statewide articulation agreement policy impact on ... · 2) to understand the form of what exists...

Dr. James A. Maddirala, Jackson State University

Angela E. Payne, EPhD Candidate, Jackson State University

July 8, 2014 - Session 3779 – Ocean Salon I, 1st Floor

Statewide Articulation Agreement Policy

Impact on University Admissions Counselors

• Session Overview

• Learning Outcomes

• JSU Executive PhD Overview

• Purpose of the Study

• Key Terms

• Guiding Principles

• SREB Policies & Practices

• Articulation & Transfer Policy

Statewide Articulation Agreement Policy Impact on

University Admissions Counselors

• Study Participants

• Data Collection & Analysis

• Research Questions

• Response to Research Questions

• Recommendations

• References

• Discussion

• Contact Us

This session examines the findings of a recent study to

understand the narratives of university admissions

counselors within a public higher education system

who are responsible for facilitating the transfer

admissions process as they apply articulation policy

and transfer its benefits to community college transfer

students.



Attendees can expect three learning outcomes relative to

the practical application of the policy as depicted by the

counselors. Those outcomes are:

1) To understand the nature of what exists in policy

application,

2) To understand the form of what exists in policy

application , and

3) To understand the perceptions and attitudes the

counselors relative to the application of the policy.



http://www.jsums.edu/ephd/



• Prepares students to assume

senior leadership roles in post-

secondary institutions and other

organizations

• Engage participants in the

analysis of different facets of

operations and management of

post-secondary institutions

The Executive Ph.D. Program (EPhD) in Urban Higher

Education at Jackson State University (JSU) :

http://www.jsums.edu/ephd/



• Develop solutions to potential or

existing challenges facing urban

and metropolitan institutions

• Students study higher education

institutions from a trans-

disciplinary perspective

• Appreciate the role and impact of

these institutions as engines of

social and economic change in

urban and metropolitan venues

The Executive Ph.D. Program (EPhD) in Urban Higher

Education at Jackson State University (JSU) :

Purpose of the Study

To examine the experiences of university

admission counselors working in a southern

public university system as they applied

statewide articulation policy and

transmitted its benefits to community

college transfer students.

Statewide Articulation Agreement Policy Impact on University Admissions Counselors

Key TermsFor the purpose of this study:

• Articulation agreement – a formal collaborative agreement between educational institutions enabling

students to complete a program of study at one institution and, using accumulated credits, attain a

degree at another institution, specifically a two-year college to a four-year college (Carmichael, Hall &

O’Meara, 2007).

• Core curriculum – a complete thirty-hour general education course requirement achieved with a C or

better by a community college transfer student at an in-state community college in pursuit of a

baccalaureate degree at an in-state college or university (Institutions of Higher Learning, 2013).

• In-state transfer – a community college transfer student who matriculates from a community or junior

college to senior college or university within the same state.

• Transfer – the ability to acknowledge credits earned at one institution and subsequently accepted by

another but not necessarily as a part of a completed program or degree (Carmichael, Hall & O’Meara,

2007).

• Transfer pathway – the gateway between community colleges and four year institutions which provides

for the articulation of college credit (Handel, 2011).

• Transfer student – a student who has enrolled at a community college with intention of advancing toward

a baccalaureate and for whom the articulation agreement is designed to serve (Handel, 2011).


Ignash and Townsend’s seven guiding principles for the

development of sound policy:

1. Community colleges and four-year institutions should be equal partners with

regard to providing freshmen and sophomore level undergraduate

coursework.

2. Native and transfer students should be treated equally by receiving

institutions.

3. As to the content area experts, faculty should have the primary responsibility

for formulating statewide articulation agreements.

4. Agreements should accommodate students who transfer without an

associate's degree, because transfer students will transfer to other institutions

before completing sufficient credit work for graduation as required at another

institution. (Ignash & Townsend, 2001, p. 173-192).

Guiding Principles


Ignash and Townsend’s seven guiding principles for the

development of sound policy:

5. Statewide articulation agreements should include the transfer of both the

general education coursework, as well as program majors and program major

courses.

6. Include private colleges and universities in the statewide articulation

agreements.

7. Evaluate policy with data-driven outcomes that measure success of statewide

articulation agreements. (Ignash & Townsend, 2001, p. 173-192).

Guiding Principles


SREB State-Level Transfer Policies and Practices


Note: Statewide Transfer

Committees oversee the state’s

policies and practices.

Statewide Core Curriculum

represents a group of general

education courses that transfer

from one public institution to

another. A Transfer Counselor

Network represents transfer

counselors of two- and four-year

public institutions who

coordinate transfer of credits

and advise students. Web-Based

Transfer Guides inform students

and advisers about transferrable

course via the Internet access

(Southern Regional Educational

Board, 2007).

Articulation and Transfer Policy

• AY 2013-2014 Agreement

• 8 member public universities with 15 member public community

colleges

• 254-page document cover 194 programs

• Board Policy Section 512 named, “Core Curriculum” and Section 520

called, “Transfer of the Associate of Arts degree from [this southern

system’s] Community/Junior College”

• Thirty – core Curriculum (guaranteed with degree) in-state transfers:

• English Composition 6 semester hours

• College Algebra, Quantitative Reasoning, or higher level Mathematics

3 semester hours

• Natural Science 6 semester hours

• Humanities and Fine Arts 9 semester hours

• Social or Behavioral Science 6 semester hours

• Additional 32 credit hours of qualified prerequisite or elective credit

toward program of study

• Led by Articulation Subcommittee

• Provide “safety net” for transfer students

• Revisited annually (Institutions of Higher Learning, 2012).

Study Participants

• Predetermined population with priori issues (Ritchie & Spencer, 1994)

• Specialized knowledge

• Eight-member public system in SREB region

• Population of twenty professionals in system with distinction

• Invitations extended to population

• Seven participated – one institution nonresponsive

• Maximum variation selection (Schwandt, 2007)

• Non-probability or purposive (purposeful) sampling (Jupp, 2006)


Study Participants• Seven Institutions

• Four PWI’s

• Three HBCU’s

• One PWI - Historically

Women’s

• Two land-grant institutions

• New enrollment highest in

AY 2011-2012

• New enrollment lowest in

AY 2011-2012

• CJC new transfer highest

in AY 2011-2012

• CJC new transfer lowest in

AY 2011-2012

• CJC in-state new transfer

average is 9.9%


Data Collection & Analysis

• Contextual Category

• Interviews

• Semi-structured

• Background, Experience and Meaning

• Mutually-agreed upon location

• Observation

• Bound by statewide articulation agreement

• Viable community college transfer student population

• Hosted event during research period

• Document Review

• Statewide Articulation Agreement Policy

• Institutional Printed Advising Materials

• Institutional Web-based Advising Materials


Data Collection & Analysis

• Framework Analysis

• Familiarization

• Identifying a Thematic Framework

• Indexing

• Charting

• Mapping & Interpretation (Ritchie & Spencer, 1994)

• Triangulation

• Multiple data sources

• Convergence, Corroboration, Correspondence (Bryman, 2006)


Research Questions

1) How did university admission counselors apply statewide

articulation agreement policy and transmit its benefits to

community college transfer students?

2) What knowledge did university admission counselors

have regarding the statewide articulation agreement

policy?

3) How do university admission counselors describe the

adequacy of the resources available for their use in policy

application.

4) How do university admission counselors describe their

perspectives and attitudes toward statewide articulation

policy implementation in their system.


Response to Research Questions1) Articulation agreement as an

equalizer

1) How do university admission

counselors apply statewide

articulation agreement policy

and transmit its benefits to

community college transfer

students??


“I have memorized the core curriculum because I can guarantee that I am going to have to

say it over and over again. When I’m at community colleges, all students ask me is, ‘What

will transfer?’” – University 5

“I’m talking about the public colleges here because without the agreement the smaller

schools wouldn’t be able to compete, AT ALL! “ -- University 2

“…we use the word “transfer” a lot. That word represents the agreement in my mind and it

helps me; well, all of us tell the students the same thing.” – University 6.

Response to Research Questions2) What students need to

transfer2) What knowledge did

university admission

counselors have regarding

the statewide articulation

agreement policy?


“The four-year university’s gonna know exactly what’s gonna transfer. I normally counsel

students on the front end, and don’t try to explain articulation so much as I just say to them if

they’re [classes] are not technical classes then they are going to transfer…” -- University 1.

“So, my presentation to them is it’s ok to get a degree in HVAC because they get paid, as long

as you get that 30 [core thirty curriculum]…it gives you options for furthering your education.

This is the knowledge I have about the agreement ‘cause that’s what they need to know. At least

that’s how I see it.” – University 4.

Response to Research Questions3) Access to community

college students


counselors describe the

adequacy of the resources

available for their use in

policy application?


“You have to figure out what gets their attention. It would be great to have direct contact

with every student. “ – University 7

“You can ask almost any community college recruiter in the state and they will tell you that

do not like the college fair at the community college, not like the high school. In the high

school they make the kids come and at the community college the students comes if they

want to. Sometimes, when they walk through and just ignore us, I feel myself just reaching for

them; saying stuff like, ‘Come on over here so I can tell you what [University 2] can do for

you.’ “ -- University 2

Response to Research Questions4) Cooperative and

meaningful relationships


counselors describe their

perspectives and attitudes toward

statewide articulation policy

implementation in their system?


“Being a former college student definitely helps me relate. I had to have those core thirty

hours; they have to have those core thirty hours. It is something you can talk to them about

and empathize with them. I tell my students that I am like a concierge at a hotel…like I’m the

front desk. If they have any questions or problems with scholarships or whatever, they come

to me. So I feel like I’m more of a direct route.” -- University 3

“If it is important to him, it is important to the school so we work hard to use the policy to

help get students. It seems like that is what other people [professional colleagues] think too.

They are out here just like I am because their school thinks the student is valuable.” –

University 6

“The agreement would have some power without us, but we would have no power without

it.” -- University 2


Recommendations

• Close the knowledge gap

• Eliminate the barriers to access to students (not

enough staffing and not enough exposure on

campuses)

• Understand how technology can be affected

reach more students and increase policy

efficacy


ReferencesCarmichael, M., Hall, T. & O’Meara, R. (2007) A discussion of past, present, and future articulation models at postsecondary

institutions. Journal of Technology Studies, 33 (1-2)

9-16 Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JOTS/v33/v33n1.pdf

Bryman, A. (2006). Qualitative Research. (see http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/35066_Chapter3.pdf)

Handel, S. (2011). Improving student transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions: The perspectives of leaders

from baccalaureate-granting institutions. The College Board. Retrieved from

http://advocacy.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/11b3193transpartweb110712.pdf

Jupp, V. (2006). Purposive Sampling. The sage dictionary of social research methods. DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9780857020116

Ignash, J. M. & Townsend, B. K. (2001). Statewide transfer and articulation policies: Current practices and emerging issues. In

B. K. Townsend and S. B. Twombly (eds.). Community colleges: Policy in the future context (p. 173-192). Westport, CT:

Ablex Publishing.

Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL). (2013b) Articulation agreement between board of trustees of state institutions of higher

learning and the community college board. Retrieved from

http://www.mississippi.edu/cjc/downloads/articulation_agreement.xlsx

Ritchie, J. & Spencer, L. (1994). Qualitative data analysis for applied policy research" by Jane Ritchie and Liz Spencer in

A.Bryman and R. G. Burgess [eds.] “Analyzing qualitative data”, pp.173-194.

Schwandt, T. (2007b). Types of sampling. In L. Shaw, K. Greene, A. Virding, & C. Rivard (Eds), The sage dictionary of

qualitative inquiry (p. 271). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB). (2007). Clearing paths to college degrees: Transfer policies in SREB states.

Washington, D. C.: Creech, J. D.1311.5


Discussion




Contact

Dr. James A. Maddirala, Associate Professor

Jackson State University

[email protected]

601.979.1158

Angela E. Payne

Executive PhD Candidate, Jackson State University

Director of Admissions, Meridian Community College

[email protected]

800.MCCthe1

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

statewide articulation agreement policy impact on ... · 2) to understand the form of what exists...

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