Ensuring Transfer Student Success. Heidi Kippenhan University of North Dakota

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1 Ensuring Transfer Student Success Heidi Kippenhan University of North Dakota

2 What do we know (or think we know) about students who choose our institution in transfer? What can we do to ensure the success of transfer students?

3 About University of ND: Located in Grand Forks, ND Co-educational, state-supported Undergraduate and graduate programs in 170 fields, 46 masters programs, 20 doctorate programs, law school and medical school Approximately 700 new transfers each fall and 400 new transfers each spring

4 What s so special about transfer students? Vital and necessary population Too often ignored Traditional path is not the only path Traditional age population is declining North Dakota is facing significant demographic challenges. HS Grads =7,929; = 6,202, estimated decline of -22% We offer specific programs the facilitate transfer

5 Students Have More Choices Than Ever 634 four-year public institutions 1,086 two-year public institutions 6.4 million attend 4-year publics 6.2 million attend 2-year publics ( Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac)

6 What is a Transfer Student? Detail oriented Transfer evaluation is everything Late decision makers How long will degree completion take? Demanding Multiple institution attendance Diverse group of students

7 Transfer Student Definitions Vertical transfer Students moving from 2-year to 4- year institutions Horizontal transfer Students moving to same type institutions, 2-year to 2-year or 4-year to 4-year Reverse transfer Student moving from a 4-year institution to a 2-year institution Gypsy Students who move multiple times across numerous institutions (some also call these students swirling )

8 What do we know about these different types of students? Vertical transfer & Horizontal transfer grouped together for data reporting purposes, approximately 40% of students who entered higher education in attended at least 2 institutions during a 6-year period and 11% had been co-enrolled at more than one institution Reverse transfer these students represent 16% to 20% of all community college enrollments nationwide Gypsy little data available regarding these students, characterized by high SES, high goal commitment, low institutional commitment (Jacobs 2004)

9 Tinto Transfer behavior is not uncommon, many students enter an institution with the explicit intention of transferring. So why do they transfer? Four-year students can't obtain admission to their first choice Obvious for 2-year students Change in career interest, program, major Short term step to a long term goal Financial Estimates only 44% of all entering students will persist via continuous enrollment at their institution of initial registration.

10 What do we know? There are 16.5 million students attending college 6.2 million attend 2-year public institutions while 6.4 million attend 4-year public institutions Projected 2-year enrollment is 6.8 million by 2013 ( Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac) As of 2001: 40% of students had attended more than one institution 32% transferred from one institution to another 11% had co-enrolled For student who began at 2-year public: 47% had attended more than one institution (NCES, 2005)

11 What do we know? Students attend community colleges because of their low cost and hope to eventually earn a bachelor s degree (Freeman, 1997) Often transfer students are the forgotten population within a campus orientation program. Credit evaluation and financial aid are the primary concern/interest areas for transfers. Need to consider transfer student demographics on campus prior to developing programs. (Ward-Roof & Cawthorn, 2004)

12 What do we know? Issues transfer students encounter at fouryear institutions: Negative attitudes Lack of information about transferring Admission issues Courses refused for degree requirements Problems with registration, new student programs, academic advising, student financial aid, housing, student activities, career services Transfer students expect the same level of service they received at their previous institution (Ward-Roof & Cawthorn, 2004)

13 What do we know? Transfer students often have a sense of isolation and often skip orientation programs, display a false sense of security, and consider themselves knowledgeable of the higher education system. Transfer students transfer for a variety of reasons but usually see the process as unfriendly. Transfer students believe a change in environment will remedy any past academic issues. Transfer students often have pre-conceived notions about the institution. (Ward-Roof & Cawthorn, 2004)

14 Student Barriers "Cooling out Transfer shock Academic preparation Transfer credit difficulty General Education Completion Process barriers Economic/Scholarships Emotional and academic barriers Need to work while attending Assumption of experience

15 Other Barriers Inability to transition with no transitional assistance Issues with student services Staff/faculty discouragement Poor teaching Poor students/easy classes Unrealistic expectations Academically unprepared Change in size, level of curriculum, cost Transferability of credits Financial aid/scholarship

16 Student Needs and Expectations Little data regarding specific needs and expectations of transfer students Transfer goes beyond simply attending an institution and then transferring to another institution Social and academic integration Transfer students expect the same level of service as they received at the prior institution. "Interlopers in an existing culture" (Astin, 1993) "One's level of involvement or integration in an institution's social system has significant implications for attainment" (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991)

17 Student Needs and Expectations Transfer students become drifters, fouryear institutions should anticipate their needs and provide them with direction for initial term of entry and possibly longer. Tinto Strive to provide transfer students with the same sorts of services and programs as first time students typically receive don't channel them through programs together with freshmen as if their needs and interests were identical.

18 Student Needs and Expectations Most significant needs identified in the literature: Effective advisement before, during, and after transfer Intentional, targeted orientation programming Academic Preparedness Policies on transfer credit that are understandable Training programs for those who work with transfer students

19 Question Break

20 What do students say? Feel anxiety over transfer of credits Feeling of being lost difficulty in becoming part of the campus community Complexities within the receiving institution are difficult to follow Will transfer to institutions that have easy to follow policies and guidelines

21 Conditions that promote student success: (Tinto) Clearly articulated, high expectations (no one rises to low expectations) Effective advising and support (academic and social support) Feedback (early assessment and placement, effective monitoring and warning--mid-term is too late) Involvement (frequency of contact with faculty, staff, and students predicts success--community of engagement) Learning (active involvement/time on task--learning is the great secret of retention--students who leave will want to stay, support for leaving, feedback about learning)

22 Tinto The number of transfer students continues to increase dramatically. Student involvement must be built from the classroom out as most students don't have the luxury of time for any other campus involvement. In order to build the success of transfer students: Expectations matter--build clear pathways to college completion. Student do better together--build educational communities for transfer students. Student success is everyone's business--coordinate the work of students and student affairs.

23 Ensure Success Keys to transfer student success Faculty/staff support Personal motivation/self-discipline Comfortable environment Courses taken/availability Student support

24 Recommendations Orientation programming that is separate and different Appropriate advisement at sending and receiving institutions Clearly communicate academic expectations and campus climate Articulation Actively and directly work to recruit and retain

25 Orientation Austin outlines 6 topics that should be included in transfer orientation. Academic information- academic structure, campus regulations, key academic people General information - campus history and traditions, campus layout Logistical concerns - financial aid, parking, library access, ID cards Social adjustment - campus activities, co-curricular events, student organizations Testing - placement, career orientation, demographic assessments Transitional programming special focus topics: diversity, safety, substance abuse, commuting, anxiety (Austin, D. 1998)

26 Orientation - CAS Standards also provides a statement of 11 components for developing orientation programs Goals & objectives - clearly defined Coordinated - keep in mind relevant programs and institutional units for inclusion All new students programs should be developed and targeted for individual students groups (transfer, graduate, etc.) Purpose & mission include the general purpose of higher education and the individual institutional mission Student responsibility finances, ethics, student conduct, campus policies Support groups provide relevant information to families and spouses (Council for Advancement of Standards 2001)

27 CAS Standards (cont) Info to make good choices registration, academic advisement, faculty/staff/peer interaction Services - introduce programs and services available (tutoring, career services, community resources) Environment - campus layout, safety, location of services Self-assessment - placement tests, career inventories Interaction intentional opportunities to interact with faculty, staff, students (Council for Advancement of Standards 2001)

28 Tinto Orientation programs may need to be offered more than once a year to include all students regardless of their term to enter Provide programs and contacts specific and tailored to their needs and interests Meet faculty and students whom they are likely to encounter in their remaining years Work to provide transfer students with the same sorts of services and programs typically given to first-year students Don t channel them through programs with freshman as if their needs and interests were identical

29 Orientation Best Practices Institutional commitment to the transfer process Appropriate resources Families must be included in the process Clearly communicate institutional expectations Provide ample opportunity for student interaction Utilize transfer students in planning and implementation Develop relationships with feeder institutions Implement a comprehensive evaluation and assessment (Ward-Roof & Cawthorn, 2004)

30 Advisement Good quality advisement is critical to student success, retention, graduation, or goal completion What kind of advisement? Prescriptive helping with the transfer of credits and course scheduling Developmental helping with adjustment, goal setting, and discussing choices Pay attention to student academic expectations, student transition, and social interactions

31 Advisement There is no one model that is best for transfer students. Institutions must consider the transitions students make from one advisement model to another To assess the effectiveness of advisement programs, measure the following variables: Transfer rate Types of transfer students Transfer shock Adjustment and persistence Once the transfer student has committed to a new institution, he or she has the responsibility to learn all about the new institution, and the new institution needs to provide necessary information in a systematic way. Unfortunately, both parties frequently fail to meet these obligations. (p.130) (Kerr, T.J., King, M.C., Grites, T.J. 2004)

32 Articulation Offers consistency in the treatment of transfer students Faculty should have major responsibility for developing agreements Transfer students should have the same opportunity to be admitted into programs Simplify the process for community colleges, students, and receiving institutions Effective in helping students move forward No best articulation method for all states and systems (Sullivan, Dyer, Franklin 2004)

33 Articulation Agreements Desired a truly collaborative student-centered effort at UND and with partner institutions Initially set to work with 20 partner institutions: 10 in ND, 10 in MN and includes course-to-course and program GERTA/MNSCU allows for general education completion when transferring from a ND or MN institution Developed a system of program articulation and course equivalencies with feeder institutions Key Players: Presidents, VP-Academic Affairs, Deans, Department Chairs, Faculty, Staff, University Governance

34 What didn t work Workload, extremely labor intensive - new catalogs, changed courses, degree requirements Needs to be an only project, needs lots of attention, dedicated staff member, time to stay connected Website is functional but not very attractive, possible integration with degree auditing system Need to limit partner and institutional control over the project, keep broad overall picture in perspective

35 Question Break

36 Recruitment & Retention How can we generate prospects? National Student Clearinghouse Names of 2-year college graduates Posters to community colleges Community College Transfer Fair Online National College Fair Track cancelled students Transfer centers, transfer days, transfer fairs, college visits

37 Recruitment & Retention What about retention? Integration into campus life Orientation Living/learning communities Transfer students as leaders Interaction with faculty Strategic interventions in the first year Campus Housing Financial Support

38 What have we done so far? Developed a plan to generate prospects Articulation Agreements Transfer Student Discussion Group Transfer Student Mission Transfer Student Message Transfer Getting Started Program

39 New Resources for Transfers Web page specific section for transfer students Articulation agreements (nearly 900 agreements with 67 institutions) - includes ND, MN and 12 other states Spring orientation/registration event - this April will be 3 rd year for program Transfer Student Recruiter/Advisor - dedicated to transfer students Tau Sigma - an academic honor society designed specifically to recognize and promote the academic excellence and involvement of transfer students.

40 Transfer Student Discussion Group Established to promote awareness of transfer students and improve campus climate Group includes key people in the areas of Admissions, Recruitment, TRIO, Advising, Enrollment Management Action-Oriented Group that includes people who can make things happen Data Driven Who are the top feeder institutions (both 2-year and 4-year)? What is the average GPA of students entering in transfer? What is the average number of credits students transfer? What is the demographic profile of entering transfer students (gender, classification, age, race/ethnicity) What is the average number of credits enrolled in the first semester? What are the highest enrolled program areas?

41 The Mission Individuals transferring to University of North Dakota from other colleges and universities will be welcomed and supported by the UND community. UND is committed to recognizing and responding to the unique needs of transfer students by helping them to identify their strengths, develop new connections and competencies, and integrate successfully into the university community.

42 The Mission Individuals transferring to University of North Dakota from other colleges and universities will be welcomed and supported by the UND community. UND is committed to recognizing and responding to the unique needs of transfer students by helping them to identify their strengths, develop new connections and competencies, and integrate successfully into the university community.

43 The Message We expect you. We welcome you. We have opportunities for you. We have services for you. We expect you to succeed.

44 Getting Started Program Orientation/Registration Program transfer students only, occurs in April during early registration period, allows for course selection with minimal difficulty, priority registration 50-55% of admitted students students in attendance Specific sessions general info, housing/dining, math/language placement, financial aid, campus tours Program specific advisement - advisors from the specific programs are guaranteed Housing, Career Services, TRIO, Financial Aid, Learning Services a fair-type environment

45 Recommendations for Working Effectively with Transfer Students Orientation programming that is separate and different Appropriate advisement at sending and receiving institutions (dual advisement?) Clearly communicate academic expectations and campus climate Gather data about retention and success of students Actively and directly work to recruit and retain (Kippenhan, H. 2004)

46 Serving Students Make everyone feel special Don t try to solve every problem with technology Lead with care Know your core competency (what is the essence of what you do?) The Platinum Rule: Treat others how you would like to be treated. Is your philosophy Students come first? Students want to be appreciated for their college choice and are re-evaluating that decision at every service point (Black, 2004)

47 Where can we improve? Reconsider extensive focus on freshman Pre-application transfer evaluation Dual advisement/dual admission initiatives Degree audit system Better data on incoming students Student success rates Targeted publications Housing, Financial Aid, other key areas

48 Finally. Talk about transfer students How are they important to your campus? Support Services Get Serious!!

49 References Astin, A. (1993). What matters in college: Four critical years revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Austin, D Building an orientation program from the ground. Campus Activities Programming. 21:41-45 Black, J. (2004). The Branding of Higher Education. Presentation at the 2004 Strategic Enrollment Management Conference, Orlando, FL. Chronicle of Higher Education (2005). Chronicle of higher education almanac. Washington, D.C.: Author. Freeman, L.T. (1997). Articulation p practices in two- and four-year public colleges in Tennessee. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Educational Research Association, Hilton Head, SC. Kerr, T.J., King, M.C., Grites, T.J. (ed). (2004). Advising transfer students: issues and strategies. National Academic Advising Association, Monograph Series, no. 12. Kippenhan, H. (2004). Recommendations for the Recruitment and Retention of Transfer Students. College and University Journal, V80 N1: Pascarella, E.T., Terenzini, P.T. (1991). How college effects students. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Peter, K., Cataldi,E.F. (2005). The road less traveled? Students who enroll in multiple institutions. National Center for Education Statistics Research and Development Report. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Education. Sullivan, B.L., Dyer, B.G., Franklin, K.K. (2004). Articulation to Collaboration? Understanding the Development of and Issues Surrounding Articulation Agreements. In B.C.Jacobs (ed.), The College Student in America: The Forgotten Student (p ). Washington DC: American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. Tinto, V. (1987). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Ward-Roof, J, Cawthorn, T.W. (2004). Strategies for Successful Transfer Orientation Programs. In B.C.Jacobs (ed.), The College Student in America: The Forgotten Student (p ). Washington DC: American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

50 Thanks!!! Heidi Kippenhan Director of Admissions University of North Dakota