Transfer Success: Skills to Succeed in a Baccalaureate Program

1. Transfer Success: Skills to Succeed in a Baccalaureate Program Charlene A. Stinard, Director Transfer and Transition Services University of Central Florida March 7, 2014 Miami Dade College Staff Development Day

2. Objectives • Identify critical elements of successful transfer • Maximize resources in support of transfer success • Collaborate for student success • Review examples of “best practices” and innovative programs • Assess program success

3. Establishing the Context • Increasing enrollments in community colleges (Adelman 2006) • Community college to university remains the most prevalent pathway(Handel 2007) • President Obama’s support: American Graduation Initiative

4. Institutional Context George Kuh identifies “High Impact Practices” • Define student success as high levels of learning and student development • Emphasize preparing students to become, not just to do (citizenship, lifelong learning, not just a job) • Encourage engagement: compensatory effects of engagement

5. MDC Context • Large, diverse, public college • Demographics, significant “risk” factors • Hispanic/Black majority (gender differences) • First generation (learning “the ropes”) • Working, older (less connected to campus community) • Low income (financial literacy) • Levels of “college readiness”

6. UCF Model: Transfer and Transition Services • Help students before they transfer • Work with them during the transition/first semester • Help them graduate by promoting engagement

7. Focus on Preparation • Establish academic expectations early • Academic plans • First year success class • Exploring majors and careers • Completing GEP, taking prerequisites before transfer • Mandatory orientation and advising • Student Services/Faculty collaboration

8. Partnerships • Academic preparation: advisors crucial role • Choosing a degree program • Confusion about AA or AS programs • Finding the appropriate major • Career Services to promote early decisions • Academic support programs

9. Questions to Consider

10. Partnerships at MDC • Who are your partners? • Who should be your partners? • What programs promote collaboration? • What are the barriers to collaboration?

11. Partnerships • Involving academic and career advisors • Student affairs/services • Faculty • Other relevant relationships? • Promoting collaboration • Whose responsibility? • Identifying partners at receiving institutions • Administration, admissions, transfer office, student affairs/services, career center, financial aid, faculty

12. Collaboration • Sharing data between institutions • Student success (GPA, retention/graduation rates) • Providing information and resources • Transfer Advising Workshop – annual updates • Dedicated transfer staff • Website: transfer information and resources • Regular joint meetings

13. Strategies • Most effective strategies for improving student retention and college completion   • Academic support programs • Mandatory advising • Programs for first-year students • Programs for honors students Noel-Levitz, 2013 Student Retention and College Completion Practices Report for Four-Year and Two-Year Institutions

14. Strategies (2) • Identify targeted (at-risk) populations • GPA < 2.5 • Difficult majors: STEM, business • First generation, low income, minorities • Returning veterans • Students with Disabilities • Develop specific interventions, programs

15. Strategies (3) • Resources for Students • Academic advising (mandatory) • Outreach programs (information about majors, careers) • Dedicated transfer staff: sending and receiving • Websites, targeted communications • Transfer checklists, steps to successful transitions

16. Questions to Consider

17. MDC Programs • Who are your best partners? Why does that work? • Where are the problems in encouraging collaboration? • What successful programs are in place for transferring students?

18. Innovative Programs • Full-time TTS advisor at partner college • DirectConnect to UCF – early advising, guaranteed admission • S.E.E. UCF (Successful Early Exploration) • FTICs visit campus to explore majors and careers • Brother to Brother program • Multicultural and first generation men • Identifying “meta-major” interests

19. Innovations • TTS Peer Mentor program • Pre-admission academic advisors • Establishing personal connections • Getting the student’s perspective • Listening to the “student voice” • New MASS project: Engaging Latino Students for Transfer and College Completion

20. Program Planning and Assessment • Needs Assessment • Data analyses • Strategic planning factors • Institutional goals and needs • Community needs • Enrollment growth

21. Assessment Cycle Student Learning Outcomes SMART 2+ Direct Measures MATURE Determine evidence needed Assess changes Collect data CHANGE Procedures Resources Outcomes Measures What is next? Report Results Who, what, when?

22. Data Analyses and Assessment • Starting from scratch: who are your at-risk students? • Determining “at-risk” • Non-persistence, lack of progress, failure to complete their degree • Exploring strategies • Your experience, colleagues at peer institutions • State, regional, national trends

23. Data Analysis • Types of student data and analyses • Admissions, enrollment • Demographics • Expectations, experiences, satisfaction • Retention, progression, graduation • Institutional, division, program data • Surveys, focus groups, interviews

24. Program Effectiveness • Measuring the value of specific programs • Participant evaluations • Student surveys • Focus groups • Use information/data • Improve programming • Reach targeted student groups

25. Assessment • Transfer student success • Transfer Shock: GPA information • Retention, graduation rates • Program assessment • How do we know what’s working? • Survey/focus group: What did students think? • Keep, revise, or scrap?

26. Questions to Consider

27. Assessment at MDC • Who is responsible for data gathering and analysis? • Do you have access to the data you need? • Is there support for program assessment?

28. Next Steps • Program planning, development, and implementation strategies • Think “outside the box” • Benchmark similar institutions • Utilize institutional data • Promote collaborations and partnerships

29. Finally.. • Start with small pilot programs • Establish baselines • Develop a communications/marketing plan • Attend to budget considerations early • Private funding - foundations • Federal funding – grants • Community resources

30. Comments and Questions

31. Thank you! Contact Information Charlene A. Stinard Transfer and Transition Services University of Central Florida 407-823-2231 Charlene.Stinard@ucf.edu