An examination of institution-related factors and their effect on student transfer.

Abstract

The concept of student transfers from community colleges to four-year institutions has existed from the beginning of the community college movement (Kintzer, 1976). Since their inception, community colleges have provided a general education curricula that was intended to provide students with the necessary academic skills and competencies to transfer to a baccalaureate degree-granting institution. In late 1980's, much of the scholarship on transfer education acknowledged that the transfer function had become less central to the mission of community colleges. Several studies found that the community college environment affects student's achievement and their educational goals, including student transfer to a baccalaureate degree granting institution (Cohen, Brawer and Bensimon, 1985; Rendon, Justiz, and Resta, 1988; Nora and Rendon, 1990; Iverson, Pascarella and Terenzini, 1984). This study examines the notion that the beliefs and practices about transfer education on the part of selected executive community college administrators, faculty and counselors help shape the institutional context (Kuh and Whit, 1988; Geertz, 1973). That, in turn, affects student outcomes such as academic achievement, student retention and transfer to senior institutions. For this case study, the institutional context is defined as goals and priorities; policies and practices; programs and student services; and student development opportunities that promote academic and social integration. These are considered to be the institutional-related factors that may affect student transfer. The case study approach was selected for this research project since the purpose of the study is to identify the institutional-related factors that impede or enhance community college student transfer and to compare these in two different campus settings. The field work was conducted during the Fall 1991 semester and compares the institutional context (defined in the model) of a community college with relatively high student transfer rates with one that has achieved limited success with student transfer. The findings of this comparative study provide greater insight about the impact that institutional-related factors have on student transfer and help to explain the differential transfer rates between the two colleges studied. This information can then be used by community colleges to improve institutional policies and practices to enhance student transfer.