Transfer Velocity Project: Key Findings on Student Transfer in California Community Colleges
Author: Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (RP Group)
Date: 2010-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Program Descriptions,Educational Policy,Research Projects,Student Behavior,Research Methodology,Predictor Variables,Literature Reviews,Management Information Systems,Institutional Characteristics,Community Colleges,Transfer Rates (College),College Transfer Students,Transfer Policy,Outcomes of Education,School Effectiveness,Educational Practices,Case Studies,Cohort Analysis,Interviews,Focus Groups,Longitudinal Studies,Academic Support Services,Intercollegiate Cooperation,College School Cooperation,College Environment,School Culture,Transitional Programs,Outreach Programs,Student Characteristics,Educational Indicators,Student Personnel Services

Which factors promote student transfer from California Community Colleges (CCC) to baccalaureate-granting institutions? How do community college practices support this transition? Which student behaviors and characteristics particularly facilitate their movement to four-year colleges and universities? The Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (RP Group) investigated these questions through the Transfer Velocity Project (TVP)--the most comprehensive study of community college transfer implemented to date. Because CCCs serve as the primary point of access to postsecondary education understanding and improving the community college transfer function is increasingly a priority for higher education policy-makers, advocates, researchers and practitioners alike, particularly in light of and demographic forecasts of a debilitating shortage of baccalaureate-trained workers in California. This research brief (1) introduces the project's primary components, (2) highlights key findings on institutional factors and student behaviors and characteristics facilitating transfer and (3) informs possible strategies and approaches for improving this transition for California Community College students. (Contains 1 footnote.) [For related reports, see the following: (1) &quot;Transfer Issues and Effective Practices: A Review of the Literature&quot; (ED521887); (2) &quot;A Qualitative Study of Two-To-Four-Year Transfer Practices in California Community Colleges: An Analysis of Seven Case Studies Featuring Colleges with Consistently Higher-than-Expected Transfer Rates, Fall 2008&quot; (ED521877); (3) &quot;Transfer Practices at De Anza College: Case Study #1 of 7 Featuring Colleges with Consistently Higher than Expected Transfer Rates, Fall 2008&quot; (ED521886); (4) &quot;Transfer Practices at Irvine Valley College: Case Study #2 of 7 Featuring Colleges with Consistently Higher than Expected Transfer Rates, Fall 2008&quot; (ED521884); (5) &quot;Transfer Practices at Los Angeles Southwest College: Case Study #3 of 7 Featuring Colleges with Consistently Higher than Expected Transfer Rates, Fall 2008&quot; (ED521889); (6) &quot;Transfer Practices at Porterville College: Case Study #4 of 7 Featuring Colleges with Consistently Higher than Expected Transfer Rates, Fall 2008&quot; (ED521880); (7) &quot;Transfer Practices at Reedley College: Case Study #5 of 7 Featuring Colleges with Consistently Higher than Expected Transfer Rates, Fall 2008&quot; (ED521878); (8) &quot;Transfer Practices at San Diego City College: Case Study #6 of 7 Featuring Colleges with Consistently Higher than Expected Transfer Rates, Fall 2008&quot; (ED521876); and (9) &quot;Transfer Practices at Skyline College: Case Study #7 of 7 Featuring Colleges with Consistently Higher than Expected Transfer Rates, Fall 2008&quot; (ED521879).]