You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
The notion that college is what students experience is at least a decade old but still resonates with those of us who love to hear student voices in process improvement. The best way to understand students’ experiences is to ask them.
Many students who have transfer experiences are not counted in transfer statistics, dual enrollees among them. In an investigation of the trajectory of former participants of a community college–based enhanced dual-enrollment program in Michigan, five focus groups provided insight into students’ post-transfer lives. Enhanced dual-enrollment programs offer wraparound supports and regular advising that foster strong connections between school and student. The study’s participants were enrolled in a program designed for students pursuing at least a bachelor’s degree.
While the study did not collect demographic data, participants represented a random sample of high school dual enrollees from primarily rural districts who transferred to a variety of colleges and universities in and outside Michigan. This informal data-gathering exercise provided insight into the experience of low-income and first-generation students in a relaxed atmosphere that invited thoughtful candor and critique.
Students expressed both justifiable pride in starting their college career in high school as well as ownership of their dual-enrollment program. Their desire to see it succeed showed in their willingness to spend time, while home for the holidays, talking about how their dual-enrollment experience helped or hindered them when they transferred.
The focus groups revealed that dual enrollment helped them build a tool kit of resources that made them feel more confident on their way to their transfer school.
- They built academic skills—time management, note taking, self-discipline and critical thinking.
- They acquired agency—a sense of confidence and self-advocacy, improved communications skills, important relationships with professors, and familiarity with college processes.
- They developed resiliency—their experience fortified their tolerance for stress, gave them flexibility when things didn’t go so well and generally helped them feel more marketable and smarter about college selection.
“The program gave me so much more than free credits. It taught me how to be a better college student and how to study for an exam; it taught me how to interact with professors.”
Regarding their transfer experience, the researcher expected to hear stories of wasted credits and convoluted journeys because they entered university with so many credits. Although there is process improvement work to do, students often had a realistic view of the situation. They claimed ownership of their transfer trajectory and appreciated having tools such as the Michigan Transfer Network to help guide them.
Some knew where they were going and got exactly what they needed:
“I knew on day one I was going to XX College. I saw on their website they had agreements with several community colleges in the state. So I pulled up the agreement and noted all the classes they would accept. I was able to advocate for myself.
“When I looked at colleges, I wanted to make sure my credits transferred and to look for the best opportunity to get done in three to four years. At XX University, I am doing a five-year master’s program in four.”
Some changed course or adjusted their search to maximize credits:
“I was going to go to XX College, but there were other issues—money and things, too. When I saw they weren’t going to accept a lot of credits, I couldn’t mess with all that. I just wanted all these credits I earned to transfer. The program where you can compare [courses] by pasting the class code into the box that tells you if it transfers was very helpful. I decided that YY University was going to be my way to go for other reasons but also because they would take my credits.
“I was not willing to budge on the things in my list. My credits had to transfer. I was looking for a strong program in my field. I was looking for a good band program. When I visited colleges, I wanted it to feel as comfortable as I felt here. I could definitely tell when it was not going to be a good fit for me.”
Some found unexpected benefits along with unintended consequences after transferring:
“Having all those extra credits transferring, I was able to skip a lot of those first-year classes. My first-year engineering seminars I got to skip, thankfully.
“I got to cheat the system. And I got to sign up for all my classes early. But at the same time, it was also kind of a con, too, really. You just don’t fit into the system the way colleges expect you to. And it causes a lot of bureaucratic issues. For instance, I was paying an extra upperclassman fee and I was also in engineering, so a lot of the gen ed credits I took here, I didn’t end up needing.”
Some realized that retaking some courses, although not desirable, had some upsides.
“I am going to XX College, and they do not take a lot of credits, so I have been retaking courses I had already taken, which is a bit sucky. But my lab partner in chem says, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so hard,’ but I’m breezing through it. People around us always come to me for help. It’s weird. It’s cool. I’m still feeling ahead, if that makes sense.
“I had classes that did not transfer but are pretty much the exact same classes as I took here. So, after a while the teacher was ‘OK. Do whatever you want, just pass the class.’ It wasn’t as hard for me as it was for other students.
“The credits were still counting for high school. If the credits hadn’t all been accepted, I wouldn’t feel like I lost all that time because I wasn’t only working towards that, it was also counting toward high school.”
Transferring is a transition. To move from one academic institution to another takes courage, clarity and competence. It’s an inflection point that lends itself to self-reflection and meta-cognition.
As much as our institutions work to make the transfer transition logistically smoother and intentional, students’ ability to negotiate that transition with ownership and self-advocacy will play a role in their success.
We fail ourselves, our systems and our students if we don’t involve students in the evaluation and improvement of transfer models. Suggestions for engaging them include:
- Hosting regular opportunities for students past and present to reflect on and tell their “stealth transfer” story and using those stories in your research data.
- Make sure students are aware of transfer tools and initiatives. Solicit their suggestions for improvement.
- Build in early connections to transfer schools of choice—field trips, research projects, etc.
- Encourage early pathways planning, career and transfer information and meta-cognition.
- Give students opportunities to reach back and mentor those in their footsteps.
If we treat university-bound dual enrollees as degree seekers rather than part-time students who don’t really fit, we could provide the same wraparounds and guided pathways tools other students receive, which may encourage intentionality and engagement that would improve their experience, transfer and beyond. Some students may even be inspired to lead this research themselves, just like our colleague “Beyond Transfer” contributor Aurely Garcia Tulloch, a role model for the dual enrollees coming after her.
