Many community colleges establish agreements with four-year schools, simplifying the credit transfer process for students who wish to continue their studies after earning a two-year degree.
Most administrators recognize the benefit to student and institution alike. But the days of simple 2+2 transfer agreements are past; Today, sophisticated, multifaceted partnerships are needed that engage the student, the community college, and administrators and faculty at the baccalaureate institution, ultimately offering guidance and support through every step of the transfer process.
University of Maryland University College (UMUC)—the largest public university in the nation and a leader in adult education—offers an interesting case study. UMUC first established articulation agreements with Maryland community colleges beginning in 1996. Today, the university’s Alliance program has evolved into a comprehensive series of interlocking programs and services, all designed to encourage 2+2 completion.
A record of persistence
UMUC maintains partnerships with more than 70 community colleges, including all 16 Maryland community colleges and more than 50 of the largest schools and systems in the country, including Miami Dade College (Florida), Maricopa Community Colleges (Arizona), Lone Star College System (Texas), Central Texas College and more.
According to the annual transfer report from the Maryland Higher Education Commission, UMUC is the number one transfer destination for Maryland community college students, and it’s no surprise that more than 50 percent of UMUC’s 90,000-plus students transfer in from a community college.
Clearly, the Alliance program can drive enrollments at the baccalaureate institution. But a growing body of institutional data shows very favorable trends in other areas, as well. Direct transfer students from Maryland’s community colleges who bring 45 or more credits to UMUC demonstrate an 89 percent persistence rate from first to second semester.
Those who receive UMUC’s Community College Transfer Scholarships (the largest renewable scholarship in Maryland for community college graduates, disbursing more than $1 million each year) fare even better, demonstrating a 93 percent persistence rate. In addition, approximately 60 percent of Maryland’s community college transfer students come to UMUC having completed an associate degree, compared to the national average of 35 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Testing reverse transfers
A pilot is underway to test an innovative reverse transfer option, which allows UMUC students who failed to complete an associate degree to transfer credit back to their community college alma mater and earn the degree. This initiative supports the White House’s plan to increase college completion rates at both the community college and university levels, and again, the results have been overwhelmingly favorable.
Because the Alliance program provides additional student touch points, program staff also benefit from a clearer perspective on student challenges. For instance, students often don’t know how to request up-to-date community college transcripts and are thus at risk of duplicating efforts and wasting time and money. Other students transfer without completing their general education requirements, again wasting time and adding cost. In fact, only 214 of the more than 800 transfer students in the sample population came to UMUC with the general education credits they would need to complete the baccalaureate degree.
In response, we are now meeting with community college administrators to develop strategies to ensure that the general education curriculum does not become a barrier to completion, and UMUC representatives visit each community college on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to offer advising assistance to students. This consistent presence on campus has been a key component of success.
UMUC employs an automated transfer system—which processes transcripts electronically—that allows students to receive an unofficial transcript evaluation instantly, and an official evaluation within 48 hours. In addition, a CRM (customer relationship management) system allows the university to maintain communication with prospective students, and each spring the university hosts instant scholarship days at each community college, with qualified students receiving scholarships on the spot.
A deeper relationship
The community college Alliance program offers other institutional advantages. UMUC works hard to build relationships and establish dialogue between university and community college advisors and faculty, holding yearly meetings at each community college and hosting an annual Community College Appreciation Luncheon, where community college advisors and frontline staff can share updates on transfer issues and participate in a group discussion on ways to improve the transfer process. The annual UMUC Alliance Gold Star award goes to the community college or individual who has demonstrated innovative progress that furthers successful transfer in Maryland.
In short, the simple credit-transfer alliance of 1996 has evolved into a comprehensive, multilevel partnership between two-year and four-year schools, which promises to help both institutions fulfill their missions while also helping students achieve their education goals. The advantages are too obvious to ignore, and it is time that these sophisticated partnerships become the norm on community college campuses nationwide.
Romano-Arnold is associate vice president of community relations at the University of Maryland University College.