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Tackling Transfer: A Guide to Convening Community Colleges and Universities to Improve Transfer Student Outcomes

By KC Deane, John Fink, Madison Gordon, Davis Jenkins, Alison Kadlec & Joshua Wyner
Research shows that very few community college students, many of whom seek a bachelor’s degree, successfully transfer to and graduate from a four-year institution. In fact, only 15% of all community college students complete a four-year degree in less than six years. The numbers are far more daunting for Black, Hispanic, and low-income students—all of whom enroll in community colleges at disproportionately high numbers. In an effort to improve transfer student success, the Aspen Institute, CCRC, Public Agenda, and SOVA have released this implementation guide designed to help state entities organize workshops within which teams from two- and four-year institutions work together to improve transfer and graduation outcomes for their students. Through data analysis and self-reflection of institutional practices, these workshops help institutions develop action plans (individually and among partners) to improve transfer student success. This guide is accompanied by a number of additional resources (see below), including the CCRC’s How to Measure Community College Effectiveness in Serving Transfer Students. The guide was created as part of the larger Tackling Transfer project and serves as a complement to the 2016 Transfer Playbook.

Download Links

1. Sample Facilitator Agenda
December 2017
3. Transfer Workshop Action Plan Template
December 2017
4. Guide for Planning and Conducting Transfer Student Focus Groups
December 2017
5. State Policy Discussion Guide
December 2017
6a. Two-Year Self-Assessment Tool
December 2017
6b. Four-Year Self-Assessment Tool
December 2017
7. CCRC Analytics: How to Measure Community College Effectiveness in Serving Transfer Students
December 2017
Download guide
December 2017

Related Publications

December 2017

How to Measure Community College Effectiveness in Serving Transfer Students

October 2017

Takes Two to Tango: Essential Practices of Highly Effective Transfer Partnerships

May 2016

The Transfer Playbook: Essential Practices for Two- and Four-Year Colleges

Related Presentations

February 2018

Takes Two to Tango: Applying Insights From Highly Effective Transfer Partnerships

Additional Resources

For more policy briefs and fact sheets, visit CCRC’s Policy Resources page.

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