Supporting Transfer Transition:

Recruiting, Programming and Advocating for Transfer Students

Daniel Barkley, Program Manager

Meghan Coletta, Program Manager

First Year Programs, Student Academic Services

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Session Goals

• Understanding of the transfer population at the UW
• Understanding of the transfer programming
• Engagement techniques of transfer students
• Assess your departments readiness and create an action plan to engage transfer students

Who Is Here?

In small groups, share the following information:

• Name, Institution, Role
• Identify a time that you felt like an outsider

First Year Programs - Student Academic Services Undergraduate Academic Affairs

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First Year Programs fosters a successful undergraduate student experience through strategic programming that focuses on positive academic transitions and the development of learning communities. Through partnerships with faculty, staff, alumni, and student leaders our programs create the space for students to define how they will engage, learn, and thrive at the University of Washington.

First Year Programs

fyp.washington.edu/fyeprojects�fyp@uw.edu

Transfer Students by the Numbers

• 80% from WA Community Colleges
• Bellevue College
• Seattle Central College
• North Seattle College
• Shoreline College

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• 20% from other institutions
• 12.5% International students
• 15% of Undergraduate Population
• Many cannot go directly into major
• Traditional Age (18% 24-27; 60% 20-23)

Why Does This Matter?

“Our efforts to ease the transition for transfer students matter because community colleges are a crucial pipeline for low-income and underrepresented students seeking a four-year degree.”

~Ana Mari Cauce, 3/7/18

Assessment

Isolation - Multiple Touchpoints

Institutional Knowledge

• Campus Survey through IT Research Group
• 2100 students - 23% response rate
• Divider Questions - Not Connected to the UW
• Describe your experience (58% good/great)
• Found community (31% no; 41% somewhat)
• Thought about leaving UW (33% yes-major)

Challenges Transfers Face

1. Unclear Academic Pathway
2. Imposter Syndrome
3. Difficult to Navigate Resources
4. Absence of Community
5. Time to Graduation

Transfer Initiative Overview

Previous known as the Community College Engagement Initiative (CCEI)

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Sponsored by UW President and Provost, the CCEI was a year-long study designed to review and assess the community college transfer student experience at the UW.

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2015

Assessment & Recommendations

2016- 2017 Implementation of Recommendations

2018-2019 Integration & Communications

Transfer Initiative Accomplishments and More

• Transfer Student Preview Day (for prospective students)
• Thursday, December 19, 2019
• Earlier access to Handshake for all incoming students
• Previously AFTER class registration, now AFTER NSEOF payment
• transfer.uw.edu website gets over 4,000 visits per month!
• Continued improvement of transfer admissions timelines
• Earlier April (previously July) deadline for Engineering

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Promising Practices to Engage Transfer Students

1. Inclusive Communication
2. Intentional Transition
3. Purposeful Representation
4. Year-Round Engagement

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Inclusive Communication

• Transfer Student Advocate Card
• Language and Culture
• New Student Convocation vs. Freshman Convocation
• Incoming Class of xxxx vs. Class of xxxx
• Previous Institution vs. High School
• Communicating Class Opportunities (group code)
• Print & Web Presence

Intentional Transition

• Transfer A&O
• Purposeful Reflection
• Action Steps
• Transfer-Specific Dawg Daze Events and Schedule
• Transfer Husky Kick-Off
• Transfer First Year Interest Group (T-FIG)

Purposeful Representation

• Peer Mentorship
• Mentorship Program
• Transfer Ambassadors
• Committee Spaces Reserved

Transfer �Ambassadors

• Low commitment, volunteer
• Support Transfer A&O, Dawg Daze events
• Share experiences
• Focus group

Purposeful Representation �in Hiring & Reporting

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• Consider application timelines. Wait until transfer students are accepted
• Offer trainings, regular meetings and info sessions at flexible times and provide make-up opportunities
• Allow transfer students to bring their dependents to a meeting and trainings
• Consider adding value to previous life and non-traditional experiences when reviewing applications

Year-Round Engagement

• Quarterly Transfer Events
• Quarterly happy hours
• Stress-management activities
• “Ask Me” Events

Commuter & Transfer Commons

Husky Union Building 141

• Kitchenette
• Day Use Lockers
• Changing Room & Lactation Station
• Academic Tutoring & Advising
• Studying
• Printing

“Carrying everything I need over the course of a day can be burdensome. The CTC lightens that burden, both literally and figuratively.”

“I love the supportive community in the CTC, which I found especially helpful during hard times in my life.”

Transfer Inclusive Environment

Individually & In Small Groups Worksheet:

1. Organizational Readiness
2. Personal or Organizational Asset
3. Needs of your Students
4. Action Steps

Transfer Initiative

Martha Tran, Strategic Initiatives and Communications Manager, siutsz@uw.edu

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Michaelann Jundt, Associate Dean, mjundt@uw.edu

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First Year Programs, Student Academic Services, Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Daniel Barkley, Program Manager, danbark@uw.edu

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Meghan Coletta, Program Manager, mcoletta@uw.edu

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Presentation Online:

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fyp.washington.edu/fyeprojects