A Pathway to Success: How Student & Academic Services can meet the Needs of Transfer Students

1. A Pathway to Success: How Student & Academic Services can meet the Needs of Transfer Students Isabell C.May, Ph.D. Robyn Dinicola-Wagle Julia Rader Office of Student & Academic Service Universities at Shady Grove, Rockville, MD University System of Maryland

2. Universities at Shady Grove • In 2000, the University System of Maryland (USM) establishes the Universities at Shady Grove as a multi-institutional partnership to offer upper-level daytime undergraduate programs • Articulation agreements with Montgomery College open the pathway to 14 undergraduate daytime degree program.

3. Universities at Shady Grove • Today, more than 70 undergraduate and graduate program are offered from nine of the eleven degree-granting institutions within USM. • Total number of degrees awarded over the 10 year partnership is more than 3,000.

4. Universities at Shady Grove • Full service campus serving students from all partner institutions • Exclusive focus on establishing a supportive culture for transfer success • Highly diverse campus Ethnicity, Daytime and Evening undergraduate students, Fall 2009

5. On-Stop Shop Model • Three service centers within Student & Academic Services • Center for Academic Success • Career & Internship Service Center • Office of Student Service • Planned fourth service center • Mental Health Counseling Center

6. Meeting the Needs of Transfer Students • Close collaborative partnerships with partner institutions (4-year schools) • Comprehensive service menu with customized services across all three service centers • Clear articulation agreements and MOUs with 2-year colleges in the surrounding area • Financial support for transfer students (counseling on Financial Aid & Scholarships) • Partnerships with local businesses

7. Programming Initiatives • Mitigating transfer shock/rigor of upper-division coursework • Summer Preparation Program • Leadership opportunities • Pathway beyond graduation

8. Mitigating Transfer Shock/Rigor of Upper-Division Coursework • Collaboration by all three service centers for an orientation geared towards transfer students needs • Introduction to available resources designed to mitigate “transfer shock” • Emphasis on skills needed to be successful to meet the rigorous academic curricula in upper-division schoolwork • Necessity for professional development and extra-curricular experience to be marketable in the competitive job market

9. Summer Preparation Program • Focus on Writing in the Disciplines • Mathematical Reasoning Skills • Academic Professionalism

10. Focus on Leadership • Development of internship tracks with local business in relevant fields (e.g. biotechnology, healthcare, and information technology) • Development of leadership certificate for students at USG • Academic/Internship credit for students who work with other peers in academic areas • Guided Study Sessions (GSS) • Writing Fellows • Research

11. Pathway Beyond Graduation • Developing an Alumni Network • Preparation for graduate/professional schools • GRE/PCAT/MCAT Preparation • Personal Statements/Gradaute Admissions Essay

12. Center for Academic Success (CAS) • Geared towards the needs of transferring students • Peer support (content focus, modeled after Supplemental Instruction; writing focus, modeled after writing fellows programs) • Professional consultants • Writing • Academic Coaching • Workshops that focus on enhanced learning techniques • In-class • Out-of-class

13. Classes used for Data Analysis (Spring 2010) • NURS 405 • School of Nursing, University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) • Online class, juniors • 6-8 page analytical paper on technology in nursing, using peer-reviewed and internet sources • WRTG 394 • Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) • Face-to-face class, juniors • 8-10 page business report with extensive research • Forensics • Multi-institutional (Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Criminology & Criminal Justice, UMCP; Nursing and Pharmacy (PharmD), UMB) • Face-to-face class; some juniors, mostly seniors, graduate students • 8-10 page research paper; 2 draft due before final paper; intervention focused; peer-reviewed research

14. Mean Grades per class

15. Mean grade for all 3 classes combined

16. Retention/GPA Study by USG Partner Institution • Comparison of students who came to CAS for one academic year (fall 08-spring 09) with a random group from the non-USG student population • Even though the average GPA was higher for the non-USG students, the retention rate for the USG students was higher than that for the non-USG students.

17. Grade Comparison, Accounting Class, Fall 2010 Semester • Correlation of visits per academic year (fall 2010-spring 2011) with academic performance (all students)

18. Grade Comparison, Accounting Class, Fall 2010 Semester • Correlation of visits per academic year (fall 2010-spring 2011) with academic performance • Only transfer students from local 2-year colleges

19. Next Steps for Research • Longitudinal Study • GPA • Graduation/Retention Rates • Admission to Graduate School/Job placement within field of study