Summary of the CUNY & Texas Transfer Student Studies:
This text details two studies – one by MDRC in Texas and another conducted at CUNY – examining the challenges transfer students face,specifically focusing on the role and perceptions of faculty. Here’s a breakdown of the key findings:
Texas Study (MDRC):
* Inconsistent Credit acceptance: Faculty at Texas universities are inconsistent in accepting transfer credits. This inconsistency is influenced by various factors including course content, objectives, modality, assignments, assessment methods, and the instructor’s discipline.
* Subjectivity: The evaluation of transfer credits can be subjective.
CUNY Study:
* Faculty Awareness & Engagement: Faculty working primarily with prospective transfer students (at two-year colleges) are more aware of and engaged in transfer-related activities. They are also more likely to have attended community college themselves.
* Misconceptions about Transfer: Many faculty hold incorrect beliefs about transfer credit policies (e.g., believing associate degrees guarantee more credit transfer) and student options (e.g., modifying major credits to electives).
* Lack of Knowledge about Outcomes: A significant majority of faculty (both two- and four-year) are unaware of the academic outcomes of transfer students, including GPA impacts and the proportion of transfer students among graduates.
* Differing perceptions:
* Course Quality: Four-year faculty tend to believe bachelor’s-degree courses are superior even with identical content to associate-degree courses.
* Stigma: Community college faculty are more likely to perceive a stigma associated with attending a two-year college.
* Limited Communication: Nearly half of faculty at both two- and four-year colleges rarely communicate with colleagues at other institutions about transfer.
* Support for Transfers: Four-year faculty acknowledge their support for transfer students isn’t excellent, reporting less colleague understanding, tailored advice, and valuing of transfer students.
* Selectivity & Retaking Courses: Faculty at more selective colleges are more likely to advocate for transfer students retaking courses, even with prior success, and are less supportive of central office intervention to facilitate transfer.
Overall Recommendations:
The researchers recommend increased faculty awareness of transfer policies, outcomes, and the challenges faced by transfer students. They also suggest that both sending and receiving institutions may benefit from additional support from a third party to improve the transfer process.
In essence, both studies highlight a need for greater consistency, transparency, and understanding regarding transfer credit evaluation and support for transfer students within higher education systems.
