Community Services Project (and other credit transfer experiences): Lessons Learned

Student Pathways in Higher Education ConferenceJan. 27, 2012S. Towson

Transfer Students enhance university program quality

Disability Studies program Program goal (diversity, inclusion) required

deliberate inclusion of students with diverse experiences: from high school, from college community services programs, from community services employment

Presence of all these students in program contributes to fulfillment of program learning outcomes

Community Services Project

Multilateral Learning outcomes based Degree completion programs for High affinity Community service college diploma

programs to University social science programs

Learning outcomes are the way to go but…

More is not necessarily better On university side, OQF learning outcomes,

institutional learning outcomes, discipline learning outcomes, social science faculty learning outcomes, program-specific learning outcomes plus Faculty learning outcomes

And acceptance of learning outcomes as integral program component is variable

Credit transfer should be determined by curriculum shape

Implications of curriculum shape

If we acknowledge college curriculum focus Then transfer students may well be credited

with upper level knowledge in specific discipline (high affinity)

If we believe in the liberal arts education model

Then transfer students should be required to take same range of arts and science courses as other students

Institutional Commitment is key and…

Requires recognition that institutions include many constituencies with different credit transfer knowledge, attitudes and goals

Audience Participation…

How many of you are concerned with:

University administration

Recruitment

Admissions

Student Support/Retention

Teaching/research in your academic discipline

Rate your constituency’s credit transfer knowledge…

Minimal………Moderate………Considerable

Now, rate your constituency’s credit transfer attitudes…

Negative……..Indifferent…………Positive

Finally, what is your constituency’s primary transfer student goal…

Successful recruitment? Accurate transfer credit assignment? Academic success? Retention to graduation? Achievement of learning outcomes?

Institutional commitment requires Communication

within and across constituencies to increase Awareness of credit transfer process Acceptance of credit transfer Compatibility of credit transfer goals

In order to increase institution’s ability to develop and sustain credit transfer pathways and partnerships

Compatible goals

And Communication requires Coordination

Dedicated Post-Secondary Education Pathways or Partnerships Coordinator can

Enhance internal communication Minimize internal roadblocks and duplication

of effort Maximize creation and maintenance of

external partnerships