1. Civil & Environmental Engineering Giving Transfer Students A First Year Experience

2. What is a Transfer Student
A student at a college or university who has completed classes at another college or university after leaving high school. Students that took college classes while in high school are considered Freshman.
- Oxford Learning Dictionary

3. Top Reasons Students Transfer (National)
Financial circumstances
Social circumstances
Switching majors
Academic challenge
Military transfer
Trying to find a right fit
School ranking
- CollegeTransfer.Net

4. Top Reasons Students Transfer (GT)
School Ranking and Reputation
STEM program
Program Change
Other
- CEE Transfer Survey

5. By the Numbers Current CEE UG population – 703
Current CEE Transfer population - ~167

6. By the Numbers (cont’d)
Transfer GPA 3.42 (Entry)
Transfer GPA 3.01 (First Semester GaTech)

7. Myths about Transfer Students
They understand college/campus life
They are aware of available resources and know how to access them
They are not as smart as Freshman
They want to graduate and nothing else
They will lose most of their credits earned
They are not social .

8. Transfer Students Concerns (GATech)

9. Addressing Concerns Credit processing (Course Transfer)
Transfer seminar and workshops
Transfer Orientation
Transfer mentoring program (Ambassador Program)

10. C.A.R.E Program Purpose Provide a better (overall) academic experience
Vision
Making transfer students our priority
Goals
Enrich transfer student’s academic program
Assist with academic and personal transition
Increase graduation and retention rate

11. Why C.A.R.E ???
The CARE program gives us a standard to operate from when servicing our students. This helps alleviate students feeling like they are not getting the same level of interaction or assistance from advisors. This program helps us treat EVERY student like the priority.

12. (C)oordinate Programs
Programs already in place – feedback from students (surveys)
Mandatory advising
PREP program
Academic resource sheets

13. Program Example

14. (A)dvocate Alumni Faculty and staff Parents and loved ones
Organizations

15. (R)ecognize warning signs
Overly confident
Multiple class absences
Full time jobs/family
Mid-term progress reports

16. (E)ngage Open-door policy Various advising options Campaigns
Weekly Newsletter

17. What our student’s are saying…
“Most of my experience have involved course/graduation requirement articulation. My questions and issues were always responded to promptly and resolved. Overall, every experience I have had with the student services department have been positive.”
“Thank you Ms. Hutchins and Ms. Boothe for making this feel like home!”
“There is nothing about the advisors I would change, but it would be great to a year’s worth of course schedule available during Fall registration.”
“I feel like the challenges I have faced are not unique to being a transfer student, but more unique to being a nontraditional student (in my 30’s).”

18. Benefits Grade improvement Graduation rates Graduate School
Program options (Study Abroad; BS/MS; Research)
Employment

19. Limitations Advisor availability Time conflicts Work/Family
Class availability
Financial

20. Learning Outcomes Find better ways to service your transfer population
Build and maintain a caring relationship with transfers
Decrease transitional issues
Initiate, plan, and implement new programs

21. References
Astin, A. (1984). Student Involvement: A theory of higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25(4), pp
CollegeTransfer.Net. Retrieved (2015, July 16). College Transfers happen for manyreasons. Here are 10 top reasons leading to the transfer circumstances we have found most prevalent
Diaz, P. (1992). Effects of transfer on academic performance of community college students at the four-year institution. Community Junior College Quarterly of Research and Practice, 16(3), pp
Ellis, M. (2013). Successful community college transfer students speak out. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 37, pp
Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. Retrieved (2015, July 16)
Packard, B., Gagnon, J. & Senas, A. (2012). Navigating Community College transfer in science, technical, engineering, and mathematics fields. Community College Journal of research and Practice, 36, pp
Tobolowsky, B. & Cox, B. (2012). Rationalizing neglect: An institutional response to transfer students. The Journal of Higher Education, 83(3), pp

22. Questions?

23. Academic Advising Manager
Thank You!
Tracy A. Boothe, Ed.D.
Academic Advising Manager
(404)
Shanta R. Hutchins, MS
Academic Advisor
(404)