Transfer Scorecard

1. Transfer Scorecard Joint agreement between Maryland’s two and four-year institutions Spring 2019

2. Transfer Student Data • 46% of college students in Maryland attend Community College • A 5% increase in transfer of community college students who transfer to 4-year schools would produce 50,000 additional Bachelor’s degrees • 8% students complete 2 + 2 • It is more common for 2 + 3 or 2+4 • Students who transfer with 90% of their credits completed are 2.5 times more likely to complete a Bachelor’s degree

3. Aspen Institute Perspective • It is imperative that higher education “dispel myths about transfer student abilities” • It is often suggested that community college students are not as academically ready as native students, despite the fact that they perform better than freshmen • Students from community colleges who graduate with a Bachelor’s degree have an average 2.86 GPA upon completion • To achieve our mission of equity and social justice through education, we must have stronger partnerships between Community Colleges and four-year Colleges and Universities.

4. Maryland is Tough for Transfer Students • Here is what they see and must learn: https://mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/stuguide.aspx • We must simplify and improve the transfer student experience

5. Community College Research Center (CCRC)Recommendations CCRC 8 areas for change: • Both levels of colleges fully understand that transfer is a fundamental part of each’s mission • Easier transfer agreements than what MD currently has; the goal is: • Agreed-upon outcome measures that are prioritized and shared • Equity in transfer outcomes for all students • Substantial resources allocated to transfer between institutions • Recognition that 2+2 are anomaly experiences for students • Financial aid and other support services that wrap around the community college student with specific 4-years in mind to include 4-year staff

6. Change in Culture and Attitude • Community Colleges need to be seen as equal partners in the transfer process. Community College courses are more than “good enough” (phrase used by four-year administrators). • From the article “Community College Transfers Outperform High Schoolers At Top Colleges, So Why Do We Ignore Them?” by Nancy Lee Sanchez (January 30, 2019). • New research from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation makes it clear: community college students who transfer to selective four-year schools perform as well as-or even better than-their peers who come directly from high school. • The six-year graduation rate for students who transferred from community college to “most competitive” or “highly competitive” institutions in Fall 2010 is 75% • The rate for students who enrolled directly out of high school is 73% • For students who transferred from one four-year college to another, it’s 61% • Bottom line? Transfer students from community colleges are the group most likely to actually graduate.

7. “Community College Transfers Outperform High Schoolers At Top Colleges, So Why Do We Ignore Them?” • The first step any college or university can take towards accepting more community college transfers is to perform an honest self-evaluation of how well it meets the needs of potential transfer students. • Is it easy for transfer students to understand what the school has to offer, make an informed decision, and apply? If it’s more difficult for a community college transfer student to apply than it is for a high school student, it’s time to start thinking about how to fix that. • If a school wants to enroll students who outperform, it needs to provide the best resources, tailored to those students, to attract and retain them. • What’s provided to students after they enroll? Customizing financial aid and housing policies are important. Providing the best experience for transfer students will help recruit and retain the best in the country.

8. Specific requests to aid transfer • Block transfer of General Education requirements for students who receive an Associate’s degree • Registration for transfer students before freshmen and sophomores to guarantee that students can get the classes they need to graduate in two years • Financial incentives (students need assistance now; until MD Promise Program Scholarships become fully available) • On-campus housing guarantees • Pre-transfer advising, support, and assistance • Transfer Center with well-trained staff who advocate for transfer students to prevent/ease “transfer shock.” • Onsite advising at the Community College by four-year advisors • Instant Admission Days • Full cooperation with Reverse Transfer

9. Transfer Institution Scorecard • Block Transfer of GE 1=transfer unfriendly 10=transfer friendly • Guaranteed Registration • Financial Incentives • Housing Guarantees • Pre-transfer Support • Transfer Center • Onsite CC Advising • Instant Admission Days • Reverse Transfer • Other (unique opportunities for students)

10. One Exemplary Transfer Partner: UMUC • UMUC readily accepts Community College students and guarantees that they can graduate within two years at a reasonable cost. They want to be Community Colleges’ primary partner. • UMUC Promise2Scholarship: • Students that receive the MD Promise Scholarship would also be eligible for the UMUC Promise2 Scholarship, resulting in a $12,000 Bachelor’s degree upon transfer. • Students that do not qualify for the MD Community College Promise Scholarship can still receive a UMUC Completion Scholarship and complete their degree for $20,000 or less. • UMUC proposes a Common Application for two-year and four-year institutions to ease sharing of information and data.

11. More Cooperation is Needed • Every four-year institution should share the spreadsheet of courses that its Registrar’s Office uses to determine how that institution will receive transfer credits/courses so that the sending institution can best advise students. This listis more accurate than ARTSYS and will significantly improve community colleges’ ability to reliably and effectively advise students. • Suggestion: Conduct focus groups with students who have transferred and those who wish to transfer to get their perspectives about how transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions could be improved. • Request: Hold a number of seats in Selective Admission programs specifically for community college transfer students.

12. An Approach • Community Colleges use the Transfer Institution Scorecard to rate current ease of transfer with each four-year institution and publicize the annual results to students.

13. Additional Considerations • Create a team from 2-year and 4-year institutions with academic and support services representatives to develop a charge and implementation plan for: • More programs that are highly-enrolled based on outcomes (like ASE or AAT). • An agreement on how Transfer Studies or General Studies students can transfer into identified 4-year programs with 100% of credits accepted. • Lobby state to consider students who transfer as included in sending institution’s FTE (not take away from 4-year schools’ FTE, though).