Transferable Skills: Ensuring Transfer Student Success

Transcription

1 Transferable Skills: Ensuring Transfer Student Success T E R R E N C E H A N L O N O F F I C E O F R E S I D E N T I A L L I F E V A S S A R C O L L E G E

2 Agenda What is transfer student success? How does it feel to be a transfer? What was being done at one institution? Did it work? What should we do now?

3 What is transfer student success? Elements Academic Social Extracurricular Emotional Financial More? Today s concepts Collaborative process Faculty Administrators Students Goals Sense of Integration Personal Excellence References: Duggan, M.H. & Pickering, J.W. (2008). Barriers to Transfer Student Academic Success and Retention. Journal of College Student Retention, 9(4), Evans, N.J., Forney, D.S., Guido, F.M., Patton, L.D., & Renn, K.A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

4 YOU HAVE BEEN ADMITTED TO TRANSFER TO YOUR DREAM SCHOOL

5 Transfer College Small, private, liberal arts college Highly Residential (98% on campus) High majority (>95%) of student population between years old C T Highly Selective/Rigorous Academics Suburban campus in Northeast United States

6 As a transfer student Why did you transfer to Transfer College (TC)? In general, what concerns/challenges might transfer students face coming to TC? What concerns/challenges might YOU face at TC? What support might you need? What would be different if you transferred to Transfer State University?

7 Prior Vassar Transfer Student Initiatives

8 Should we treat our transfer students as first year students or visiting and exchange students? H I N T : T H E A N S W E R I S N O T Y E S

9 About the Assessment Conversations Office of Residential Life Office of Admissions Office of the Dean of Studies Office of the Dean of the College Concerned students Survey Instrument Administration Dates: February 9 th 22 nd, 2012 Via to all students who transferred to Vassar Response Rate 50% of total transfer student population completed survey

10 Expectations and Concerns a rigorous workload and challenging highly informative classes a much more personal, friendly, and open liberal arts experience The coursework was a little harder than I expected, so it took a little getting used to. more rigorous academics as compared to those at **** I hoped to enter a warm, welcoming environment, and my expectations have been exceeded.

11 Transfer Student Sense of Integration 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Well integrated into the Vassar community Good social network that includes both transfers and other Vassar students. Vassar was welcoming to me when I entered. Having the TVEs live together is a great idea. Very Much Disagree Disagree Agree Very Much Agree

12 Transfer Student Social Experience I feel well integrated into the Vassar community only because I have a built-in social network in the **** team. It is not because of orientation efforts or otherwise.

13 Departmental Communication/Initiatives 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Satisfied with communication from Admissions Satisfied with communication from Dean of Studies Satisfied with communication from Residential Life Very Much Disagree Disagree Agree Very Much Agree

14 Departmental Communication/Initiatives 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Orientation was useful in transition to Vassar. Well prepared after orientation advising session. TVE fellows were/are integral to my transition to Vassar. Very Much Disagree Disagree Agree Very Much Agree

15 Departmental Communication/Initiatives I felt that having all the TVEs live together in one area was a mistake as it made our social experience much more limited and did not encourage transfer students to better integrate with the rest of the Vassar community. Orientation is geared towards helping Freshman adjust to college; what I needed were basic introductory materials geared towards helping me adjust to Vassar. I had no idea how to register for classes and was very sad and anxious that something was wrong for my first week here. We have different needs, different experiences, and a completely separate set of issues that our student fellows ( ) were not given the tools to deal with.

16 Issues Tradeoff between Specificity and Exclusivity Housing Orientation Lack of Centralization and Collaboration Communication Student Support Programming

17 New and Updated Programming Orientations Student Fellow Training Connections with Transfers

18 Post-Baccalaureate Fellow Position Coordinate Organize orientation for both semesters Develop transfer student handbook based on advice from previous transfers Formulate a timeline for the transfer student process Continue assessment Communicate Communicate about housing options for incoming and rising students Liaise between partner offices Ensure communication is reaching transfer students Contact admitted transfer students and answer any questions Counsel Train and advise TVE Fellows Serve as a uniform resource to transfer students

19 Reflection/Discussion Questions On what side of the transfer are you? Do you traditionally assist students transitioning in or out of your institution? What is your institution s current definition of transfer student success? Are you missing anything? How can assessment of transfer student services be implemented/improved? Who/What/When/Why/How What are your untapped resources? What can you use and, simultaneously, not lose in the process?

20 Final Thought I DO NOT WANT TO BE LABELED AS A TRANSFER FOR 3.5 YEARS JUST BECAUSE I MADE A MISTAKE AND WENT TO ANOTHER SCHOOL FOR.5 A YEAR! Terrence Hanlon V A S S A R - T R A N S F E R S T U D E N T