| 1)
Academic and articulation barriers |
| Challenge: |
Possible
solutions: |
| Without
the existence of an articulation agreement, some four-year colleges
require transfer students to retake courses they already completed
at the community college. |
Articulation
agreements between institutions would help, but students must be
aware that these agreements exist. Additionally, there must be communication
between individuals responsible for course content and the transfer
process at both the four-year and two-year institutions. Additional
strategies that might be helpful include: dual admission, encouraging
classic transfer, optimizing the amount of credit accepted in transfer,
and keeping community college students from transferring too early. |
| 2)
Institutional bureaucracy |
| Challenge: |
Possible
solutions: |
| The
stringent rules, regulations, and requirements for transfer at some
universities can keep students from transferring. Often times, overall
GPA is the deciding factor for accepting the student, while the
student’s overall academic history is ignored. |
Both
institutions could make meaningful and comprehensive printed information
about the transfer process available to students. The four-year
institution could review and revise any unnecessary bureaucratic
procedures, and encourage personnel to reconsider selective admissions
practices that limit a number of community college students from
transferring. |
| 3)
Geography |
| Challenge: |
Possible
solutions: |
| One
of the conveniences of community colleges is that most students
are within commuting distance of an institution. This is not always
the case for four-year institutions. |
In
Florida, some communities are not located near universities, so
the state government allows the community colleges to offer a limited
selection of bachelor’s in high demand fields. Additionally,
some community colleges in Arkansas, Georgia, Nevada, New York,
and Utah now offer a bachelor’s degree. |
| 4)
Economic concerns |
| Challenge: |
Possible
solutions: |
| There
is a distinct cost difference between public community colleges
and four-year institutions. For students from low-income families
(a high percentage of community college students), the colleges
are out of financial reach. |
Both
four- and two-year institutions could make information about financial
aid opportunities readily available to students. |
| 5)
Age |
| Challenge: |
Possible
solutions: |
| The
culture, programs, and services offered by four-year institutions
tend to cater to the traditional college student. For adults, there
may be uncertainty and apprehension about being in classes that
are full of traditional age students; and they may also lack confidence
in their own abilities. |
Advisors
could be aware of and sensitive to the specific needs of older students.
This is another barrier, which with collaboration between the two
institutions, could be alleviated. Community colleges work with
adult students to a greater extent then four-year institutions,
so the college can share information on specific student services
important to the adult learner. |
| 6)
Race/Ethnicity |
| Challenge: |
Possible
solutions: |
| For
students who are in a minority group, the typically less diverse
and larger four-year campuses may create a belief that the college
has a non-supportive culture, and does not welcome those who are
different. |
The
four-year institution could be aware of its multicultural students,
and could ensure that adequate student services exist to deal with
the specific needs. Advisors could develop a multicultural perspective,
and this might be accomplished through in-service or other forms
of training. |
| 7)
Occupational or vocational programs |
| Challenge: |
Possible
solutions: |
| Four-year
colleges may be hesitant to accept a student who has been enrolled
in an occupational or vocational program instead of a transfer-preparation
program. Students who graduated with a terminal degree may also
find more problems transferring than students with an A.A. degree. |
The
only solution to this concern is an articulation agreement, even
on a program level. As shown by the University of Maryland and Montgomery
College Nursing agreement, when course content is evaluated by both
institutions, transferring credits becomes easier. |
| 8)
First-generation students |
| Challenge: |
Possible
solutions: |
| First-generation
college students often deal with academic and personal challenges
that they have never dealt with, and are not prepared for. Community
colleges may be better suited to deal with these students since
the majority start off in a community college. |
Some
effective strategies include enhanced counseling, advising services,
using faculty advisors, and Coordinated Studies Programs (CSPs).
CSPs bring faculty from different parts of the college together
for an interdisciplinary approach to teaching. |
| 9)
Single-parents |
| Challenge: |
Possible
solutions: |
| Simply
attending an institution as a single-parent can be a difficult task,
let alone transferring to a four-year institution. Many universities
may not have the needed student services available. |
This
is another example where the student services offered by the institution
must address the specific needs of the student. Besides the obvious
childcare concerns, colleges must be sensitive to the needs of these
individuals. Again, this is an area where collaboration between
institutions could occur. |
| 10)
Accreditation |
| Challenge: |
Possible
solutions: |
| Although
the AACC definition of community colleges includes only those colleges
with either full regional accreditation or candidacy status, not
all two-year colleges are regionally accredited. Most four-year
colleges will not accept the transfer credits from a nationally
accredited institution. |
Due
to the more stringent accreditation standards from regional associations,
the likelihood that four-year institutions will accept credits from
a non-regionally accredited institution is slim. The real solution
here is that the two-year college must apply for and receive accreditation
status from a regional association to successfully transfer students. |
|