by Maria Ishaq Khan
Transfer is a common phenomenon in higher education and the problems associated with it are well known – loss of credits, lack of clear transfer paths, inadequate advising, and extended time to degree. What is often less discussed is that these problems unduly affect students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds.
Research shows that there exist serious inequities in the transfer process that disproportionally impact students of color. These inequities are also noticeable for low-income students who are far more likely to start at less-expensive community colleges and then transfer. Additionally, a recent study indicates that these inequities are further widened in STEM fields for transfer students of color, women, students with mental health issues and/or learning disabilities, first generation students, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Failure to successfully apply transfer credits towards diplomas and degrees results in loss of credits for students, which is associated with thousands of dollars spent on tuition and months of lost time. This unduly impacts students from marginalized communities as they already lack financial supports and have to manage time between jobs and academics.
The problems associated with transfer reflect the inequitable transfer mechanisms in place and make transfer an equity issue. The question, then, is: How do we make transfer equitable for all transfer aspiring students?
We believe that the answer lies in higher education’s systemness in developing multi-level equity-based approaches. Higher education systems can together level the transfer field and create components of a strong and equitable transfer culture by building and cultivating relationships at three levels:
- Campus level (e.g. transfer advisors, transfer student orientation programs, etc.)
- System level (e.g. inter-system transfer pathways, curricular alignment, cross-registration, etc.)
- Board level (e.g. modifying existing policies, developing new policy frameworks, etc.)
Ongoing efforts already aim at providing a holistic and integrated approach to transfer. However, most of these efforts have primarily focused on the “institution” rather than the “student”. The reality is that for student transfer to be addressed in a meaningful and equitable way, we need to better understand how students are experiencing transfer, especially from under-served and under-represented communities, and then create a multi-level ecosystem that supports transfer student success.
A system level approach can improve equity in transfer issues. For example, system level data allows one to look at disaggregated data and observe obstacles and barriers that transfer students face in a different way than a campus might. Disaggregated data can then be used to create transfer student equity plans to enable students from racially minoritized, under-served and low socio-economic backgrounds to complete their degrees. Systems with 2-year and 4-year campuses, can take a closer look at the students who are attending these institutions and who wish to transfer and earn not just diplomas and undergraduate degrees, but also earn graduate and professional degrees. Systems must consider how to modify existing policy frameworks, making transfer student-centered and including equity goals in all stages of transfer.
NASH also plays a crucial role in ensuring an equitable transfer student success by bringing higher education systems together and creating a network where systems can ensure policies are clear, understandable and student-centered. NASH transfer commitment further emphasizes on systems shifting away a color-blind transfer culture to being equity-focused and “prioritizing and incorporating equity goals and outcomes for all phases of the transfer continuum/lifecycle”.
In the coming months, NASH will be undertaking a more active action agenda to work with its members to advance system level efforts to improve the transfer student experience. To share your interest and system-level student transfer efforts, please send us an email at mikhan@albany.edu.