Connecticut Community College Transfer Student Success at Connecticut State Universities and UConn John Mullane Counselor Gateway Community College 1

Research Studies: –Community College Transfer students at Connecticut State Universities to-Earn-Bache –Community College Transfer students at UConn at-UConn-costs-Community-Coll 2

Community College Success   41% of undergrads begin their studies at a community college.   46% of all undergrads attend community college. Many work part-time/full-time 3

Community College Success In the academic year, 46 percent of all students who completed a degree at a four-year institution had previously been enrolled at a two-year institution.   1/2 of these students attended a community college for at least 2 years   65% enrolled for at least three semesters at a community college. 4

5

Community College Success The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found that nationwide community college students that transfer to four-year public institutions graduate at high rates. About 65% of those transfer students received a bachelor’s degree within six years. About 65% of those transfer students received a bachelor’s degree within six years. Students who received an associate degree before transferring did even better. About 73% of those students received a bachelor’s degree within six years. Students who received an associate degree before transferring did even better. About 73% of those students received a bachelor’s degree within six years. 84% of full-time transfer students graduated with bachelor’s degrees, mixed enrollment 62%, part-time 25%. 84% of full-time transfer students graduated with bachelor’s degrees, mixed enrollment 62%, part-time 25%. 6

Community College Transfer students at Connecticut State Universities –Connecticut Community College transfer students graduate at higher rates and are more likely to receive bachelor’s degrees than native students at Connecticut State Universities. –According to the Board of Regents Office of Policy and Research, 62% of the 5,556 students who completed a Bachelor’s degree in 2014 from a Connecticut State University, had previously attended a Connecticut Community College. Students-More-Likely-to-Earn-Bache/Where-Did-CSU-Completors-Come-From.xlsx.aspx Students-More-Likely-to-Earn-Bache/Where-Did-CSU-Completors-Come-From.xlsx.aspx 7

Community College Transfer students at Southern –40% of undergraduate enrollment are transfer students –67% of their transfer students are from the Community College System, with Gateway transfer students accounting for 23.5% of all transfer students. –Southern’s Student Success Task Force report notes, “The data show that transfer students are more likely to graduate than native SCSU students, and that within those who transfer, those who graduate are more likely to transfer in an average of forty-five credits.” 8

Community College Transfer students at Southern –At Southern transfer students had lower high school class rank and SAT scores but had a higher GPA than native students. –Also for students who transferred in 45 or more credits, students from the community college system did just as well academically as students who transferred from UConn, another State University or a private four-year college. 9

Community College Transfer students at Southern  The group with the lowest GPA of the transfer students and most at-risk, were community college students who transferred with less than 45 credits.  This would suggest that the more classes a student takes at a community college, the more prepared they are academically when they transfer. It could also suggest that the earlier a student transfers, the more at-risk they are to not completing their bachelor’s degree. 10

Community College Transfer students at Western  The student consumer information section of their website notes, “For those who complete their first year in good standing, the graduation rate is more than 60 percent. Transfer students with 30 or more credits at entry have even higher graduation rates (nearly 70 percent).”  Western Connecticut State University’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment did an analysis of graduation rates for five years of fall cohorts and found that not only did Connecticut Community College transfer students graduate at a higher rate than native students, but they also graduated at a higher rate than the average of all other transfer students. 11

Community College Transfer students at Eastern  The graduation rate of native students is 50.2% and transfer students 61%.  Their Office of Institutional Research did an analysis of just Connecticut Community College students and found that the graduation rate for full-time CT community college students was even higher at 66%. 12

Community College Transfer students at UConn –Community College transfer students who transfer in 60 or more credits and obtain Junior level standing graduate at around 82% –88% of Connecticut Community College transfer students who participate in the guaranteed admission program (GAP) and enroll at UConn graduate with bachelor’s degrees. 13

Largest Barrier to transfer student success is loss of credits –Over 20% of transfer credits are not accepted by UConn. –Average student loses 12 credits. –National Center for Education Statistics had same percent loss in national study. –Average student had 38 credits and only 30 transferred. 14

Community College Transfer students at UConn –Over 20% of transfer credits are not accepted by UConn. –Average student loses 12 credits. –Lost transfer credits cost Connecticut Community College transfer students 3 million dollars in extra tuition and fees. –Community College transfer students who transfer in 60 or more credits and obtain Junior level standing graduate at around 82% –Students who transfer in less credits graduate at around 66%. news/ost-transfer-credits-at-UConn-costs-Community-Coll news/ost-transfer-credits-at-UConn-costs-Community-Coll 15

Community College Transfer students at UConn rejecting-community-college-credits#stream/0 rejecting-community-college-credits#stream/0 Chris Murphy interview on transfer credits. college-affordability-and-accountability-legislation college-affordability-and-accountability-legislation More-Oversight-for-College-Spending html More-Oversight-for-College-Spending html 16

1/3 of all college students transfer National Student Clearinghouse Research Center 1/3 of all college students transfer  Of the 3.6 million students who entered college for the first time in fall 2008, over one third (37.2 percent) transferred to a different institution at least once within six years.  Of these, almost half transferred more than once (45 percent).  87% of community college students transferred without earning a degree or certificate, up from 80% in their last report.  90% of students who start at CC, transfer and graduate w/BA degree do so without receiving a degree or certificate from their starting institution. 17

Barriers to completing a degree before transferring  What are the outside barriers students face?  What are the State/Institutional barriers?  Are we doing enough to remove the institutional barriers?  Do students have a clear path to a degree?  Are classes scheduled that are convenient for working students to complete a degree on time? 18

Community College Transfer Activity in Connecticut –Undergraduate Transfer Activity among Connecticut Colleges and Universities (Fall 2010) –More students transfer into the CT Community College system from 4 year schools than students who transfer out. –Many transfer from one Community College to another Community College. – 19

Majority of students transfer before completing degree –In the fall of 2011, approximately 1,121 students who had earned 40 or more credits transferred from one of the 12 community colleges to either a CSU or COSC without completing their original degree. (page 246) –In the fall of ,351 CT CC students transferred to a 4 year institution w/out associates degree –80% of total transfers (page 43) 20

Why students transfer early from community colleges  82% said to pursue a Bachelor’s degree,  34% said finished classes  26% personal reasons  Financial and academic problems were at the bottom of the list.  Page 147 “Students who began at a 2-year institution and transferred to another institution by 2006 most frequently did so to pursue a bachelor’s degree (82 percent) (table 7.2). Other commonly reported reasons were finishing the classes they wanted (34 percent) and personal (27 percent).” 21

Policy Changes State wide transfer and articulation agreements to all public four year schools State wide transfer and articulation agreements to all public four year schools State Sen. Dante Bartolomeo, D-Meriden, co-chairman of the General Assembly's Higher Education Committee, said the problem needs to be addressed. "What I think what needs to happen is, we have to get it working for the community colleges to the state universities and then absolutely we need to apply that principle to UConn," she said. Associated Press 5/7/15 22

Simple, streamlined, student friendly transfer agreements  34 credit general education core of classes that when completed fulfills all lower division (freshman and sophomore) general education requirements at any public four year institution in Connecticut.  60 credit transfer associates degrees that fully transfer credits to all public four year institutions. This pathway will fulfill all lower division general education requirements and the student will have junior standing in their major and have no more than 60 credits remaining to complete their bachelors degree. All credits in pathway should transfer, whether or not degree is completed before transfer.  Incentives to complete degree, no punishment (course by course articulation) if degree not completed.  Committee of representatives from all schools to oversee the law and provide an annual report on its progress and data on students in those transfer pathways to legislature. 23

Enrollment, Retention and Success Essential Elements of State Policy for College Completion: Statewide Transfer Policies, Southern Regional Education Board Essential Elements of State Policy for College Completion: Statewide Transfer Policies, Southern Regional Education Board “The state should provide a guarantee that any and all of the 60 lower-division hours (the statewide core curriculum) will transfer — even if an associate’s degree is not earned.” Statewide reform in New Jersey, Arizona, Washington, state laws work to push results: Statewide reform in New Jersey, Arizona, Washington, state laws work to push results: “While educators typically detest legislative involvement, it is clear from this study that legislation plays an important role in systemic transfer and articulation reform, both through initial mandates or threats to create statewide policies and programs, and in applying pressure to employ them in a timely manner.” 24