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Category: Transfer

CCRI Panelist on Why Mobility Matters Now: The Intersection of Equity and Student Transitions

Earlier today, CCRI’s Acting Director, Dr. Lia Wetzstein joined other higher education researchers in a rich discussion on transfer and equity at the 2020 Michigan Student Success Summit. There is one more day to join in other discussions! Register, view presentation slides, and video recordings from this and all of the sessions on this event webpage.

These resources and publications are a collection of our work that engage with this topic. We hope you find them valuable and useful!

Transfer Partnerships: Lessons to Improve Student Success During and After COVID-19
Transfer Partnerships for Improved Equity and Outcomes (NDCC Issue 192)
Coaching for More Equitable Student Outcomes
Integrating Racial Equity Into Guided Pathways
Equity Tools  for Coaches

NDCC Twitter Chat Summary

So what happened?

On May 15, 2020, we facilitated a Twitter Chat on the importance of transfer partnerships working for transfer students navigating higher education during COVID-19.

In advance, we invited you to read our latest transfer brief that synthesizes themes from a larger body of research on transfer partnerships that focus on improving transfer student outcomes that are relevant to students during and in the aftermath of this pandemic.

Here’s the Transfer Brief we published and sent out prior to the chat.

We are excited to provide a short summary of the chat below and appreciate all the participants from around the country who contributed to this conversation. We are especially grateful to the many partners and colleagues who helped lead this chat as well as those who spent their time to prepare. 

Thank you! @nursejeanine, @MCCACSS, @KatieGiardello, @transfertweet, @crisp_gloria, @DrLia7, @NewAmericaEd, @CommunityCCRC, @DR_AEQueen, @pamelaeddy, @XueliWang1, @meikled_john, @kmwb2005, @LeslieD413, @jltaylo, @Makenna19137171, @E_Apple_Meza, @bembrarian, @joycehammer12, @jehollinger, @forakt23, @AustinLambdin, @SheAnnJones, and @mukhtar_layla. We apologize if we missed you in the list!

What did we talk about?

We prepared a number of questions for the chat that prompted great discussions! Here are some of the responses that stood out to us from participants.

Response from @transfertweet

Institutions must collaborate to facilitate both planned & unplanned transfer prompted by COVID-19. Students not previously considering transfer may find themselves completely confused by the process. 

Response from @makenna19137171

For some of the colleges that already have future quarters open, limited classes are available due to COVID. So transfer students who need to fill certain credits that go towards their intended major is becoming difficult or not attainable.

Response from @sheannjones

The continued need for clear, accessible information to students and collaboration between institutions regarding support services course/program information.

Response from @kmwb2005

Information gaps have been exacerbated… lack of access to network infrastructure has significantly impacted rural and low income geographic access to information and feedback loops.

Response from @makenna19137171

Transfer students who are on financial aid can’t do work-studies or jobs on campus at all lowering their already low income (although it’s common now), as well as having a “quota” to fill and not wanting their opportunity and aid to disappear/go to waste.

Response from @austinlambdin

The inequities in the transfer process would include the possibility of students who struggle with English experience a much more difficult time accessing the resources to transfer online. For those who speak Spanish or other languages, this could seem overwhelming.

Response from @joycehammer12

Our institution is assigning lists of students to call and check-in on to see how they are navigating the situation. The staff are making the calls are those who are teleworking and have been provided training and some faculty are reaching out as well.

Response from @sheannjones

William & Mary has set up a community college team to look at ways to improve and expand transfer #CCRIchat @pamelaleddy

Response from @MCCACSS:

For the last few years, nearly 1,000 faculty, staff, and admins from @MIColleges, @MASUmichigan and @MIColleges institutions have been collaborating on #mitransfer to improve transparency for students and optimize credit transfer across 

Response from @jltaylo

We (@uutah) are working w/ our @SaltLakeCC partners to strengthen articulation pathways between institutions. Bringing together faculty teams to look at curricular pathways & use data!

Response from @forakt23

We have, at least for the past 20 years, worked very closely with our biggest feeder CC. That work has not slowed down, but not being able to meet in person does hurt some of the work we are trying to do going forward.

Response from @sheannjones

We have three internal offices that support transfer. We collaborate regularly and with our external partners, @MCCACSS and local universities.  We’ve continued this work virtually to support existing agreements/programs and build new ones.

Response from @kmwb2005

Statewide transfer partnerships may need to consider dual admissions processes to mitigate the ongoing communication gap as curricular changes and selective admissions program requirements shift. #CCRIchat #transfer

Response from @joyehammer12

I think more partnerships involving research opportunities for transfer students will become paramount as students who start out as freshman at universities are engaging in research earlier and transfer students need the same experiences to be competitive.

Response from @forakt23

Colorado has pretty solid leadership for state-wide initiatives at this point, so we seem to be on a good trajectory for continual improvement for state-wide transfer.

Response from @E_Apple_Meza

The disaggregation of data has allowed colleges to really see inequities and equity goals have in turn become a driver in making change. However, in our research we don’t see enough sharing of data between partners to follow students on their transfer journeys.

Response from @XueliWang1

Fan of work of many of you here! Most useful for me is the kind of research that connects all facets of transfer that students both navigate and be affected by. So we see the whole picture and system at work, mindful of intended/unintended consequences.

Response from @makenna19137171

As a student, I did find your research comforting. As you mentioned coming together and supporting “‘our students’”. It meant a lot to know colleges actually care about us and how we’re feeling. It relieved some of the tension from COVID. So I found that helpful!

* If you’d like to read more, here is the whole discussion for each question!

CCRI Transfer Brief and Twitter Chat!

Join us Friday, May 15, 2020, 10-11:30 am, Pacific time, for a Twitter chat, #CCRIchat, addressing the importance of transfer working for students navigating higher education during COVID 19. Follow us on Twitter to see updates and questions for the chat. 

In advance, we invite you to read our latest transfer brief that synthesizes themes from a larger body of research on transfer partnerships that focus on improving transfer student outcomes that are relevant to students during and in the aftermath of this pandemic.

Looking forward to our TweetChat! Please reach out prior to with questions on how to participate, ccri@uw.edu.

Read Transfer Brief

Data note on the Complexity of STEM Transfer for Underserved Students

We’re pleased to release a new data note from CCRI’s research on STEM, authored by research scientist, Elizabeth Apple Meza titled, Underserved Community College Students and the Complexity of STEM Transfer.

Abstract
Community college students aspiring to transfer into STEM majors at a four-year institution face a complicated and nuanced admissions process. In some cases, students may be admitted to the four-year transfer institution but face additional requirements to enter a STEM major. This study of community college underserved students of color, women, and first-generation students in a program aimed to help them succeed in STEM finds gaps in knowledge around transfer and STEM specific major requirements. These findings point to the need to build more knowledge about STEM-major transfer requirements and processes among community college students as well as advisors and STEM faculty so they can better inform students of transfer pathways. This research also points to the need to strengthen transfer partnerships between two-year and four-year institutions in support of community college students who aspire to a STEM baccalaureate degree.

Download STEM Data Note 1

This research was supported by grant #1304776 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Education & Human Resource (EHR) through the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP).

ASHE Conference Presentations

Our team’s research was well-received at this year’s Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) conference in Portland, November 13th – 16th, 2019. Learn more about each presentation CCRI was involved in below and click on the titles to open their respective slide deck:

>>Advancing Evidence-Based Policy: Meta-Analysis Findings from TAACCCT<<

Presented by Grant Blume, CCRI Affiliate Faculty; Elizabeth Apple Meza, CCRI Research Scientist; Ivy Love, New America Policy Analyst and Debra Bragg, CCRI Director. The United States Department of Labor’s (DOL) TAACCCT program represented an unprecedented federal investment in community colleges. This study leverages a meta-analysis framework to gauge the extent to which federal grants increased the likelihood of positive academic and employment outcomes at the nation’s community colleges.

>>A Spectrum of Partnerships: Intentional Collaborations to Improve Transfer Outcomes<<

Presented by Theresa Ling Yeh, CCRI Research Scientist and Lia Wetzstein, Associate Director of CCRI. Community college and four-year university partnerships that focus on improving transfer outcomes are critical to advancing equity, as many underserved populations pursue baccalaureate degrees through community colleges. This paper examines qualitative data from a mixed-methods study and proposes a typological continuum of ways in which transfer partnerships can be enacted.

>>An integrative framework for evaluating the impact of career pathways<<

Debra Bragg participated in a research symposium on career pathways policies and programs held at the ASHE conference on Saturday, November 16, titled Career Pathway Programs: Building Connections between College, Employers, and Careers. Sandra Staklis, RTI was chair, Matt Giani, UT-Austin was discussant. Other presenters were Lauren Eyster, The Urban Institute; Laura Foster and Sandra Staklis, RTI; and Myriam Sullivan and Deborah Kobes, Jobs for the Future (JFF).

Upcoming conferences to hear from CCRI!

Competency-Based Education Network’s (C-BEN) CBExchange 2019 Conference, Palm Springs, CA, October 24, 2019. Learning and Leading Forward: Research-based Lessons to Enhance CBE 2.0 for Working Adults at Salt Lake Community College, Eric Heiser, Dean, Salt Lake Community College, Debra Bragg, President, Bragg & Associates, Inc.

This session presents evaluation results from a Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Act Community College and Career Training grant at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). Drawing on the experiences of the SLCC leadership and the evaluation team, this session provides lessons learned on the conversion of over 20 programs to CBE. Implications for scaling CBE throughout SLCC are discussed, including highlighting how the CBEN Quality Framework is being as a blueprint for scaling CBE college-wide.

2019 Annual Applied Baccalaureate Conference at noon on Monday, November 4, Green River College. CCRI Director, Debra Bragg, will give a keynote titled Opening the Door to Baccalaureates: Results of a New National Study on Access, Equity, and Outcomes of Community College Baccalaureates.

ASHE – The 44th annual Association for the Study of Higher Education Conference, Portland, November 13-16, 2019. We’d love to see you at our sessions! View the program for presentation details.

Congratulations to Kandi Bauman, CCRI Graduate Research Assistant and UW PhD student!  Kandi was selected to attend the Graduate Student Policy Seminar at ASHE 2019. The seminar provides graduate students with opportunities to interact with researchers, policy-shapers, and policymakers who are knowledgeable about critical public policy issues related to higher education. The seminar also offers participants an opportunity to engage other advanced graduate students with similar interests and ambitions from universities across the nation.

Advancing Evidenced-Based Policy: Meta-Analysis Findings from TAACCCT. Fri, November 15, 3:45 to 5:00pm, Hilton Portland Downtown, Floor: Ballroom, Grand Ballroom Parlor A. Grant Blume, CCRI Affiliate Faculty; Elizabeth Apple Meza, CCRI Research Scientist; Ivy Love, New America Policy Analyst and Debra Bragg, CCRI Director will present a paper on the United States Department of Labor’s (DOL) TAACCCT program, which represented an unprecedented federal investment in community colleges. This study reports results of a meta-analysis on the extent to which federal grants increased the likelihood of positive educational and employment outcomes at the nation’s community colleges.

A Spectrum of Partnerships: Intentional Collaborations to Improve Transfer Outcomes. Saturday, November 16, 1:30–2:45 pm, Hilton Portland Downtown, 3rd Forum: Exploring University Partnerships & Collaborations. Theresa Ling Yeh, CCRI Research Scientist, and Lia Wetzstein, CCRI Associate Director will be discussing how community college and four-year university partnerships that focus on improving transfer outcomes are critical to advancing equity, as many underserved populations pursue baccalaureate degrees through community colleges. This paper examines qualitative data from a mixed-methods study and proposes a typological continuum of ways in which transfer partnerships can be enacted.

Career Pathway Programs: Building Connections Between College, Employment, and Careers. Sat, November 16, 10:15 to 11:30 am, Hilton Portland Downtown, Floor: Plaza, Broadway I. As the number of career pathway programs in community colleges has grown, research has examined the effects of pathway models on higher education program development and student outcomes. Debra Bragg, CCRI Director presents this paper as part of a panel summarizing the findings of recent research on career pathways, including two case studies of career pathways programs.

2019 Northwest Commission for Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) Annual Conference at noon on Wednesday, November 20, Hyatt Regency, Seattle, WA.  Debra Bragg, CCRI Director, to give a keynote focusing on The Equity Imperative for Higher Education.

AERA Annual Meeting 2019

CCRI researchers enjoyed presenting research on high performing transfer partnerships and faculty as change agents at the American Education Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting in April. It is great to engage and learn from our colleagues at these events – especially those who show up ready to ask questions at 8 a.m. sessions! 

Continue reading “AERA Annual Meeting 2019”

NISTS Conference 2019

Transfer as part of the path toward bachelor’s degree attainment is increasingly more common and often the route taken by underserved students. The recent National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) conference experienced record attendance this year demonstrating an increased interest in studying and sharing best practices on the transfer process and efforts to impact education equity. CCRI researchers Lia Wetzstein and Theresa Ling Yeh added to this conversation with a presentation on findings from CCRI’s High Performing Transfer Partnerships (HPTP) study.

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HPTP Data Note 10: Transfer Research and Multilevel Models

Structural, financial, and information barriers at both two- and four- institutions complicate the process of student transfer. Current research on the topic does not adequately address the shared responsibility between these institutions, or examine possible differences in transfer success rates by race. In Data Note 10 of the High-Performing Partnerships (HPTP) study, CCRI researchers contribute to filling these research gaps by examining the unique contribution of institutional pairs on transfer student outcomes. The researchers also argue for the use of multi-level models to avoid spurious results in this complex and important area of study.

Continue reading “HPTP Data Note 10: Transfer Research and Multilevel Models”