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THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ARTICULATION AND

TRANSFER AGREEMENTS IN PROMOTING THE

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE

COTA Conference

Katherine Perkins, Ph.D.

February 3, 2012

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ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS ESTABLISHED BY CBHE

Associate of Arts transfer degree

42-hour transfer block

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ADVANTAGE OF DEGREE COMPLETION

Higher salaries.

Stimulates local, state, and national economy.

Drives advancement in technology, science, and teacher education.

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SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER REQUIRES

Academic preparedness.

Effective articulation agreements.

Successful adjustment to a new environment.

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WHY CONDUCT THIS RESEARCH

Lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of the A.A. and 42-hour transfer options over four-year degree by native students.

Lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of the 42-hour transfer block over the A.A. degree.

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PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE

To provide insight into whether:◦42-hour or the A.A. degree students

complete a four-year degree as efficiently as native students.

◦42-hour block transfer students complete a four-year degree as efficiently as A.A. degree students.

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THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Tinto’s Student Integration Model (SIM).◦Describes student attributes that are

beyond institutional control.

◦Focuses on institutional conditions that promote social and academic integration. Expectation, advising, support,

involvement, and learning.

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INCREASING NUMBER OF DEGREE HOLDERS

President Obama◦Additional five million community

college degrees and certificates by 2020.

Governor Nixon◦Increase degree attainment to 60% of

adult population by 2025, up from 39% today. Need 4000 more student to meet this goal

Lumina Foundation

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FUNDING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

Funding for Higher Education has gone from 1 billion to 800 million over the years.◦Anticipate additional cuts for the

upcoming year.Missouri is 3rd from the bottom in

the nation for state funding.

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MISSOURI INITIATIVESHigher Education Funding Task

Force◦Strategic initiatives to address

pressing needs.◦Performance funding◦Base funding allocation formulas

P-20 CouncilImperatives for ChangeJoint Leadership Statement on

Commitment to Transfer

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PERFORMANCE FUNDING

Measures◦Improved student success and

progress◦Increased degree attainment◦Increased quality of student learning◦Affordability◦Support of institution-specific

missions

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RELATED LITERATURE

Adjustments for transfer students.

Academic preparedness.Retention and student success

rates.Effects of early transfer.Roles of two and four-year

institution in promotion of successful transfer.

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INDEPENDENT VARIABLE

Four-year degree completersSubgroups

42-hour transfer A.A. degree transfer Native students students students

DEPENDENT VARIABLE

Total # of terms accumulated to completion of a four-year degree

Total # of hours accumulated to completion of a four-year degree

COVARIATE

EthnicityUniversity Attended

Community College

AttendedGender

STATISTICAL MODEL

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PARTICIPANT CRITERIA

◦ Transferred to one of two universities from a Missouri community college with the 42-hour block or A.A. degree.

◦ First-time freshman.

◦ Had no out-of-state credits.

◦ Graduated between fall 2005 and fall 2008.

◦ Began college career in fall 2002 or later.

◦ Transferred no more than 11 college credits after enrolling at university.

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TOTAL POPULATION Full-time = 465 students

◦20 42-hour block◦39 A.A. degree◦406 Native

Part-time = 1947 students◦140 42-hour block◦578 A.A. degree◦1229 Native

Total = 2412 students

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DEMOGRAPHIC FINDINGSGender: More females than males - ~

60/40

Ethnicity: Greater number of Caucasian - ~ 87%

University attended:◦ Two universities with one university having

more transfer students while the other had more native students.

Community College Attended:◦ Total of eight represented with three main

feeder colleges.

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DESCRIPTIVE: Mean Number of Terms and Hours Accumulated

for Full-time

Total number of Terms Accumulated◦42-hour 10.45◦A.A. Degree 10.10◦Native 9.10

Total number of Hours Accumulated◦42-hour 138.65◦A.A. Degree 135.91◦Native 128.85

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DESCRIPTIVE: Mean Number of Terms and Hours Accumulated

for Part-time

Total number of Terms Accumulated◦42-hour 12.02◦A.A. Degree 12.19◦Native 11.12

Total number of Hours Accumulated◦42-hour 136.57◦A.A. Degree 137.03◦Native 130.08

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DESCRIPTIVE: THREE CATEGORIES OF HOURS ACCUMULATED

FULL-TIME Mean Hours Accumulated  42-hour Transfer Students Hours transferred to the universities 58.05 Hours transferred after enrolling at the universities 3.35 Hours taken at the universities 77.25 A.A. Degree Transfer Students Hours transferred to the universities 66.45 Hours transferred after enrolling at the universities 0.00 Hours taken at the universities 69.50

 PART-TIME Mean Hours Accumulated  42-hour Transfer Students Hours transferred to the universities 63.87 Hours transferred after enrolling at the universities 1.53 Hours taken at the universities 71.17   A.A. Degree Transfer Students Hours transferred to the universities 68.94 Hours transferred after enrolling at the universities 1.18 Hours taken at the universities 66.92

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BASIC RESEARCH QUESTION

Are there significant differences in time-to-completion and in hours-to-completion of a four-year degree based on transfer status for Missouri transfer students in comparison to native students after adjusting for ethnicity, gender, university attended, and community attended?

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FULL-TIME RESULTS

Significant difference in semesters and hours accumulated associated with mode of transfer or no transfer.

Significant difference for semesters and hours accumulated between the three subgroups with native students accumulating fewer than the two transfer groups.

No significant difference in semesters and hours accumulated between the two transfer groups.

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PART-TIME RESULTSNo significant difference in terms

accumulated but a significant difference in hours accumulated associated with mode of transfer or no transfer.

No significant difference in number of semesters but a significant difference in hours accumulated between native students and the two transfer groups with fewer hours for native students.

No significant difference in semesters and hours accumulated between the two transfer groups.

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ADDITIONAL RESEARCH QUESTION

Does the community college attended have a significant influence on the time-to-degree completion and in the number of college credits accumulated for full-time transfer students.

◦ Gabriel post hoc indicated no significant difference in total terms or total hours accumulated for full-time transfer student.

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ADDITIONAL RESEARCH QUESTION

Does the specific university attended have a significant influence on the time-to-degree completion and in the number of college credits accumulated for part-time transfer and native students?

◦Independent-samples t-test indicated significant difference for the three subgroups in hours accumulated.

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IMPLICATIONS

The two transfer agreements may not be as efficient and effective as the state anticipated.

◦ Transfer students are accumulating more hours than minimally required at the community college and at the university.

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IMPLICATIONS

Cost to student and/or financial aid system.◦ $200/credit hour◦ $200 x 3 hours = $600◦ $600/course x 3 courses = $1800◦ $1800 x 777 students = $1,398,600

On national scale, hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent on additional courses. ◦ Students and parents as well as local, state, and

federal government levels are being burdened with additional expense.

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IMPLICATIONSBetter prepare transfer students for

academic/social adjustments.

Evaluate and modify the five institutional conditions suggested by Tinto.

Communicate and collaborate as suggested by the Joint Leadership Statement.

State needs to critically evaluate the 42-hour block option.

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POSSIBLE FURTHER RESEARCH

Replicate study using additional four-year institutions.

Determine the effects of early transfer on retention, the time-to-degree completion, and the number of hours accumulated.

Determine the effects of swirling on time-to-degree completion and hours accumulated.

Determine if there is a transfer affect.

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POISSIBLE FURTHER RESEARCH

Determine effects of student attributes and family and work commitments.

Determine the effects of transfer shock on GPA differences and retention for students that transfer in fewer hours than the 42-hour block, the 42-hour block, and the A.A. degree.

Investigate the advisement process and the preparation for transfer process at community colleges.

Investigate the advisement process and programs designed to integrate transfer students into the university.

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POSSIBLE FURTHER RESEARCH

Determine what courses are transferred from the community college to the university and how many if any are being repeated.

Determine if transfer students are taking courses as electives for the A.A. degree that do not transfer to the university.

Determine why students chose to continue taking courses at the community college before transferring without completing the A.A. degree.

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REFERENCES

Missouri Department of Higher Education. (2007). Joint leadership statement on

commitment to transfer. Retrieved November 30, 2008 from http://www.dhe.missouri.gov/transferdocuments.html

Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.