Transfer students

Excelencia in Education (2016) reported that 21% of traditional age college male students were Latino males, second only to White males. The report further noted that Latino males are ranked the lowest in degree attainment – of whom only 20% have earned an associate’s degree or higher (Excelencia in Education, 2016). As an insufficient number of Latino males are graduating with post-secondary degrees, more research must be conducted to explore their educational journey from the community college to the university and how to best support them through their transition. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative narrative research study was to explore the stories of Latino male students as they transfer from a community college to a university. To capture the essence of Latino male students’ stories through the community college transfer experience to university, the research questions focused on what motivated and influenced their journey through the community college to a university. The research questions that guided this study were: What motivated and influenced Latino males’ decisions to enroll in a community college? What motivated and influenced Latino males’ decisions to transfer from a community college to a university? How do Latino male transfer students describe their transition from community college to a university? In this qualitative narrative research study, 10 participants participated in in-depth, semi-structured virtual interviews and completed two journal prompts. To assist in triangulation and validity, participants reviewed the data for accuracy, and thick rich descriptions were used to provide breadth and depth to their narratives. Once the data were collected, it was organized through the qualitative research data management software MAXQDA and analyzed using in vivo, descriptive, and pattern coding. The conceptual frameworks that informed this narrative study were the hero’s journey by Joseph Campbell (2008) and transition theory by Nancy K. Schlossberg (2011).

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the feelings and
experiences of state college transfer STEM students regarding transfer from the state
college to the university. The 25 participants in this study were asked to describe their
feelings about the transfer process. Data were gathered from the interviews and from a
review of short journals and documents. It was hoped that the experiences of successful
transfer students would help illustrate the feelings present when these STEM transfer
students enter the university as juniors and compete with native juniors or juniors who
began their collegiate experiences as freshmen at the university.
Each participant had varied experiences and feelings from the experience. There
was no one process that each student traveled through. Findings included: financial
influences on decision-making, inconsistencies in advising causing anxieties, hands on
learning impacts persistence, negative connotations for transfer students, class size impacts difficulty, the importance of university transfer orientation, and areas in need of
improvement. During participant interviews, the issue of finance and budgeting was the
most prevalent topic. Participants found that their state college advisors did not always
understand their intended career paths causing confusion and anxiety. They valued hands
on experiences provided by state college professors who encouraged them to continue
their education. The increased class size at the university was disconcerting to many
study participants. At the state college professors had open-door policies for students
with questions or in need of extra assistance with course materials. Participants felt that
the classification of transfer student had some negative connotations at the university.
Students were reluctant to be singled out as state college transfer students. In addition,
transfer orientation was viewed by older participants as demeaning.
Participants were asked about changes they would make in the transfer process.
The link programs seemed to be under promoted. A database for immigration
information was suggested. Participants also suggested changes to transfer student
orientation. This study was limited to 25 successful transfer students. The results should
not be generalized to a larger population, but instead provide ideas for future policy
discussions and research.