Transfer101

The number of community college students transferring to UT System institutions grew 11.3 percent from 2008 to 2009, accounting for the largest annual gain in recent memory and showing signs that efforts to boost the number of transfers to the system are bearing fruit.

“We owe it to the state to increase access to college and improve the workforce for the betterment of Texas and these efforts, we believe, are fostering some remarkable strides toward achieving a more educated labor force,” said David B. Prior, UT System executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. “As these and other efforts gain more momentum, we expect the number of community college transfers to increase across all Texas public universities.”

In a collaborative effort with the Texas A&M University System and the state’s 50 community college districts, the UT System last September launched Transfer 101 which offers easy-to-use directions for successfully making the transition from community colleges to four-year institutions. Last October – the first full month of its operation after launching – the website recorded 551 hits. In April 2010, the website recorded 5,455 hits. Read more about the UT System’s efforts to ensure success for transfer students.

Higher education officials throughout Texas have unveiled a new name and logo for a fledgling campaign designed to boost the number of students who transfer into four-year universities.

Transfer 101: From Community College to University is the official name of the campaign. The effort is being backed by the University of Texas System, the Texas A&M University and the Texas Association of Community Colleges.

Research already shows that students who complete their first two years of higher education at a community college and then transfer to a four-year institution are more likely to graduate with a bachelor’s than those who begin their college careers at a four-year university.
Read the rest of this entry »

Higher education officials are pushing to get more community college graduates into the state’s four-year universities.

Officials with the University of Texas System, Texas A&M University System and Texas Association of Community Colleges unveiled the Transfer 101 campaign this month to better explain the transition and to encourage students to move on to additional education.

Studies show that students who complete community college course work before going to four-year institutions tend to graduate at a higher rate than those who begin their college educations at four-year institutions. However, fewer than 20 percent of qualified community college students elect to transfer to universities, according to Martha Ellis, the UT System’s associate vice chancellor for community college partnerships.

Read the rest of this entry »