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What does it mean to be part of UIUC?

What does it mean to be part of UIUC?. The Stories of Transfer Students from Parkland Community College. Finding Their Place. Primary Research Question: How do transfer students from Parkland view their experience at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign? Subsidiary Questions

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What does it mean to be part of UIUC?

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  1. What does it mean to be part of UIUC? The Stories of Transfer Students from Parkland Community College

  2. Finding Their Place • Primary Research Question: How do transfer students from Parkland view their experience at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign? • Subsidiary Questions • How have these students established a “sense of place”? • What types of support systems have they developed? • How did their experience at Parkland prepare them for UIUC?

  3. Research Plan • Archival Data • What did transfer students of the past do to establish a sense of place? • Contacted the Assistant Dean of Students • Tau Sigma is the only registered student organization for transfer students • 10 students were interviewed • Not quite a “scientific” random sample

  4. Parkland Community College, established in 1966 3000 students are concurrently enrolled at the University of Illinois and Parkland each year About 42% of Parkland students are the first in their families to attend college At least 68% of Parkland students work while attending college http://www.parkland.edu/images/new/

  5. UIUC, established in 1868 • One of the original public land-grant institutions • UIUC is composed of undergraduates from all 50 US States • However, 89% of those enrolled are Illinois residents • “A World class institution”

  6. The Informants • 4 “Cold” In Depth Interviews • ½ hr-1hr long interviews • 4 Short Answer Sessions • Contact with Informants I knew from Parkland • 2 Classroom Observations • Male: first semester at UIUC • Female: third semester at UIUC

  7. “Please, please, please invest in a campus map.” • Feelings of being lost • All of the informants stated that they have felt “lost” • Academically and/or Socially • Loss of support • Feelings of completeness • Six informants felt that UIUC is, academically, a perfect match • Making your own way • “socially complete” students feel the organizations they are part of have helped them over come feelings of being lost

  8. “The undergrad students have already found friends…” • Wanting friends • Not knowing how to meet people/ lacking access to students • Making friends • Friends made on campus are from classes or extra-curricular activities • Home is where my friends are • “Non-traditional students”, students living off campus and whose hometown is less than 1 hour away tend to have less positive experiences making friends on campus

  9. “I’m here to get a degree…not necessarily to socialize…” • CU Transfers vs. IL Transfers • All CU Transfers tended to be less involved socially on campus • All Transfers who spent 2 semesters or more at Parkland valued studying over socializing • Most IL transfers studied at Parkland for 1 semester before enrolling at UIUC

  10. Campus Communities • The informants compared Parkland and UIUC in terms of community • Fendi purses and “surreal” amounts of money • Those who felt lost often voiced concern over matters of money • Advising • The majority of informants felt the teachers at Parkland really “took care of them” • Campus Climate • UIUC is much more segregated

  11. So, what do Transfers want? • They would like to fit in… • Everyone noted their desire to have friendships on campus • Most miss the Parkland Community and Faculty • But then again, they like themselves the way they are. • UIUC is a “world class institution” • They are to attached to the CU community • Some days it is fun to observe from “the space between'”

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