Explaining Academic Barriers of Two – Four Year and Four – Four-year Transfer Students and Their Academic Success in Higher Education
Presenter(s)
Hannah Boudreaux
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to find the academic challenges and barriers of transfer, lateral, and reverse transfer students. A transfer student is a student who transfers from a two-year college to a four-year institution. A lateral student is a student who transfers from a four-to-four year. Lastly, reverse transfer student is a student who transfers from a four-year institution to another for year institution. Marling (2013), Mikell and Davis (2022), and Chen and Hagedorn (2020). Marling (2013) examined the statistics of how many students are transfers, noting “One - third of all students transfer during their college career and of those transfers, 25% transfers more than once” and “it is important to note that 43% of students transfer from a four year to a two-year institution.” Chen and Hagedorn (2020) examined reasons why students transfer find that “students transfer due to significant academic challenges at the four-year institutions; others may earn additional credits during the summer thus expediting the academic progress towards a bachelor’s degree.” Mikell and Davis (2022) examined the challenges of identity and belonging. As a student who transferred from a two-year college, I find it important to identify challenges and barriers that transfer students go through. Two research questions for this study outline the challenges that transfer students face. RQ1: What resources were most/least helpful for transfer students? RQ2: What role did effective communication play in the transfer, lateral, reverse transfer process?
In this study, in depth interviews were conducted with participants between the ages of 18 – 25 who have transferred between two – four-year colleges, four – two-year college, and four – four-year colleges. In this study 14 questions were asked to analyze the academic challenges and barriers of all transfer students. Two of the interview questions are, “What were challenges in the transfer process” and “How did you overcome said challenges in your transfer process”? The results are being analyzed through a thematic analysis looking for repetition, forcefulness, and recurrence. The results thus far in the interviews have demonstrated a few following themes: advising approaches, mental health challenges, and reasons for transferring. Results will be fully finalized by the time of the poster presentations.
College
College of Liberal Arts
Department
Communication Studies
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Tammy Swenson-Lepper
Start Date
4-24-2025 1:00 PM
End Date
4-24-2025 2:00 PM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
2a=1pm-2pm
Poster Number
7
Explaining Academic Barriers of Two – Four Year and Four – Four-year Transfer Students and Their Academic Success in Higher Education
The purpose of this study is to find the academic challenges and barriers of transfer, lateral, and reverse transfer students. A transfer student is a student who transfers from a two-year college to a four-year institution. A lateral student is a student who transfers from a four-to-four year. Lastly, reverse transfer student is a student who transfers from a four-year institution to another for year institution. Marling (2013), Mikell and Davis (2022), and Chen and Hagedorn (2020). Marling (2013) examined the statistics of how many students are transfers, noting “One - third of all students transfer during their college career and of those transfers, 25% transfers more than once” and “it is important to note that 43% of students transfer from a four year to a two-year institution.” Chen and Hagedorn (2020) examined reasons why students transfer find that “students transfer due to significant academic challenges at the four-year institutions; others may earn additional credits during the summer thus expediting the academic progress towards a bachelor’s degree.” Mikell and Davis (2022) examined the challenges of identity and belonging. As a student who transferred from a two-year college, I find it important to identify challenges and barriers that transfer students go through. Two research questions for this study outline the challenges that transfer students face. RQ1: What resources were most/least helpful for transfer students? RQ2: What role did effective communication play in the transfer, lateral, reverse transfer process?
In this study, in depth interviews were conducted with participants between the ages of 18 – 25 who have transferred between two – four-year colleges, four – two-year college, and four – four-year colleges. In this study 14 questions were asked to analyze the academic challenges and barriers of all transfer students. Two of the interview questions are, “What were challenges in the transfer process” and “How did you overcome said challenges in your transfer process”? The results are being analyzed through a thematic analysis looking for repetition, forcefulness, and recurrence. The results thus far in the interviews have demonstrated a few following themes: advising approaches, mental health challenges, and reasons for transferring. Results will be fully finalized by the time of the poster presentations.
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