TRANSFER OUT CONTINUOUS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT PLAN FALL 2014 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Team Members……………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………3 Project Statement ………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………….……4 Glossary of Terms ………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………….….……5 Background ……………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………….…….….…..7 National Association for College Admission Counseling Transfer Data (nacacnet.org)………………………………….……..9 Top Ten Transfer Schools for Henry Ford College Students………………………………………………………………………….11 Current Process………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...12 HFC Website Links to Transfer Credit…………………………………………………………………………………………….…..15 Student Transfer Survey Questions……………………………………………………………………………………………..……16 Student Transfer Survey Results……………………………………………………………………………………………………….17 Community College Transfer Process Responsibility Comparisons …………………………………………………………….20 Community College Transfer Process Definition Comparisons ………………………………………………………………….21 Factors Impacting Transfer Process ……………………………………….…………………………………………………….…….23 Factors Relationship.……………..……………………………………….……………………………………………….……………..24 Process Recommendations………………………………………..…….…………………………………………………………..……….25 Steps to Include in Transfer Out Process …………….……..………………………………………………………..………………27 Steering Committee Feedback………………………………………………………………………………………………………….28 Implementation Timeline ……………………………………………………………………………….………………………….……29 Transfer Implementation Team Recommendation...……………………………………………………………..……………….30 Acknowledgements….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...…...31 2 TEAM MEMBERS Team Sponsor Lisa Jones Copprue , PhD, Vice President for Student Affairs Team Leader Elizabeth Gierada , Records Associate IV Team Scribe Lorraine Paffenroth , Admissions Associate III Team Members Deborah Glazer , Counselor and Adjunct Faculty Connie Morang , Enrollment Associate II Karen Richards , Assistant to Associate Dean - Counseling 3 PROJECT STATEMENT To create a seamless transfer credit process as measured by clear and defined steps with a website that meets our student’s needs, through a central hub of information on the HFC website. 4 GLOSSARY OF TERMS Advisors/Counselors: Designated personnel who advise students with course and program choices during their academic career. Articulation Agreement: A formal, written document agreed upon by two or more institutions that provide a value- added component to a traditional transfer program by allowing additional transfer credits, enhancing the number and quality of learning options or by providing unique student-centered options such as preferred admission, student support, financial assistance, etc. Common Types of Transfer: • Vertical Transfer: A student who transfers out from a 2-year institution to a 4-year institution • Lateral Transfer: A student who transfers out from 2-year to 2-year or 4-year to 4-year institution • Reverse Transfer: A student who transfers out from 4-year to 2-year institution Dual Enrolled Student: A high school student registered for college level courses. College credit is applied to their high school diploma and can be used as credit toward a college certificate or degree. Equivalency: Two courses from two different institutions that are determined to be equal to each other and if completed by the student could be used to meet a requirement at another school. FTIAC: A student who is enrolled in their first semester at college after receiving their high school diploma or GED or First Time In Any College. General Education: The program of liberal arts requirements that is included in all degree programs at an institution. It may have some differentiation based on a degree or major, but general education coursework typically includes core skills to a variety of disciplines, such as social science, humanities, and natural science. Hawkmail: Student email account at Henry Ford College. MACRAO Transfer Agreement: “The MACRAO Transfer Agreement is designed to facilitate transfer from community colleges to baccalaureate colleges and universities. It provides for transferability of up to 30 semester 5 credits to meet many (and in some cases all) of the General Education Requirements at participating Michigan four- year colleges and universities. Students may complete the MACRAO Transfer Agreement as part of an associate degree or as a stand-alone package. Once the specified set of courses is completed, the courses will transfer and be applied toward meeting the general education requirements at the 4-year college or university. While many Michigan colleges and universities honor the MACRAO Transfer Agreement, some participate in a more limited manner. Students should check with the receiving institution regarding their transfer policies. MACRAO: The Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. MACRAO Stamp: An indicator on a transcript identifying that a student has successfully completed the course requirements to satisfy the MACRAO Agreement. MTA: The Michigan Transfer Agreement is a statewide agreement modeled from the original MACRAO Agreement, and designed to facilitate the transfer of general education requirements from participating community colleges to participating 4-year colleges and universities. This agreement was developed by the State of Michigan’s Committee on the Transferability of Core College Courses and maintained and updated from time to time by MACRAO. The MTA will take the place of the MACRAO Transfer Agreement beginning Fall 2014. MTA Stamp: An indicator on a transcript identifying a student has successfully completed the course requirements to satisfy the MTA.*” Transfer Guide: A guide that provides a list of courses which, if completed at one college or university, will meet specific requirements at another college or university for program or major requirements. Transfer Student: A student who is transferring academic credit from one college or university to another. University Center: A collaboration or agreement between two or more institutions of higher education that work to help students reach their academic goals. These centers allow for 4-year institutions to have a presence on a Community College campuses. * Definitions taken from MACRAO.org 6 BACKGROUND The transfer process as defined by the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) is a “Student movement within higher education providers and the institutional processes supporting students who may move with credit applicable to a degree or certificate.” Why is this so important? NACAC reported that 50 to 80% of first time community college students have indicated an interest in transferring out of one institution to another to earn a higher degree. It is estimated that only about 25% of students who initially enroll in a community college will transfer vertically*.” The transfer student market is one that Henry Ford College (HFC) could easily and cost effectively tap into and grow. We have current students who have already indicated on their admissions application that they plan to transfer. Data obtained from the HFC Retention Committee shows that fewer than 14% of HFC students transfer vertically**. The most common type of student transfer is vertical which is a student transferring out from a 2-year to 4-year institution. Vertical transfer has also been referred to as traditional, forward, or upward. Students who transfer from a 4-year to a 2-year school are categorized as reverse transfers. Lateral transfers are those students transferring from one 2-year to another 2-year, or transferring from one 4-year to another 4-year. The NACAC studied National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) data from 2012. They discovered that nearly 50% of all undergraduate students are enrolled in a community college. In the fall of 2006 NACAC found that approximately one-third of the 2.8 million students who began their postsecondary education transferred at least one time before earning any type of degree. Further, the majority of students who do transfer vertically are successful in obtaining a degree. It was found that 61.6% of postsecondary transfers, based on a cohort of students who started at a two-year institution then transferred out to a four-year institution, successfully completed a four-year degree six years after transferring. Statistics identified that more than 70,000 7 International students who are currently enrolled in a community college have plans to transfer to a 4-year institution to complete their undergraduate degree. NACAC data shows that support that comes from student connections with faculty, advisors, peer mentors, and other college staff is one of the most critical factors in a student’s transfer success. Other keys to vertical transfer success are full-time enrollment, not stopping out, and earning an associate’s degree prior to transferring. HFC needs to identify the students who intend on transferring out and build a process or pathway that will support and guide them in making a plan to reach their higher education goals. HFC needs to stay connected with students to ensure they are successful while they work towards their goal. Henry Ford College has multiple student populations which include First-Time-In-Any-College (FTIAC’s), transfer, and dual enrolled students. Our dual enrolled student population is comprised of high school students from the surrounding area. HFC dual enrollment programs include: The Henry Ford Early College, Advancement Plus, and the Collegiate Academy. These high school students