Tackling Transfer

Based on original research into the practices of six highly effective community college-university partnerships, The Transfer Playbook, published by Aspen and CCRC in 2016, describes and synthesizes ways that institutions can improve transfer student outcomes through three core strategies: prioritizing transfer, creating clear transfer program maps, and establishing dedicated transfer advising. The report provides concrete examples of essential strategies as well as a checklist of “How to Get Started.”

To complement the Playbook, the partners also designed open-access tools for assessing practice at two- and four-year institutions. These tools, in addition to other materials accompanying the newly released Tackling Transfer Guide, are available as a full suite of resources available for use in the planning, design, and execution of a state transfer workshop.

With CCRC, Public Agenda, and SOVA, Aspen designed and delivered a series of workshops in three states - North Carolina, Ohio, and Washington - to support the widespread adoption of high-impact strategies for improving bachelor's degree completion among students who start in community colleges. Additionally, in partnership with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the John N Gardner Institute, and Achieving the Dream (ATD), our organizations helped design transfer workshops for two- and four-year institutional practitioners within the AASCU and ATD networks.

Informed by this on-the-ground work, the newly released Tackling Transfer Guide is designed as a resource to help state entities organize workshops within which teams from two- and four-year institutions work together to improve transfer and graduation outcomes for their students. Through data analysis and self-reflection of institutional practices, these workshops help institutions develop action plans (individually and among partners) to improve transfer student success.

Accompanying the guide is a series of related materials including sample agendas, action plans and assessment tools for use in the planning, design, and execution of a state transfer workshop.