Insights on Academically Successful Transfer Students: Experiences and Expectations of Campus Life and Services

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Insights on Academically Successful Transfer
Students Experiences and Expectations of Campus
Life and Services

• Presented By
• Jason Simon, M.Ed., Principal Investigator
• Jan Hillman, Ed.D., Co-Investigator

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Session Agenda

• Introduction
• Session goals
• Background on the University of North Texas
• Research questions
• Brief review of the literature
• Methodology
• Results
• Discussion of findings
• Discussion of challenges related to assessing
  these sub-populations

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Session Goals

• Share the methodology used to design and the
  results collected from the 2009 Student
  Experience Survey conducted at UNT
• Report how results are informing and impacting
  practice within the UNT Division of Student
  Development
• Facilitate discussion on the rewards and pitfalls
  of assessing transfer student populations

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University of North Texas

• Founded in 1890, located in Denton, Texas
• Fall 2008/09 Enrollment 34,698, Undergraduate
  27,779, Graduate 6,919
• Student Body 63.7 Caucasian, 12 Hispanic,
  12.8 African American, 5.2 Asian, 0.7 American
  Indian
• Degree Programs 99 bachelors, 104 masters, 48
  doctoral degree programs in 11 colleges
• Alumni 316,201 (190,155 in Metroplex)
• 4th largest institution of higher education in
  Texas

Fall 2008 Data
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University of North Texas

• Average Fall/Spring in-state undergraduate cost
  of living on/off campus 17,026/18,470
• Average Fall/Spring out-of-state undergraduate
  cost of living on/off campus 25,456/26,900
• Student Admissions Profile 3,335 New from High
  School 4,012 New Transfers, 1,135 Post Bac
  2,022 New Graduate Students
• Average age of students 22.4 Undergraduate, 32.4
  Graduate, 24.4 Total
• Gender of students 56 Female, 44 Male

Fall 2008 Data
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Rationale for Studying Transfer Students

• UNT is the fourth (by ) public institution to
  admit transfer students in Fall 2008 (US News
  World Report 2009)
• 20 of UNT undergraduates are 25 or older
• Other large scale surveys done at UNT (CIRP,
  YFCY, NSSE, GSS) do not focus specifically or
  in-depth on transfer
• UNT hosts the National Institute for the Study of
  Transfer Students and the Association for the
  Study of Transfer Students

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Investigating the Experiences of Transfer
Students

• Given UNTs predominance as a top transfer
  institution and the growing transfer enrollment,
  we asked what differences exist between transfer
  students and native students in the following
  areas
• - Programming interests and usage
• - Adjustment to college life at UNT
• - On campus experiences and perceptions
• - Affinity towards UNT

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Prior Research on Transfer Students

• 32 of 1995-96 beginning postsecondary students
  had transferred at least once by 2001 and 26 of
  these students starting in 4-year institutions
  transferred at least once by 2001 (Peter
  Cataldi, 2005).
• New information and understanding to assist
  campuses needed (Jacobs, 2004).
• Transfer students face challenges locating
  information (Handel, 2007). DeTro (2005) concurs.
  
• Five dimensions of transition key to transfer
  success Learning Resources, Connecting,
  Familiarity, Negotiating, and Integrating (Flaga,
  2006).

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Prior Research on Transfer Students

• Transfer student definitions should include 4 - 4
  (Berkner, He, Mason Wheeless, 2007).
• Texas community college students difficulties
  transferring credit, lost transfer credit,
  increased number of transfer students,
  elimination of duplicate courses, and time to
  degree (Bush, 2002).
• Transfer student pride affinity factors
  include institutional influences at the
  community baccalaureate institutions
  expectations of success at both institutions
  expectations of the ease of the transfer process
  actual or - experiences of transferring and
  individual factors impacting academic performance
  degree completion progress. (Alpern, 2000).

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Prior Research Nontraditional Transfers

• Nontraditional transfers need to have a deeper
  understanding of the system they are entering.
  Also more pedagogically inclined less willing
  to be involved outside of the classroom (Cejda,
  2004).
• Nontraditional transfer women need academic and
  social integration to occur through the provision
  of scholarships, peer meeting, and mentoring, and
  early orientation to academic resources (Austin,
  2007).
• The UNT study was designed to parse out
  nontraditional transfer students as a subset of
  transfers given the research findings above.

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Methodology Collaboration

• Student affairs staff convened to brainstorm
  items of interest
• Meeting with the IRE to brainstorm items of
  interest
• PASD constructed a 222 item instrument with 4
  logic driven sections (note - this session
  focuses exclusively on transfer)
• All student questions (173 items)
• Transfer student section (19 items)
• Non-traditional student section (9 items)
• Veteran student section (21 items)

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Methodology Defining transfer

• Undergraduates self-reporting one or more of the
  following traits prior to enrolling at UNT were
  considered transfers
• I attended a 2 year institution.
• I attended another 4 year institution.
• I was awarded credit for military training.
• I earned an Associates degree.

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Methodology Defining Non-Trad

• Undergraduates self-reporting one or more of the
  following traits were considered nontraditional
  students
• I have dependents at home.
• I am married/have a life partner.
• I am divorced/separated.
• I am widowed.
• I am over the age of 25.
• I aged out of foster care.
• I took more than one year off between high school
  and college.
• I consider myself a non-traditional student for
  other reasons.

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Methodology Administration/Analysis

• IRB approval granted in Spring 09, survey
  administered to entire student population
  (n34,795)
• 1423 respondents a 4 response rate (380
  responses were needed for 95 confidence at 5).
  For all students CI 2.54, CL95.
• 547 undergraduates self reported transfer traits.
  
• Data separated into transfer and traditional
  students to provide descriptive statistics.
• Mann Whitney U Chi Square (PASW v17) to
  identify differences. Data was primarily
  ordinal/nominal and comparison groups were
  independent.

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Limitations of Study

• Captured a relatively high achieving group
  (average GPA 3.0).
• Students who self-identified as transfers may not
  fit the state or institutional definition.
• Nontraditional definition is variable.
• UNT only records age.
• The quantitative questions privilege breadth over
  depth.

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Generalization

• Limited generalizable to institutions NOT large,
  public and research oriented with significant
  transfer student populations located near a major
  metroplex.
• These data are not representative of the entire
  spectrum of transfer and non-traditional students
  given the high GPAs of respondents.

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Native vs. Transfer Respondents Demographics

• No significant differences in gender or
  ethnicity.
• Native students over-represented in traditional
  group.
• Transfers over-represented among older groups.
• Transfers more likely nontraditional enrolled
  part-time.
• No significant difference in first-generation
  status.
• Transfer students are more likely to report
  family incomes in lower brackets.

Transfer Students Native Students Chi Square Sig
Age 18-23 61.2 89.5 0.000
Age 24 38.5 7.0 0.000
Nontraditional student 47.3 13.8 0.000
Part-time 26.9 8.5 0.000
Full-time 73.1 91.5 0.000
First generation 25.2 20.9 0.150
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Transfer Respondents

• 61.8 Female, 38.2 Male
• 9 African American, 1 American Indian, 5
  Asian/Pacific Islander, 10 Hispanic, 72 White
  and 3 Non-Resident/Other.
• Transfer self reported stats 38.8 attended
  another 4-year, 79.7 attended a 2-year, 2.9
  earned credit for military service, and 25
  earned an Associates prior to enrolling at UNT .
• Transfers rated themselves lower than native
  students in intellectual self-confidence,
  mathematical ability and artistic ability
  (plt0.05),
• Transfer associated more with the philosophy that
  higher education is career preparation than
  native students (p0.03).

students could select multiple traits
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Transfer Respondents

• 75 of transfers did not know Transfer Shock
  term.
• 71 of transfers reported 3.0 GPA at last
  institution.
• 56 of transfers transferred to UNT without any
  semesters lapsing from time of enrollment at
  their previous institution. 20 reported a 1-2
  semester time lapse.
• 55 of transfers attended 1 degree-granting
  institution prior to enrolling, 31 report
  attending 2 institutions and 14 attended 3 or
  more.
• 60 of transfers report being unaware of DSD
  transfer programs.

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Native vs. Transfer Respondents Interests

• Transfer students were less interested in the
  following types of events than native students.
  (Mann-Whitney U)
• Social events (p0.000), Career skill sessions
  (p0.014) and Health wellness
  workshops. (p0.021)
• No significant differences in interest among
  transfers and native students for the following
  types of programming (Mann-Whitney U).
• Budgeting Personal Finance Events
• Mentoring Programs
• Academic Assistance Networking Events
• Tutoring Sessions
• Study Skill Sessions
• Leadership Skill Programs
• Family programs on weekends or weeknights

About 30-45 of all undergraduates were
interested or very interested in most of these
programs.
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Native vs. Transfer Respondents Participation

• Transfers and natives differed significantly on
  reasons for non-participation.
• Native students were more likely to indicate they
  did not want to be involved, were not interested
  in events didnt want to go alone.
• Transfer students were more likely to indicate
  that they had jobs or family responsibilities
  that conflicted with campus activities.

Reasons A Reason why I dont participate A Reason why I dont participate MWU Sig
Reasons Transfer Students Native Students MWU Sig
I dont want to be involved 56.7 66.2 0.012
I have a job that conflicts with times when campus activities occur. 71.4 60.3 0.000
I have family responsibilities that conflict with campus activities. 46.3 25.9 0.000
Events offered are not interesting to me. 64.3 77.7 0.000
I dont want to go alone. 57.8 65.7 0.015
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Native vs. Transfer Respondents Engagement

• Natives more likely to participate in student
  orgs, UPC events, rec sports homecoming than
  transfers. Greater of transfers indicated NOT
  using or seeing themselves as part of these
  activities (Chi Square).
• Transfers are more likely to be unaware of events
  programs on campus.
• Transfers less likely to spend significant time
  web-surfing, social networking, attending events
  participating in student orgs.
• Campus Engagement (Mann Whitney U) Natives more
  likely to answer positively to the following
  campus connectivity statements
• I know at least one faculty or staff member well.
  (p0.000)
• Most of my friends are other UNT students.
  (p0.000)
• I feel welcome on campus. (p0.029)
• I feel connected to student life at UNT.
  (p0.000)
• I am involved in one or more campus groups or
  organizations. (p0.000)
• I am able to find a quiet place to study on
  campus when I want. (p0.003)

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Native vs. Transfer Respondents Difficulties

• Transfers report less trouble adjusting to
  college life, preparing for classes selecting a
  major/career path.
• Transfers indicate more difficulty paying for
  tuition academic expenses.
• There were no differences between transfers and
  native students in making friends, registering
  for courses, interacting with professors,
  balancing work, family school or having money
  for living expenses.

Did you have any problems I had some or many problems I had some or many problems MWU Sig
Did you have any problems Transfer Students Native Students MWU Sig
Adjusting to college life? 41.1 52.1 0.001
Studying or preparing for classes? 50.6 62.5 0.000
Deciding on a major or career path? 41.0 54.3 0.000
Paying for tuition or academic expenses? 64.8 54.3 0.002
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Native vs. Transfer Respondents Affinity

• Transfers more likely reported that A specific
  academic program or major at UNT (p0.04)
  UNTs good academic reputation (p0.011)
  greatly influenced their enrollment decision.
• Natives more likely to agree with the following
  indicators of school pride and affinity
  (Mann-Whitney U)
• I brag about my experiences at UNT to others.
  (p0.044)
• I believe in wearing green on campus. (p0.038)
• I believe I am forming lifelong friendships at
  UNT. (p0.000)
• Transfers more likely to join the UNT Alumni
  Association at graduation. (p0.037)
• Natives slightly more likely to love their
  college experience at UNT so far. (p0.01)

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Open-Ended Comments Transfers

• 212 open-ended comments
• Validity gt 70, Inter-rater reliability gt 0.40.

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Open-Ended Comments Nontraditional Students

• 94 open-ended comments
• Validity gt 80, Inter-rater reliability gt 0.40.

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Discussion Transfer Students

• High achieving group, but still challenges
  reported with credit transfer, advising, course
  scheduling etc. Tinto (1975) in question?
• Awareness of services programs, particularly
  those targeted at transfers, is lacking.
• Other responsibilities outside school
  interfering with participation.
• More difficulty paying for school. Fewer
  opportunities for financial assistance and credit
  limits for aid eligibility. Report lost credits,
  challenges with advising, unawareness of major
  options extended time to degree.
• More analysis needed, but appear to fall into two
  distinct groups (traditional transfers
  nontraditional transfers) with very different
  characteristics.

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Discussion of challenges related to assessing
these sub-populations

• Transfer 2-4, 4-4, 4-2-4, 4-4-4 patterns etc.
  complicate data management
• Busy and hard to assess because they are not
  always on campus
• May not see value in participating in survey
  research
• Incentives may not have the same effect

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How the Division of Student Development is using
these findings

• New Student Programs is evolving transfer
  programming
• expanding focus on career programs
• adding in new networking opportunities
• adding an online component to the Transfer
  Talk-back programs to accommodate varying
  schedules/needs of traditional and nontraditional
  transfers.

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How the Division of Student Development is using
these findings

• Student Activities Center staff reviewed
  involvement feedback to design new marketing
  approaches and strategize programming mix for the
  future.
• Student Activities Center staff disseminated
  information to Student Organization leaders on
  time of week and hour event preferences.
• Data was shared with the Office of Advancement
  for Student Development to impact grant requests,
  solicitation letters and case statement
  development.

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How the Division of Student Development is using
these findings

• The Division is partnering with Provost to glean
  Transfer information on issues around entry and
  transition to the academic community and
  coursework.
• Office of Parent Programs is using information to
  direct program offerings, marketing approaches
  and better understand the needs and expectations
  of UNT students and their family members.
  Information on traditional undergraduate
  involvement also culled for distribution to
  parents in newsletter.

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How UNT is using these findings

• Partnering with Office of Institutional Research
  and Effectiveness, additional statistical
  processes will be applied in the coming months to
  determine utility of study in predicting success
  of transfer students at UNT.

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Further Research Needed

• More studies are needed on transfer and
  nontraditional students who are academically
  underperforming at UNT.
• Graduation rates for respondents should be
  tracked to ultimately refute or bolster Tintos
  1975 claim that students need co-curricular
  involvement and support systems in order to
  graduate.
• Questions and Discussion

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To Contact Your Speakers

• Dr. Jan Hillman, Executive Director for Planning
  and Administration, 940.565.4909,
  jan.hillman_at_unt.edu
• Jason F. Simon, M.Ed., Graduate Research
  Assistant, 940.369.8054, jason.simon_at_unt.edu
• The Office of Planning and Assessment for Student
  Development at the University of North Texas can
  be found at http//www.unt.edu/pasd
• Note Dr. Sharon Karackattu-Traum was also
  involved as a co-Investigator of this study

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References

• Alpern, B. E. (2000). Factors that influence
  community college transfer students' satisfaction
  with their baccalaureate institutions.
  Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of Michigan.
• Austin, S. A. (2007). A Successful
  University-Foundation Partnership to Assist
  Non-Traditional Transfer Women. Journal of
  College Student Retention Research, Theory
  Practice. 8 (3), 275-295.
• Berkner, L., He, S., Mason, M., Wheeless, S.
  (2007). Persistence and attainment of 2003-04
  beginning postsecondary students After three
  years first look. Washington, DC National
  Center for Education Statistics, Institute of
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• Bush, W. B. (2002). Articulation and transfer
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References Continued

• Flaga, C. (2006, January). The process of
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  students. Community College Journal of Research
  and Practice, 30(1), 3-19.
• Glass Jr., J. C. Bunn, C. E.(1998) Length of
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  students transferring to senior institutions.
  Community College Journal of Research and
  Practice, 223,239-263.
• Handel, S. (2007, October). Transfer students
  apply to college, too. How come we don't help
  them? Chronicle of Higher Education, 54(9), 1.
• Handy, T. J. (2001). Building Transfer
  Partnerships between Private Colleges and
  Community Colleges A Unique Approach That
  Works.
• Jacobs, B. C. (2004). The college transfer
  student in America The forgotten student.
  Washington, DC American Association of
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• Strage, A. (2008). Traditional and
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• U.S. Department of Education. (2009). NCES Issues
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