NEWS
Monday, March 24, 2014
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Study finds transfer credits predict student success Attewell, Monaghan say ‘empty’ credits cause concern, University students, administrators say articulation agreements ease transfer process Sarah Hainbach Senior Writer
Studies have shown students who begin at community college before transferring to four-year colleges or universities are less likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than their peers who begin their undergraduate educations at four-year institutions. Research published last Tuesday by City University of New York scholars Paul Attewell and David B. Monaghan pinpoints the process of transferring credits as contributing to this discrepancy. Attewell, a professor at the CUNY Graduate Center, and Monaghan, a sociology doctoral candidate, conducted the study, which was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in response to the increasing number of students starting at community colleges rather than four-year schools. Community colleges are attractive to students because they are often cheaper and more convenient, Attewell said. “They are a way to try out college for students who weren’t academically strong in high school,” he said. But only about 25 percent of students who start at a community college obtain a bachelor's degree in six years. This is a much lower proportion than the 46 percent of students who start at four-year colleges. Attewell and Monaghan conducted their study to find out why
this disparity exists. Transferring to the University University students and administrators described a transfer experience which deviates from the norm suggested in the study. Dean of Transfer Students Frank Papovich and several transfer students said the articulation agreement between the Virginia Community College System and U.Va. is helpful in ensuring students' academic credits transfer successfully. According to its website, the University grants transfer credit based on several factors, including applicability of the courses to fulfilling degree requirements of the student’s intended major and accreditation of the institution at which the work was completed. Alumna Rachel Boag transferred to the University from Lord Fairfax Community College in Middletown, Virginia. She said no one she knew from her community college had any difficulty transferring their credits to the University. “The articulation agreement between the Virginia Community College System and U.Va. seems very well organized and really facilitates credit transfers,” Boag said in an email. “In my experience usually all the credits transfer as something, though not always as credit towards a major or minor.”Attewell and Monaghan also identified “empty” credits, which count toward graduation but not the requirements students
need to fulfill, as another problem with the transfer process. Third-year student Ben Colallilo came to the University as a second year from Trinity College in Connecticut. Colallilo said about half of his credits are “just there,” because classes which fulfilled Trinity’s requirements did not fulfill University requirements. “Since I didn’t know exactly what I was doing from day one, I wasn’t able to double major or minor,” Collalilo said. Having a specific plan seems to help transfer students achieve their academic goals. Third-year College student Ruoxi Cao transferred from James Madison University after her first year of college. “Some people really take advantage [of opportunities],” Cao said. “The entire transfer experience depends on the individual.” Shraddha Prasad, assistant director of the University’s Orientation and New Student Programs, is the faculty leader for Transfer Student Peer Advising. “Many [transfer students] are really motivated from the get-go," she said. "They’re ready when they get here to take on the challenge." But Prasad acknowledged some things are more difficult for transfer students. Some selective programs, such as the Commerce School, are difficult for students to transfer into because of the prerequisites. Second-year Pete Hanner transferred to the University from the University of North Carolina.
He said his transfer process was inconvenient, but not impossible. “My credits were relatively easy to transfer,” Hanner said in an email. “I feel that is largely due to Virginia and North Carolina being similarly structured schools.” Though their study emphasized problems with the transfer of credit process, Attewell and Monaghan said the transfer process in general is problematic. “About half of students who get a BA nowadays do not graduate where they began [school],” Atwell said. He said colleges and universities should adjust their transfer
policies to accommodate this new reality. Boag said transferring can be difficult whether or not students’ credits transfer easily. “As a transfer student you’re thrust into a situation where your peers are already comfortable in their routines and you have to break into that environment,” Boag said. “Expectations are higher for you than for a first year because you’re a second or third year in terms of your academic status, but you’re very much a first year in knowing the ins and outs of University academic and social life.”
Will Brumas | The Cavalier Daily
Admissions officers in Peabody Hall, above, determine admissions decisions for transfer students. A new study finds credit decisions, made at the different schools, play a large role in student success.
Wallace, Fu seek Batten Graduate Council presidency Fu seeks to transform Council, increase transparency, Wallace to improve alumni relations, Narayan, Foley run for Treasurer position Meg Gardner Associate Editor
Eight candidates have kicked off their campaigns for Batten Graduate Council positions this week. Responsibilities of the Council include planning and organizing events to promote student life at the Batten School as well as determining which students will receive funding for professional development. The candidates for Batten Council President are fourth-year College student Alex Wallace and third-year College student Yuhuan Fu. “We decide which events are best for community development and professional development,” said Wallace, the current represen-
tative for the Accelerated Master of Public Policy 2015 class. “We also approve funding for professional development applications, which is a program where any Batten student can apply to go to any professional event around the world, such as a conference.” Wallace said he hopes to focus on improving Council’s alumni relations, large-scale events and volunteer programs. “A lot of Batten students volunteer, but there’s not really a central program,” he said. “I would like to work on that.” Fu said he wants to promote new goals such as increasing Council transparency and promoting events to increase Batten’s presence in the community. “A more transparent council will feature public monthly expenditures, so students know exactly
where our money is going, and a calendar of open meetings will offer students the chance to sit in on Council meetings and voice their opinions,” Fu said in an email. “Finally, new events, including Batten Paintballing with proceeds going to the Wounded Warriors Project and a Pink Ribbon Casino Night with proceeds going to Relay for Life will both increase our presence in the community, and unity towards a common purpose.” In addition, Fu would like to increase student participation in curriculum decisions within Batten, emphasizing students can have a huge effect in shaping the school’s history. “Batten is still a very young school, and there are vast opportunities for students to shape its development,” Fu said. “Moving forward, it is my hope to get our
students to be vocal in the development of our curriculum.” First-year Batten Graduate student Shilpa Narayan, one of two candidates for Batten School treasurer, also said she hoped to create more programs for Batten students both within the school itself and within the community. First-year Batten graduate student Chris Foley did not return requests for comment. “Batten Council is responsible for the whole Batten community,” Narayan said. “I really want to raise more funds, which would give me the opportunity to have more programs, and then more students could participate in these programs and benefit from them.” Narayan would also like to improve the Batten School by providing more programs for international students.
“We don’t have many programs [for international students]. … Batten Council can do more,” Narayan said. “I think we need to have some programs or information sessions or maybe a club that can educate them about U.Va. and Charlottesville in general.” Batten Council is one of the few graduate programs which decided not to hold elections through the University Board of Elections this year. Current President Alex Dumitriu said the election change was mainly related to timing, and will not have a huge effect on the Council election process. “This year our timeline doesn’t really seem to match U.Va.’s timeline for elections, so we just decided to have our own elections,” Dumitriu said. “The only effect it has is it’s just slightly more extended, but nothing more than that.”