Enhancing Transfer Enhancing Transfer Student Success George D. Kuh Indiana University January 2004

We all want the same thing— an undergraduate experience that results in high levels of learning and personal development for all students.

The Challenge There’s too much at stake to assume students are doing the things that lead to high levels of learning and personal development.

We can’t leave serendipity to chance

Advance Organizers 1.What can we do individually and collectively to enhance transfer student success? 2.How do we get transfer students to take greater advantage of their school’s resources for learning?

Overview  What the Research Says About Student Success  Effective Educational Practice  Selected NSSE Findings  Transfer Friendly Schools

What Matters to Student Success Lessons from the research

Lessons From the Research  What matters more to desired outcomes is what students do, not who they are  A key factor for student learning is the quality of effort students devote to educationally purposeful activities

What Really Matters in College: Student Engagement “The research is unequivocal: students who are actively involved in both academic and out-of-class activities gain more from the college experience than those who are not so involved.” Ernest T. Pascarella & Patrick T. Terenzini, How College Affects Students

Engagement, grades, and persistence go hand in hand

Lessons From the Research  What matters most is what students do, not who they are  A key factor is the quality of effort students expend  Educationally effective institutions channel student energy toward the right activities

Two Components of Student Engagement What students do -- time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful activities What students do -- time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful activities What institutions do -- using effective educational practices to induce students to do the right things What institutions do -- using effective educational practices to induce students to do the right things

Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987) Student-faculty contact Student-faculty contact Active learning Active learning Prompt feedback Prompt feedback Time on task Time on task High expectations High expectations Respect for diverse learning styles Respect for diverse learning styles Cooperation among students Cooperation among students

Student Engagement Quiz What percent of full-time senior transfer students study two hours or more for every hour in class? (a) 13% (b) 20% (c) 31% (d) 39% (e) 49% a. 13% a. 13% (Starters – 13%)

Student Engagement Quiz What percent of senior transfer students never did community service or volunteer work during college? (a) 14% (b) 19% (c) 30% (d) 37% (e) 45% e.45% (starters – 29%) e. 45% (starters – 29%)

Student Engagement Quiz What percent of senior transfer students never worked with a faculty member on activities other than coursework? (a) 14% (b) 29% (c) 39% (d) 46% (e) 59% e.%(starters – 39%) e. 59% (starters – 39%)

Student Engagement Quiz True or false? Senior transfers are more likely to come to class unprepared than starters. False (only 17% vs 24% of starters are “frequently” unprepared)

Evidence of Student Engagement To what extent do transfer students engage in effective educational practices? To what extent do transfer students engage in effective educational practices?

National Survey of Student Engagement (pronounced “nessie”) Community College Survey of Student Engagement (pronounced “sessie”) College student surveys that assess the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development

NSSE Project Scope  435,000 students from 730 different schools  58% of 4-yr undergraduate FTE  50 states, Puerto Rico  50+ consortia

The College Student Report Student Behaviors Institutional Actions & Requirements Reactions to College Student Background Information Student Learning & Development

NSSE

NSSE

NSSE

NSSE

NSSE Benchmarks Level of Academic Challenge Active & Collaborative Learning Enriching Educational Experiences SupportiveCampusEnvironment Student Faculty Interaction

Academic Challenge  Temple University undergraduates complete five writing-intensive courses, including a capstone writing experience in the major.

Active & Collaborative Learning University of Texas at El Paso uses learning communities and course- based service learning and volunteerism to actively engage its mostly commuter, first-generation students. University of Texas at El Paso uses learning communities and course- based service learning and volunteerism to actively engage its mostly commuter, first-generation students.

Student-Faculty Interaction University of Kansas mandates that students constitute 20% of campus policy-making committees and sponsors “Meet-a- Professor” nights in the residence halls. Most classes (79%) have fewer than 30 students. University of Kansas mandates that students constitute 20% of campus policy-making committees and sponsors “Meet-a- Professor” nights in the residence halls. Most classes (79%) have fewer than 30 students.

Enriching Experiences  Diversity at George Mason University is deeply rooted, and intentionally woven into the curriculum, especially at New Century College. Through the STAR Center and other venues students are encouraged to use technology to enrich learning.

Supportive Environment At Fayetteville State University all first- and second-year students are assigned to University College, which is designed as a transitional bridge. “Failure is not an option here…”

Respondents  56,000 senior “starters”  33,500 senior transfers  year institutions

Key Question Are senior transfer students generally more or less engaged compared with starter students? Less engaged

Transfer tremor?!? Transfer tremor?!?

Lessons From NSSE  Transfers engage in required, class-related effective educational practices to same degree as starters.  Transfers are less engaged in out- of-class “discretionary” activities.  Life exigencies (work, family) may preclude taking advantage of opportunities for learning

Institutional Reflection Areas of EffectiveEducationalPractice Question or Improvement

What Can We Do? Administrators Students Faculty Members

Tau Sigma  Academic honor society to recognize and promote the academic excellence and involvement of transfer students.  Founded in 1999 by Prof. Lee Colquitt at Auburn U.

De aqui no se puede Can’t get there from here

Transfer-friendly colleges and universities

Project DEEP Project DEEP To discover, document and describe what high performing institutions do and how they achieved this level of effectiveness.

Project DEEP Partners

DEEP Selection Criteria A.Higher-than-predicted graduation rates B.Higher-than-predicted student engagement scores

Project DEEP Doctoral Extensives University of Kansas University of Kansas University of Michigan University of Michigan Doctoral Intensives George Mason University Miami University (Ohio) University of Texas El Paso Master’s Granting Fayetteville State University Fayetteville State University Gonzaga University Gonzaga University Longwood University Longwood University Liberal Arts California State, Monterey Bay California State, Monterey Bay Macalester College Macalester College Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar College The Evergreen State College The Evergreen State College University of the South University of the South Ursinus College Ursinus College Wabash College Wabash College Wheaton College (MA) Wheaton College (MA) Wofford College Wofford College Baccalaureate General Baccalaureate General Alverno College Alverno College University of Maine at Farmington University of Maine at Farmington Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem State University

Longwood University  Transfers are valued (e.g., 10 scholarships annually)  Phi Theta Kappa honor society for transfers  Systematic evaluation of programmatic initiatives  dent/evaluationgoals.html

Hay muchas maneras de matar pulgas There are many ways to kill fleas

Key Characteristic  Many roads to a transfer- friendly institution  No one best model  Different combinations of complementary, interactive, synergistic conditions

Key Characteristic  Learning centered  “Cool passion” for talent development of all students  Bent toward engaging pedagogies  Labor-intensive enterprise

It Takes a Whole Campus to Promote Student Success

Principles For Promoting Student Engagement Collaboration (pull many levers) Collaboration (pull many levers) Intentionality Intentionality Alignment (mission, curriculum, student experiences) Alignment (mission, curriculum, student experiences) Assessment and feedback to guide/document improvement Assessment and feedback to guide/document improvement

Points to Ponder 1.What can we do individually and collectively to enhance transfer student success? 2.How do we get transfer students to take greater advantage of their school’s resources for learning?

Questions & Discussion