WINTERI S S U E

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this issueAbout the Inst i tute P.2

Conference Recap P.3

Promising Pract ices P.4

Award Winners P.5

NISTS Staff Members P.6

NISTS Advisory Board P.7

Unlocking the Transfer Student FormulaOver the last several years, there have been many

changes in the way the country looks at transfer. At

one time, it was difficult to find research on transfer

student patterns and trends and publications about

transfer were sparse. Legislators and media did not

ask about transfer retention and graduation rates.

Few people were concerned with whether commu-

nity college students actually transferred.

In the nine years that the National Institute for the Study

of Transfer Students (NISTS) has been in existence, we

have witnessed many different approaches for the facilitation

of transfer student success. And the interest in transfer

continues to grow. The number of doctoral dissertations

focused on transfer has tripled over the past decade and

multiple articles, books, and monographs have addressed a

myriad of transfer issues that were not considered noteworthy

until recently.

NISTS has had a front-row seat, as well as a few players on

the field, enabling us to observe first-hand both the maturation

of transfer student services and the unfolding of an increasing

body of knowledge surrounding transfer. The progress has

been impressive and somewhat surprising. Along with the

increased scrutiny has come a barrage of questions about

higher education’s commitment to a seamless transfer. These

are fair questions, indeed, and they are directed at both two-

year and four-year institutions. The answers, however, are

not as simple as one would imagine. Articulation agreements,

once thought the panacea for all things transfer, have been

found insufficient. These agreements by themselves will not

solve the problems associated with lost credits or a low rate of

degree completion.

The keys to unlock the transfer student treasure chest are

surrounded by folklore that, when tested, prove to be false

assumptions. Unlike popular beliefs, many transfer students

will choose on-campus, learning communities, and transfer-

year-experience courses if they are made available. While

transfer students as a group are less engaged than their

native counterparts, some become highly connected on many

campuses and demonstrate their loyalty through alumni giving

rates and satisfaction surveys.

Our challenge as transfer professionals is to learn more about

this diverse group of students, both on the national landscape

and on our own campuses, and to use that information toward

increasing the transfer success rate on both two-year and four-

year campuses. NISTS has a number of conference, research,

and funding activities designed to address these challenges.

Bonita C. Jacobs, Ph.D.

Executive Director

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About the InstituteNISTS has been increasingly involved in the

recognition, encouragement, and conduct of

research and service related to transfer stu-

dent success. Annual research awards to

promising inquiries have long been a feature

of the Institute and the annual conference.

Beginning in 2009, NISTS began offering the

annual Barbara K. Townsend Award for exem-

plary dissertation research on transfer-related

topics. Jennifer Jovel of Stanford University

was the winner of the inaugural award. The

current award nomination call has been sent

out, and nominations were due by November

1, 2010.

The Institute assisted in the delivery and setting of

context for the February 2008 Texas Transfer Summit, at

which Texas college and university presidents and other

officials gathered to learn more about transfer issues, to

share their expertise, and to make recommendations

to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

on policy and law issues that affect or could enhance

transfer rates and success. NISTS created a binder

of reading materials for participants, and conducted

surveys among leaders at two- and four-year institutions

in the state to gather opinion on transfer services

effectiveness.

Following the Summit, the Institute proposed to the

THECB a follow-up event for those on the “front

lines” of transfer student services and education on

college campuses. Based on a competitive bidding

process, NISTS was awarded the contract to design

and deliver the Texas Transfer Conference in May

2009. Some 1000 people attended the conference,

delivered simultaneously at eight sites across the

state. National experts Trudy Bers, Betsy Barefoot,

and John Gardner presented at the conference, which

also featured focus on state and local transfer data and

issues, and equipped participants with an extensive,

electronic “library” of transfer research and other useful

information.

The National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students

is now engaged in a research project sponsored by

Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation. The

project is based in the finding common to national

studies of state transfer law and policy, namely

that “high” policy states and “low” policy states can

demonstrate very little difference in the ultimate test of

transfer student policy and practice, bachelor degree

completion rates and measures. The NISTS project

is a qualitative examination of the perceived efficacy

of Texas law and policy regarding transfer students.

The hope is that some answers can be provided on

how to both improve state law and policy, and improve

implementation at the institutional level. More than a

dozen colleges and universities across the state have

been sites for the field research. A full report will be

issued before the NISTS annual conference in January.

NISTS intends to continue and expand its roles in both

service and research. Partnership with the Higher

Education Program of the College of Education at UNT

and with national organizations of similar commitments

are a basis upon which these intentions will be founded

and made possible. We look forward to sharing new

developments with you as our initiatives move forward.

Marc Cutright, Ed.D.

Director of Research, Grants, and Advancement,

Associate Professor

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Join us in Jacksonville for the 9th Annual

Conference of the National Institute for the

Study of Transfer Students. The conference,

January 24-26, 2011 will provide preconfer-

ence, concurrent and plenary/keynote sessions

focused on the issues surrounding transfer stu-

dents and your professional practice.

Creating Pathways for STEM Transfer Student SuccessCreating Pathways for STEM Transfer Student Success was held at the beau-tiful Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC, on September 19-21, organized by the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students, along with co-hosts Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. The event addressed the importance of transfer stu-dent success in STEM disciplines while providing essential information regarding STEM and transfer including program-matic and funding strategies, and net-working opportunities for faculty, admin-istrators, transfer student specialists, and representatives from national agencies and foundations.

Plenary speakers included Dr. Alison I. Morrison-Shetlar,

Dean of Elon College and Professor of Biology, and Dr.

Stephen J. Handel, College Board Senior Director of

Community College Initiatives and Higher Education

Relationship Development.

Keynote addresses were provided by Dr. Joan Ferrini-

Mundy, Assistant Director, Directoriate for Education

& Human Resources, National Science Foundation,

and Dr. Christine Keller, VSA Executive Director and

Director of Research & Policy Analysis, Association of

Public & Land-grant Universities.

Additionally, the John N. Gardner Institute for

Excellence in Undergraduate Education held a pre-

conference workshop on evaluation and planning for

transfer student success. Speakers included Dr. John

N. Gardner, President, Dr. Betsy Q. Griffin, Senior

Associate Vice President, and Dr. Drew Koch, Vice

President for New Strategy, Development, and Policy

Initiatives.

The conference was well-attended, and included a

diverse representation of professionals from two-year

and four-year institutions. The conference location at

the Grove Park Inn proved so popular that the National

Institute for the Study of Transfer Students is looking

at holding next year’s conference in Asheville as well

– watch your announcements for information later this

year!

Lynette O’Keefe

Editor

t r a n s f e r i n s t i t u t e . u n t . e d u

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Promising Practices

Promising Practices for Transfer Student

Services

• Transfer orientation programs at the university level

• Community college programs focusing on transfer

issues

• Learning communities and/or residential interest

groups

• “Transfer year experience” programs

• Transfer student focus groups, surveys, and

assessments

• Phi Theta Kappa and Tau Sigma honorary societies

• Campus retention/graduation committees with a

focus on transfer

• Self-assessment of the campus transfer culture

• Financial management workshops centered on

paying for college

• Transfer student ambassadors

• Faculty/staff mentoring program

• Parent/family programs

• Veterans programs

• Transfer student bill of rights

Promising Practices in Academic Support

• Early alert systems

• At-risk and academic support services such as TRIO,

McNair, etc.

• Learning centers

• Transfer student success seminars on both the two-

year and four-year campus

• Tutoring labs, on-line tutoring, and peer tutoring

• Supplemental instruction Advisors (including faculty

and counselors) on both campuses who are trained

to monitor the transferability of courses prior to

registration

• Holistic and intrusive individual advising

• Professional development opportunities for advisors

Promising Practices at the Statewide Level

• Common course numbering

• Coordinated statewide articulation agreements

• Statewide articulation agreements for majors

• Discipline-specific curricular alignment across two-

year and four-year campuses

• General education common core

• Block credit transfer (may include common core and/or

cluster content courses)

• Transfer associate’s degrees (AA/AS degree transfers

as core complete and junior status)

• Statewide standing committee to focus on transfer and

articulation

• Periodic review to determine policy efficacy and any

unintended consequences

• Professional development opportunities for transfer

services professionals

• Statewide common application for admission

• Higher education web portals

• Increased data sharing and student tracking

• Reverse awarding of associate degrees (Retroactive

degree completion initiatives)

Promising Practices in Enrollment Management

• Flexible scheduling of classes

• Transfer fairs for students and their families designed to

provide information about transfer issues

• Online transfer guides

• Guaranteed admissions policies

• Reenrollment initiatives for non-completers

• Increased scholarship funding for transfer students

One of the more difficult challenges in paving the way for effective transfer is finding the right mixture of programs, activities,

and services for each institution. While campuses differ in the make-up of their transfer student populations, there are

commonalities that seem to be effective across multiple states and multiple institutions. The following is a list drawn from our

eight national conferences, professional experiences of our NISTS principals, and practice-informed research literature.

Bonita C. Jacobs, Ph.D.

Executive Director

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Award WinnersNISTS RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

Congratulations to:

Tola Ewers and Lori Bakken of University of Wisconsin, Madison. “Undergraduate Perceptions of Science

Training and Research (UPSTAR): The Transfer Student Perspective.”

Katie Granholm, Laura Coffin, Beth Lingren Clark, and Lisa Gruszka of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

“Recipe for success: Indentifying the impact of incoming characteristics on transfer student transition, retention,

and graduation.”

The 2010 recipient was Angela Kaysen Luzbetak, Transfer Articulation Coordinator at Joliet Junior College, for

her research proposal, “Supplementing Transfer Student Advising with Online Transfer Articulation Resources

for Satellite Campuses.”

BARBARA K. TOWNSEND DISSERTATION AWARD

NISTS awards the ‘Barbara K. Townsend Dissertation Award’ for the outstanding dissertation on transfer student

Issues.

The 2011 Townsend Award is awarded to Dr. Elizabeth LaClair for her dissertation, ‘Perceptions of Rural

Community College Students of the Transfer Process to a Four-year Institution: An Exploratory Study.’ Her

dissertation director at the University of Alabama was Dr. David E. Hardy.

The 2010 award recipient was Dr. Jennifer E. Jovel for her dissertation, “”Community College Transfer: The Role

of Social Capital in the Transfer Process of Chicana/o Students.” Her dissertation director at Stanford University

was Dr. Anthony Using Antonio.

THE COUNCIL FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF STANDARDS (CAS)

On October 18th, 2010, The CAS voted unanimously to accept the application from ASTS for associate

membership status. Jan Hillman, our representative to CAS, will serve on a committee to develop CAS

Standards for Transfer Student Services.

The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) is the pre-eminent force for promoting

standards in student affairs, student services, and student development programs since its inception in 1979. For

the ultimate purpose of fostering and enhancing student learning, development, and achievement and in general

to promote good citizenship, CAS continues to create and deliver a dynamic and credible Book of Professional

Standards and Guidelines and Self-Assessment Guides that are designed to lead to a host of quality-controlled

programs and services. These standards respond to real-time student needs, the requirements of sound

pedagogy, and the effective management of more than 30 functional areas, consistent with institutional missions.

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NISTS Staff Members

BONITA C. JACOBS, PH.D.E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r , A s s o c i a t e P r o f e s s o r

MARC CUTRIGHT, ED.D.D i r e c t o r o f R e s e a r c h , G r a n t s , a n d A d v a n c e m e n t , A s s o c i a t e P r o f e s s o r

JANET MARLING, PH.D.D i r e c t o r o f P r o j e c t D e v e l o p m e n t a n d S t r a t e g i c I n i t i a t i v e s

GEORGE NIEBLING, M.A.A s s i s t a n t D i r e c t o r

CINDy CAMMACK, M.A.J o u r n a l E d i t o rU n i v e r s i t y o f N e b r a s k a , L i n c o l n

JAN HILLMAN, ED.D.L i a i s o n t o t h e C o u n c i l f o r t h e A d v a n c e m e n t o f S t a n d a r d s i n H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n

LyNETTE O’KEEFE, M.S.E d i t o r o f t h e A S T S N e w s l e t t e r

JASON SIMON, M.ED.C o n s u l t a n t f o r P r o g r a m A s s e s s m e n t

SINEM AKAyG r a d u a t e R e s e a r c h A s s i s t a n t

LINDSAy PENNS t u d e n t A s s i s t a n t f o r W e b a n d S o c i a l M e d i a

JACQUELINE GARRISONS t u d e n t A s s i s t a n t

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NISTS Advisory Board

BETSy BAREFOOT, ED.D.V i c e P r e s i d e n t & S e n i o r S c h o l a r , T h e J o h n N . G a r d n e r I n s t i t u t e f o r E x c e l l e n c e i n U n d e r g r a d u a t e E d u c a t i o n

TRUDy BERS, PH.D.E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r o f I n s t i t u t i o n a l R e s e a r c h , C u r r i c u l u m a n d S t r a t e g i c P l a n n i n g , O a k t o n C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e

LARRy DARLAGE, PH.D.P r e s i d e n t , Ta r r a n t C o u n t y C o l l e g e , N o r t h e a s t C a m p u s

STEPHEN J. HANDEL, PH.D.S e n i o r D i r e c t o r o f H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n R e l a t i o n s h i p D e v e l o p m e n t a n d C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e I n i t i a t i v e s , T h e C o l l e g e B o a r d

MARK ALLEN POISEL, ED.D.A s s o c i a t e P r o v o s t f o r S t u d e n t S u c c e s s , P a c e U n i v e r s i t y

BARBARA TOBOLOWSKy, PH.D.A s s i s t a n t P r o f e s s o r , E d u c a t i o n a l L e a d e r s h i p , U n i v e r s i t y o f Te x a s a t A r l i n g t o n

JEANNINE WARD-ROOF, PH.D.D e a n o f S t u d e n t s , F l o r i d a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y a n d F o r m e r P r e s i d e n t , N a t i o n a l O r i e n t a t i o n D i r e c t o r s A s s o c i a t i o n

TOyIA yOUNGER, PH.DA s s i s t a n t P r o v o s t , To w s o n U n i v e r s i t y