ADVOCATING FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS: IS YOUR CAMPUS MEETING THEIR NEEDS? NACADA Annual Conference October 2014 Megan Forbes Cleaver & Leah Howell Pre-Transfer Advising Program, UMD Tyler McClenithan Graduate Student, Honors College UMD

OVERVIEW  Why Do Transfer Students Matter?  Transition Theory  Moving In  Moving Through  Moving Out  What to Consider at Your Institution

TRANSFER STUDENT TRENDS  1/3 of all undergraduate students transfer  1/2 of all undergraduate students start at community colleges  Majority of transfer students are from underserved populations  62% of students who transfer do so during their 2 nd or 3 rd years

TRANSFER STUDENT TRENDS  Of students who transfer: 75% do so 1 time, 17% 2 times, and 8% 3 times or more  11% of students who transfer are co-enrolled in two institutions  Transfer directions:  From 2-4: 40%  From 4-4: 40%  From 4-2: 20% Hossler, Shapiro, Dundar, Ziskin, Chen, Zerquera, & Torres 2012

UMD TRANSFER STUDENT PROFILE  Minorities – 42.3%  Females – 46.1%, Males – 53.9%  Out of State – 12.7%, In State – 87.3%  Full-time – 85.3%, Part-time – 14.7% Fall 2013 Institutional Research Data

UMD TRANSFER STUDENT PROFILE  1 st years – 5.4%, 2 nd years – 40.6%, 3 rd years – 40.4%, 4 th years – 2.1%  Transferred from: 4 yr – 25%, 2 yr – 70.3%, Foreign/Other – 3.7%  1 Year Retention – 91.5%  4 Year Graduation rate – 85.3%  Stem Majors – 27.4% Fall 2013 Institutional Research Data

TRANSFER STUDENT CHALLENGES  Major Pathways: Credit Transfer & Course Sequencing  Academic experiences  Inaccessible & Irrelevant Student Life  Orientation: “We’re not freshmen!”  Managing Finances

SCHLOSSBERG’S TRANSITION THEORY Moving In Moving Through Moving Out

MOVING IN-BEFORE TRANSFER  Key Questions to Consider  What do students know about the transfer process?  Do they understand the implications of transferring?  Does your institution have any programs or agreements to help smooth the pathway for students?

MOVING IN-BEFORE TRANSFER  Communication  Do students have access to advisors and other key staff members on campus?  How do students know how long it will take them to graduate?  What message is your institution sending to prospective transfer students?

MOVING IN-BEFORE TRANSFER  Admission into Institution  Is admissions information clear and accessible?  Does the campus have transfer student specific programs or scholarships?  Is there a guaranteed pathway to admission?

MOVING IN-BEFORE TRANSFER  Transfer Credit Evaluation, Academic Planning  Is there an articulation system and/or transfer credit database?  Can students receive advising prior to applying?

MOVING IN-BEFORE TRANSFER  Fit  Do prospective students have a realistic expectation of the demands, requirements, resources, social culture at the new institution?

MOVING IN-BEFORE TRANSFER  Fit  Is there staff on campus to help students figure out if the institution is a good fit from academics to personal needs?  Does the school have the major the student wants to pursue? Does that major have prerequisites or separate admission requirements?

MOVING THROUGH-ON CAMPUS  Key Questions to Consider  What are the elements needed to be successful as a transfer student and do they differ from native students?  Are transfer students able to persist to graduation?  Do transfer students feel like they belong on your campus?  At what point do students stop considering themselves as transfer students and become simply students, if ever?

MOVING THROUGH-ON CAMPUS  Orientation  Is there a developed transfer specific orientation that is mandatory and “closes the backdoor?”  Does the orientation program fit the culture of your institution?

MOVING THROUGH-ON CAMPUS  Advising  Is advising mandatory for new transfer students?  Do students create an academic plan to graduation that is mindful of course sequencing, yearly benchmarks, and time to degree completion?

MOVING THROUGH-ON CAMPUS  Advising  Does advising go beyond fulfilling degree requirements to include discussions about career exploration, internship opportunities, study abroad and other student engagement activities?

MOVING THROUGH-ON CAMPUS  Resources  Do advisors refer transfer students to appropriate programs and resources?  What programs or resources exist in student life, academic departments, career resources, academic support services for transfer students specifically?

MOVING THROUGH-ON CAMPUS  Retention  Are students able to navigate successfully the transfer shock of the first and second semester to persist to graduation?  How do transfer students get engaged on campus?

MOVING OUT-GRADUATION  Key Questions to Consider  Are transfer students graduating, and in a timely manner?  Have they met their post college goals (graduate school, employment)?

MOVING OUT-GRADUATION  Completion  Do course sequences and offerings facilitate completion of degrees?  Career  What career and internship resources exist for alumni?

MOVING OUT-GRADUATION  Alumni  Are transfer students engaged enough to consider themselves alumni with pride?  Data  Is there a follow up survey about their experience?

WHAT TO CONSIDER AT YOUR INSTITUTION  Collaborate with other units, office, interested staff  Use professional organizations to learn more about the transfer student experience and network with other transfer student professionals  Look for or collect data about transfer students on your campus

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS  How else can advisors be advocates for transfer students on our campuses?  What are some examples of best practices?