Broadening participation in engineering has been a pressing goal for decades, yet progress has been slow. The National Academy of Engineering recommends building transfer pathways from community colleges to universities to meet this goal. Much research has focused broadly on curriculum alignment, articulation policies, and academic advising to ease the transfer pathway in efforts to reduce credit loss, which can significantly impact transfer students enrolled in highly sequential degrees, such as engineering. However, minimal scholarship quantifies and visualizes credit loss or explains in detail how and why it occurs—my dissertation explores credit loss for engineering transfer students to understand how and why these students accumulate excess credit. The first phase explores credit loss at a highly intensive research university using institutional data to compare across student characteristics, transfer type, engineering discipline, and state community college institutions. The second phase quantifies and visualizes credit loss for vertical engineering transfer students using data from both the sending and receiving institutions. The results of this study revealed that nearly all engineering transfer students experienced some form of credit loss. The amount of credit loss differs across engineering disciplines, the types of sending institutions, and between community colleges within the same state system. Additionally, this study found that credit loss occurs throughout the entire degree pathway, from high school dual enrollment and AP credits to community college and even post-transfer. Findings can be used to inform advisors, faculty, administrators, and policymakers about the role of credit loss in the engineering transfer process. This work has implications for informing degree pathways, articulation agreements, and policies that promote successful transfer and degree completion, which ultimately has the potential to enhance college affordability. / Doctor of Philosophy / Broadening participation in engineering has been a pressing goal for decades, yet progress has been slow. The National Academy of Engineering recommends building transfer pathways from community colleges to universities to meet this goal. Established to improve access to higher education for a broad population, beginning a postsecondary degree community college has the potential to be a more cost-effective higher education option for students that can serve as a gateway for upward social mobility. Much of the previous research on transfer students has focused broadly on curriculum alignment, articulation policies, and academic advising to ease the transfer pathway in efforts to reduce credit loss. Credit loss occurs when a student takes a course or accumulates college credits that are not used to meet requirements for their bachelor's degree. Credit loss can significantly impact transfer students enrolled in highly sequential degrees, such as engineering, and result in unnecessary time and costs for students. Minimal research quantifies and visualizes credit loss or explains in detail how and why it occurs—my dissertation explores credit loss for engineering transfer students to understand how and why transfer students accumulate excess credit. The first phase explores credit loss at a highly intensive research university using institutional data to compare across student characteristics, transfer type, engineering discipline, and state community college institutions. The second phase quantifies and visualizes credit loss for engineering transfer students from in-state community colleges using data from both the sending and receiving institutions. The results of this study revealed that nearly all engineering transfer students experienced some form of credit loss. The amount of credit loss differs across engineering disciplines, the types of sending institutions, and even between community colleges within the same state system. Additionally, this study found that credit loss can occurs throughout the entire degree pathway, from high school dual enrollment and AP credits to community college and even post-transfer. Findings can be used to inform advisors, faculty, administrators, and policymakers about the role of credit loss in the engineering transfer process. This work has implications for informing degree pathways, articulation agreements, and policies that promote successful transfer and degree completion, which ultimately has the potential to enhance college affordability.

The majority of the research conducted to date on transfer student academic success compares transfer students with first-year freshmen or native students (Belcheir, 1999, 2001; Carlan, 2001; Cohen & Brawer, 1987; Cope & Hannah, 1975; Eimers & Mullen, 1997; Glass & Harrington, 2002; Keeley & House, 1993; Lorentz & Benedict, 1996; Lunneborg & Lunneborg, 1976; Miville & Sedlacek, 1995; Owen, 1991; Pascarella, 1999; Richman, 1979). Of the studies solely focusing on transfer student academic success, there is inconsistency in the variables selected for analysis and in the findings. Furthermore, transfer students from other four-year institutions are often excluded from these studies. The research generally focuses on transfers from a single community college (Townsend, McNerny, & Arnold, 1993) and oftentimes on transfers from a state's public community college system into the state's public university system (Graham & Hughes, 1994; Holton, 1991; Minear, 1998; Walker, 1992). There is a need for research that looks at transfer students from both two- and four-year institutions and that examines multiple variables associated with academic success. The purpose of this study was to determine the value of the following factors in predicting the academic success of undergraduate transfer students in their first and second semesters of enrollment: (a) on-campus residency, (b) ethnicity, (c) gender, (d) domicile (in v. out of state, (e) Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, (f) number of credits enrolled in, (g) academic college, (h) class standing, and (i) last prior institution (two-year v. four-year). First semester GPA was included as an additional independent variable in the examination of second semester GPA. The data analyzed in the study were collected in 2002 at a research institution in the mid-Atlantic region and were accessed through the student census file. Participants were students coded as entering undergraduate transfer students in the university's student census file during the fall of 2002. This study defined academic success as first and second semester Grade Point Average (GPA), which were used as dependent variables. The above factors were used as independent variables in a step-wise regression analysis. The results indicated nine significant predictors of first semester GPA. The following variables contributed positively to first semester GPA: (a) SAT scores, (b) class standing, (c) being a student in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, and (d) attending Community College (CC) #3. The following variables contributed negatively to first semester GPA: (a) attending CC #1, (b) being Black, (c) attending CC #2, (d) attending Comprehensive University #1, and (e) attending CC #4. The only significant predictor of second semester GPA was first semester GPA. This suggests that the first semester predictor variables help set a student up for academic success or failure. That tracking then carries over generally to second semester. / Master of Arts

"This investigation has sought to study the effectiveness of selected orientation procedures in relation to transfer students at Florida State University. As a means of determining the quality of the present orientation procedures and of obtaining suggestions for future improvements, the criterion of student opinion was used. It is maintained that transfer students who have recently participated in the orientation program are best able to offer criticisms and suggestions based on their actual needs and difficulties"--Leaf 5. / Graduate study in Psychology. / Typescript. / "June, 1953." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts." / Advisor: Harold F. Cottingham, Professor Directing Study. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-92).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-93).

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the feelings and experiences of state college transfer STEM students regarding transfer from the state college to the university. The 25 participants in this study were asked to describe their feelings about the transfer process. Data were gathered from the interviews and from a review of short journals and documents. It was hoped that the experiences of successful transfer students would help illustrate the feelings present when these STEM transfer students enter the university as juniors and compete with native juniors or juniors who began their collegiate experiences as freshmen at the university. Each participant had varied experiences and feelings from the experience. There was no one process that each student traveled through. Findings included: financial influences on decision-making, inconsistencies in advising causing anxieties, hands on learning impacts persistence, negative connotations for transfer students, class size impacts difficulty, the importance of university transfer orientation, and areas in need of improvement. During participant interviews, the issue of finance and budgeting was the most prevalent topic. Participants found that their state college advisors did not always understand their intended career paths causing confusion and anxiety. They valued hands on experiences provided by state college professors who encouraged them to continue their education. The increased class size at the university was disconcerting to many study participants. At the state college professors had open-door policies for students with questions or in need of extra assistance with course materials. Participants felt that the classification of transfer student had some negative connotations at the university. Students were reluctant to be singled out as state college transfer students. In addition, transfer orientation was viewed by older participants as demeaning. Participants were asked about changes they would make in the transfer process. The link programs seemed to be under promoted. A database for immigration information was suggested. Participants also suggested changes to transfer student orientation. This study was limited to 25 successful transfer students. The results should not be generalized to a larger population, but instead provide ideas for future policy discussions and research. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

At a large public research university in Southern California, community college transfer students reported dissatisfaction with their undergraduate college experience. Dissatisfied students may not graduate, may not network with undergraduates at their alma mater, and may not contribute financially to their alma mater. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore why students were dissatisfied with their college experience. Data collection included semi structured interviews with 11 community college transfer students enrolled at the university. The conceptual framework was based on Astin's student involvement theories. The data were analyzed by looking for codes that emerged from the student interviews. From these codes, 12 categories were condensed in to seven themes. These seven themes were: academic reputation, transfer student issues, misinformation, apprehensions and fears, relationships and support, benefits, and ideas for a better college experience. Findings were used to design a 3-day professional development program for student affairs staff. Goals were to provide staff with a better understanding of the issues community college transfer students faced. Social change implications include student affairs staff advocating for changes in processes, procedures, and programs to benefit transfer students.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1993. / Title from title page screen, viewed March 3, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Paula J. Smith (chair), Paul J. Baker, Ronald S. Halinski, Sheryl W. Piercy, Anita H. Webb-Lupo. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-76) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Community college students who transfer to a bachelor's degree granting institution to complete degrees in science often change majors before graduation. Limited research is available on institutional support programs that target this specific population and how programs such as summer research and academic enrichment might increase their motivation to study and persist in a science major. The present study examined the relationship between participants' perceptions of their experience in a summer research program and their motivation to persist in science-related majors and career paths. Participants were community college students with an interest in pursuing a science major and career at the host university. All participants completed a 10-week residential summer apprenticeship-style research program. Participants completed pre- and post-surveys before voluntarily participating in a semi-structured interview that utilized questions adapted from the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation Inventory. The findings demonstrate the relationship between program features and participants' science-related self-efficacy, science identification, science-related goals, and effort. / Doctor of Philosophy / This study explored the relationship between community college students' experiences in a summer research program and their decisions about science-related academic and career goals. Participants were enrolled in a ten-week summer research and academic enrichment program at a research university. Each participant was assigned a faculty mentor for the duration of the program. The findings suggest that certain features of the program were related to participants' goals in science.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2008.