Transfer Student Attrition and Retention at Point Loma Nazarene University

Transfer Student Attrition and Retention at

Point Loma Nazarene University

By Jovonne M. Dempster soon to be BA in May 2007


San Diego, California

Who am I?

Jovonne M. Dempster21 year old female

Industrial Organizational Psychology major

First Generation College Graduate

Minority StudentHonors Student

Former Transfer Student

My Transfer Story…

College Journey: High School graduate class of 2003 Azusa Pacific University for Fall 2003 Mira Costa Community College for Spring 2004 Point Loma Nazarene University for Fall 2004

Graduation= Spring 2007


Founded in 1902 by Phineas F. Bresee (USC Board of Trustees member)

Private & Liberal Arts University

Sponsored by the Church of the Nazarene

Accredited by the Western Association with Schools and Colleges (WASC)

2400 undergraduate students


“To Teach~ To Shape~ To Send”Mission Statement

Point Loma Nazarene University exists to provide higher education in a vital Christian community where minds are engaged and challenged, character is modeled and formed, and service becomes an expression of faith. Being of Wesleyan heritage, we aspire to be a learning community where grace is foundational, truth is pursued, and holiness is a way of life.

A View from Point Loma Nazarene University

Overview

Connection to Transfer Students Point Loma Nazarene University Transfer Student Retention Review of the Literature Gaps in the Literature Fall 2006 Transfer Orientation Quotes from Student Participants Results of Post-Orientation Assessment Fall to Spring Retention Spring 2007 Orientation Quotes from Student Participants

Overview continued

Next Step Future Suggestions for Point Loma Nazarene University’s

Transfer Program Question and Answer session

Ready? Let’s dive right into it!

Why Me?

NSO transfer student panelConnection with Student DevelopmentHired to research and designSenior Honors Project

PLNU Transfer Retention

Transfer students enter the University at different classifications, freshman to senior.

85% of transfers are sophomores or juniors

Expected time of completion vary within the different classifications, depending on the # of units they come in with.


The University began creating cohorts of transfer students, identified by entering year and classification, in the fall of 2001-2002.

Currently the data is only available for four years on the first cohort year, limiting current reporting on transfer students.


Preliminary Themes:Junior Transfers have a 85% graduation rate

Freshman or Sophomore Transfer have a 65% graduation rate

vs.

Overall 6 year grad rate for First Time Freshman is 68%

Review of the Literature

The fact of the matter is… Recent information on college enrollment trends indicated that

higher education experienced a rapid growth of transfer students in the last decade (United States Department of Education, 2001).

Significant portion of the college population attend more than one college. (Townsend, 2001)

During some portion of their college careers, approximately 1/3 of college seniors have transferred (Jacobs, 2006)


Transfer students are often labeled as: Not wanting to engage in the campus life of their new institution

(Astin, 1982) Concerned only with their academic course requirements, being

academically unprepared for the demands of four-year institutions (Keeley & House, 1993; Laanan, 1999; Townsend, 1994)

Not needing assistance in their transition because they have already experienced college life on at least one other campus (Beckenstein, 1992).


Why do students transfer colleges? Pursue further education Academic difficulty Dissatisfaction Lack of institutional fit Financial difficulties Career Change Crisis Relocation

(Harrison & Varcol, 1984)


“Transfer student hassles: Investigation and remediation” by Alice A. Mitchell and William E. SedlacekSample group consisted of Junior criminal justice & government students. Students were given a questionnaire that asked them questions about their concerns and about their attitudes toward their transfer process.

The three highest hassles for transfer students were: (1) Determining which advisor is appropriate for particular questions

(2) Receiving adequate information about sources of scholarships

(3) Learning which courses will count toward requirements.


The three lowest hassles reported by transfer students were:

(1) Getting information about appropriate procedures for applying for graduation

(2) Finding out the procedure to change one's major

(3) Getting unofficial copies of one's transcript.


Characteristics of Transfer Students: Aware of some institution expectations Expect some services as at prior institution When compared to freshman are more mature and understand rules Overly confident Possess a predetermined bias Come with developed interest in academics and out of class activities Developed better social skills Sense isolation and often skip orientation programs Show less enthusiasm Display false sense of security

(Horne & Kreusch, 1989)


Relatively well-established research in the United States has identified a range of student and institutional issues related to the transfer experience.

“Transfer shock” (Carlan & Byxbe, 2000; Cjeda, 1997; Fredrickson, 1998; Glass & Harrington,

2002; Laanan, 2001; Rhine, Milligan & Nelson, 2000), “Transfer shock" has been coined to denote the lowered

performance of transfer students, in comparison to pre-transfer performance (Holahan et al., 1983)

Student withdrawal rates (Minear, 1998 in D.S. Peterman, 2002; Van Middlesworth, Carpenter-Davis & McCool, 2002)

Student perceptions of the cultural differences between college and university (Davies & Dickmann, 1998)

Institutional remedies to enhance the success of transfer students (Rhine, Milligan & Nelson, 2000)


Some more important information to know about transfer students: Kelley (1982) observed that transfer students' awareness of themselves as a

unique group was important in predicting transfer student expectations of academic success.

Bean and Metzner (1985) suggested that administrators and faculty need to better understand transfer students on their respective college campuses.

Studying transfer students upon their entry into their new institution provides an opportunity for researchers to study a group of students who are still committed to completing a college degree (Tinto, 1993)

Assessing the goals, attitudes, academic behaviors, and intentions of transfer students allows for a better understanding of the college retention process for transfer students. (Laanan, 1996)


Some more important info… Volkwein, King & Terenzini (1986) note that interaction with faculty

can be critical in helping to develop the cognitive skills of transfer students. (Johnson, 1987)

Better understanding how this theme relates to success by using non-cognitive variables (a positive self-concept, availability of a strong support person, importance of community, long-range goals, leadership skills, and understanding how to negotiate a diverse environment) will help to gauge transfer students’ talents and potential to succeed in college (Wawrzynski & Sedlacek, 2003)


The final piece of literature…Wrenn (1967, in Feldman, Sedlacek, & Wright, 1977) wrote:

“Transfers are freshmen in every sense of the word except for a few more years of general

maturity and some additional academic content gathered elsewhere."

Gaps in the Literature

Main areas the literature failed to give any insight…

Critical window of engagement for transfer students

Small College/University data Lack of intensive transfer student research

Gaps in the Literature

Although numbers of transfer students increased over the past decade, research on transfer students has not kept pace with this growing trend.

The research on transfer students has been devoted to comparing transfer students to their first-year student counterparts (Miville & Sedlacek, 1995) or to students who originated and continued enrollment at the same institution (Keeley & House,

1993; Townsend, 1994), or grouped students into minority and non-minority transfer students (Keeley & House; Laanan, 1999).

Fall 2006 Transfer Orientation

Pre-Orientation Preparations:

Transfer Student Needs, Orientation, and PLNU research

“Welcome to Point Loma Nazarene University” letter


1. 1.5 hour session dedicated to building social connections and educating transfer students about campus culture

2. 1.5 hour session dedicated to informing new students about general education requirements, academic standings, and academic advising

3. Pre-engagement piece:- Strengths Quest group- Reading Discussion group

4. 3 week engagement piece- Week 1: Transfer Student Dinner- Week 2: “Check in” email- Week 3: “Send off” email


“10 tips for Transfer Success at Point Loma Nazarene University” By: Jovonne M. Dempster

1. “Get Acquainted with your Academic Department”2. “Build a Relationship with your Advisor”3. “Create Social, Academic, and Spiritual network of friends”4. “Dive into PLNU’s culture”5. “Focus your time”6. “Set Goals, and FOLLOW them”7. “Have Fun (It’s College after all!)”8. “Be Aggressive and Proactive”9. “Keep On Your Game”10. “Don’t be Afraid to Question”


Intervention:

Sophomore and Junior residents met at the Residence Director of Nease Halls’, a freshman/sophomore dormitory, apartment for dinner and a debriefing about their semester before Thanksgiving break…

Quotes from Student Participants

“Going into any new school half way through the year can be intimidating at first. But for me, coming from a large public university in Alabama to PLNU was a very comfortable transition. I was made to feel like I was a part of the student body and not just as a number as I did at my previous institution. I knew that I made the right decision to transfer to PLNU!”

Michelle Jaimerena

Fall 2006 sophomore transfer


“At the transfer luncheon, there were 3 people that I sat with and got to know. Of those 3 I am still really close to 2 of them. One of the girls actually became my best friend here at Point Loma and I don’t think we would have ever met if it wasn’t for the transfer luncheon.

In addition to the luncheon, I believe the dinner that we had a week or so after NSO was also very important. It gave us a break from the hundreds of people we were meeting in the first week and then allowed us to recall those that we have seen around campus and really be able to attach a name to their faces.

For the future, I think it would be a good idea to maybe do a couple more of those dinners throughout the semester and really allow time for transfers to develop a stronger relationship with other transfers in case they aren’t enjoying the people they were forced to live with” Whitney Cauzza

Fall 2006 Junior

Results of Post-Orientation Assessment

Type of Previous Institution

2-year69%

trade school0%

4-year public19%

4-year private12% other

0% 2-year

trade school

4-year public

4-year private

other

What type of institution did you transfer from?

2-year institution= 69%

Trade School= 0%

4-year Public= 19%

4-year Private= 12%

Other= 0%

What is the reason for transferring to Point Loma Nazarene University?

Major, Location, Size 20%Nursing Program 16%Community & Atmosphere 14.67%Degree 14.67%Christian Education 12%Religious Affiliation 5.33%Better School 5.33%Peer/Family Influence 4%Weather 4%N/A 4%Athletics 2.67%

Fall to Spring Retention?

Fall – Spring First Time Freshman retention rate of 86% (last couple of years)

Fall 06- Spring 07 First Time Freshman retention rate of 95%

Vs.

Fall – Spring Transfer retention rate of 93.6%

Fall 06- Spring 07 Transfer retention rate of 95%

Spring 2007 Transfer Orientation

Change from 3 hour, Sunday whirlwind to full

day Saturday Orientation.

Results= Success!!!


“The Life of a Transfer Student” by Jen Lebron, Spring 2007 Jr. Transfer

1. “It was weird enough starting a brand new school as a slightly older junior; but it was even stranger to arrive halfway through the school year”

2. “I’ve never been to a school that pushes you so hard to be involved…with EVERYTHING!”

3. “Even though I’ve been here for a week, I already know that my choice to come to PLNU was a good one.”

* Hint: She’s involved with the school newspaper!

Next Step

1. Student Development

2. Academic Advisers

3. Relationship with Commuter Office

4. Who will run with the torch next?

Future Suggestions for Point Loma Nazarene University’s Transfer

Programs

1. Wellness Center contacts with Transfer Students

2. Post “Welcome to Point Loma Nazarene University” letter

3. Better Intervention/ A time of debriefing4. Better scheduling of classes in the 1st semester

Any Comments, Questions, Concerns?

This is your chance to finally speak!

Thank You!!!

Contact me…

Jovonne M. Dempster

[email protected]

Documents

Transfer Student Attrition and Retention at Point Loma Nazarene University