Lessons Learned: Community Services Project for Credit Transfer Experiences

Community Services Project (and other credit transfer experiences): Lessons Learned Student Pathways in Higher Education Conference Jan. 27, 2012 S. Towson

Transfer Students enhance university program quality • Disability Studies program • Program goal (diversity, inclusion) required deliberate inclusion of students with diverse experiences: from high school, from college community services programs, from community services employment • Presence of all these students in program contributes to fulfillment of program learning outcomes

Community Services Project • Multilateral • Learning outcomes based • Degree completion programs for • High affinity • Community service college diploma programs to • University social science programs

Learning outcomes are the way to go but… • More is not necessarily better • On university side, OQF learning outcomes, institutional learning outcomes, discipline learning outcomes, social science faculty learning outcomes, program-specific learning outcomes plus Faculty learning outcomes • And acceptance of learning outcomes as integral program component is variable

Credit transfer should be determined by curriculum shape • College community services programs are narrow band, focusing on theory and practice in one discipline area • University social services programs (esp. in 1st two years) are broad band; students limited to a few courses in discipline area and many in arts and sciences • Transfer credit agreements should reflect this reality

Implications of curriculum shape • If we acknowledge college curriculum focus • Then transfer students may well be credited with upper level knowledge in specific discipline (high affinity) • If we believe in the liberal arts education model • Then transfer students should be required to take same range of arts and science courses as other students

Institutional Commitment is key and… Requires recognition that institutions include many constituencies with different credit transfer knowledge, attitudes and goals

Audience Participation… How many of you are concerned with: University administration Recruitment Admissions Student Support/Retention Teaching/research in your academic discipline

Rate your constituency’s credit transfer knowledge… Minimal………Moderate………Considerable

Now, rate your constituency’s credit transfer attitudes… Negative……..Indifferent…………Positive

Finally, what is your constituency’s primary transfer student goal… • Successful recruitment? • Accurate transfer credit assignment? • Academic success? • Retention to graduation? • Achievement of learning outcomes?

Institutional commitment requires Communication within and across constituencies to increase • Awareness of credit transfer process • Acceptance of credit transfer • Compatibility of credit transfer goals In order to increase institution’s ability to develop and sustain credit transfer pathways and partnerships Compatible goals

And Communication requires Coordination Dedicated Post-Secondary Education Pathways or Partnerships Coordinator can • Enhance internal communication • Minimize internal roadblocks and duplication of effort • Maximize creation and maintenance of external partnerships

Lessons Learned: Community Services Project for Credit Transfer Experiences