Transfer students are treated as second-class citizens at many large universities, says Mark Allen Poisel of the University of Central Florida in College Board’s report (pdf), Improving Transfer from Community Colleges to Four-Year Institutions. Administrators at a dozen four-year colleges and universities talked about how to strengthen the transfer process between community colleges and four-year institutions.
Four-year colleges and universities must see serving transfers as part of their core mission, not a sideshow or a way to round out the class when first-time admits fall short, the higher education leaders said.
Most transfer students perform as well or better than first-year students, the higher-ed leaders said.
Janina Montero, vice chancellor for student affairs at UCLA, concurs, “Transfer students bring a focus to their academic work and they graduate at the same rate as our freshmen.”
“Enrolling transfer students is not charity,” says Stephen Farmer, director of admission at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.
Some universities start working with potential transfers years before they apply. UCLA has created a one-week summer bridge program for high school graduates who plan to enroll at a community college but hope to transfer to a UC campus.
During the week, while residing in campus dormitories, students meet with professors and advisers, attend lectures and seminars, and gain familiarity with research and the academic community. They also spend significant time planning their transfer strategy. At the end of the week, “these students begin to see themselves as UCLA transfer students,” says Alfred Herrera. “And they enter a community college with a plan of action that is essential for ultimate academic success.”
The University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill partners with nearby community colleges to identify high school students who don’t meet UNC’s freshman admission requirements but show promise. These students are guaranteed admission as transfers if they earn a set GPA in a prescribed set of courses at a participating community college, and meet regularly with advisers at the two- and four-year institutions. UNC lets these students participate in Chapel Hill campus activities while they are still community college students.
Improve transfers to meet college graduation goals, says Patrick Callan, director of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, “The way we’re going to increase completion of baccalaureate degrees, in the biggest and fastest-growing states, is by improving the number of students who start in community colleges and transfer.” However, rising costs — every state but Maine has hiked community college tuition — will make it harder for students to complete degrees, Callan predicts.
