because they kept saying things over and over and over again.” • “[students] need to sign up for a transfer session to see your advisor and to [select] your schedule, everything about it was good. It wasn’t that long”. • “ I wish I had gone to orientation. I was a transfer student with more than 30 hours and I didn’t have to make it…I felt frustrated that I didn’t know where things were.”

  29. Comprehensive Advising Model: Student Success Courses • “The student development course that I took…was the most helpful thing because other than that, everything else I did on my own, searching for myself.” • “My instructor was really helpful, she walked us around the transfer center, told us where all the offices were, told us where to look for stuff on our own without having to wait in line. It was really helpful. She helped us find a lot of resources on the [college] website because it’s kind of wild sometimes. She helped us figure it out and that’s what I’ve been basing my curriculum on, what I learned in that class”. • “…I got to know my counselor more…my counselor was my student development teacher. Through the information from that class and building that connection…it’s easier to go down there and tell them, I need help with this. You get to know them better and it’s easier to ask questions, you’re not asking a stranger you really don’t know…”

  30. Comprehensive Advising Model: Special Programs • TRIO, honors, athletics… • “I got into the SSSP [Student Support Services Project] they offer text book lending, laptop lending, personal counselors to help you transfer [and]to help you sort through personal issues... They’re really helpful, but there is usually a waiting list for that one, it fills up really fast.”

  31. Online Transfer Information • Knowing it exists and finding it • Determining whether information is current • Understanding what it means • “I got all of my information from the Internet…that was helpful to an extent because some of the classes weren’t on there.” • The website is not easy to navigate. It’s easier for me to Google something and then get the results than search for it.

  32. Implications for Practice • Need for advisor training and communication across departments and institutions • Need for comprehensive college advising • Begin in high school • Need for more and better funded specialized programs and services that help students build transfer capital • Need for better course articulation at departmental level • Need for up-to-date, user friendly Online information

  33. Implications of Research • Proactive vs. Reactive • Student Voice vs. Examining the numbers • No need to act alone or reinvent the wheel

  34. National Context • Texas-specific study • Implications for other states • Replicable design

  35. Questions?

  36. Contact Marc.Cutright@unt.edu Amy.Fann@unt.edu Bonita.Jacobs@unt.edu Janet.Marling@unt.edu National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students http://transferinstitute.unt.edu

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