Better understanding of how students achieve vertical transfer is vital for advancing equity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors. Among the many sources of barriers, delays, and complexities demonstrated in previous research as influencing vertical transfer outcomes, the transfer admission process has been generally…

Student success has been a prevalent topic among the nation's community colleges. Guided pathways and its four pillars are part of the community college effort to enhance student success. The California community college system is host to many preparatory athletic training programs which also serve as Sports Medicine Preparation Pathways (SMPPs).…

Over the past 15 years, significant advances have been made in public health education in the United States, creating new opportunities for community colleges, especially in terms of clarifying career and general transfer pathways for students. In 2014, a national taskforce published two curricular models for public health education in community…

Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degrees are designed to prepare individuals for career opportunities, but they are increasingly prevalent among students transferring to universities. Still, transfer experiences for AAS holders are fraught with barriers such as credit loss and credit applicability toward baccalaureate degrees. Using statewide…

Many states have enacted policies to increase accountability for 2- to 4-year institutions in an effort to increase degree completion (Sponsler, Pingel, & Anderson, 2015). Reform initiatives, including Guided Pathways (Bailey, Jaggers, & Jenkins, 2015), have developed mechanisms for 2-year students to have structured, sequential course…

Articulation between two-year colleges and universities provides a critical opportunity for potential students. Most institutions declare their support of articulation; however, the visibility of this support to potential students is inconsistent at best. Articulation agreements that are visible and easily understood by potential students serve as…

The Office for Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) founded in 1989 focuses on P-20 education and the role of community colleges in facilitating educational access and equity. This article highlights the work of OCCRL as a research center that bridges inquiry, policy, and practice in contributing to the national dialogue on relevant…

In this article, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) presents research that can inform policy and practice to improve student success at community colleges. Grounded in IHEP's mission of advancing college access and success for underserved students, the article shares lessons learned about the importance of data and transparency in…

This quantitative study of degree-seeking students in community college examines whether there are age-related differences in transfer intent, research on selection of a transfer destination, use of transfer-related services, and concerns about the transfer process, all of which are key aspects of the concept of transfer student capital. Students…

As the country experiences a recession and institutions of higher education increase tuition to compensate for diminishing state support, the transferability of credits among and between institutions is essential to students seeking to earn a baccalaureate degree. Students, parents, and taxpayers cannot afford to pay twice for the same courses or…

Two-year colleges play an important role in facilitating transfers to four-year institutions. This has resulted in the demand to assess how well the community college systems train students for successful transfer to four-year bachelor-granting institutions. Existing datasets on two-year college transfer rates provides inconsistent and, sometimes,…

Describes a study conducted to review the status of educational guarantees in two-year colleges and identify restrictions and processes associated with their implementation. Indicates that 87% of the colleges had adopted occupational guarantees and 68% adopted transfer guarantees and that colleges are using guarantees to improve institutional…

The study reported in this article examined two Hispanic-serving institutions, Miami-Dade Community College and Santa Monica College, and the innovative transfer agreements they have with Smith College, a highly selective private women's college. Factors that influence the successful transfer of women students to Smith from these HSIs are…

Describes a study to determine articulation and transfer policies of 24 4-year Pennsylvania Catholic colleges and universities with community colleges and provide a case study of the institution reporting the greatest number of transfer practices. Indicates that only 2 institutions reported no articulation with community colleges whereas 13 had…

Identifies a fall 1994 cohort group of students transferring from Colorado's 15 community colleges to Colorado State University. Within this cohort, two groups were formed based on their earned grade point average. Focus group discussions regarding the transfer experience were transcribed and qualitatively coded. Implications for practice include…