How Course Articulation Agreements Facilitate the Transfer and Completion of a Bachelor's Degree: A Comparison of Native and Transfer Students

Abstract

A seismic economic shift has changed the rules by which Americans strive to get ahead in society. Hard work, once the bedrock of opportunity, is no longer sufficient in and of itself to ensure individual prosperity and security for either individuals or the larger community. The consequence of this new economy is the need to educate students in the shortest possible timeframe, so they will have an impact on society. This study was designed to research the use of well-established articulation agreements traditional within higher education institutions in California and their impact on student's transfer and completion time-frames and rates. The purpose of this study was to explore how long it takes a student who has transferred from a 2-year college to a 4-year university (transfer students) to complete a bachelor's degree and compare it to the completion rates of students who enter and graduated from 4-year universities (native students) at selected institutions in California. In addition, perception of the administration of those 2-year colleges and 4-year universities related to the policies and procedures of articulation agreements were gathered to explore what barriers or assistance these policies and procedures created for students or the articulation process. This study provides important information for the benefit of students, academic articulation officers and administrators, and to reach an understanding of the impact of articulation agreements, policies, and procedures on students who desire to transfer articulate coursework within the higher education environments. From the study was learned that starting at a 2-year college and transferring to a 4-year university will accelerate the degree completion time-frame dramatically. This research provides data and findings to administrators and articulation officers interested in continuous improvement, allowing them to plan their implementations to avoid pitfalls, break down any existing barriers and enhance the benefits of any student who desires to complete a bachelor degree in these systems in a timely and acceptable manner. The failure of the community colleges and state 4-year universities to agree on common transfer requirements creates tremendous confusion. It has become one more factor discouraging students from pursuing a 4-year degree. The 110 community colleges have created individual articulation agreements with 4-year universities to which they feed the most students. Beyond that, the transfer system is a maze to negotiate. Unsure where the students will transfer to, community college students hedge their bets by taking more courses than they need. Once the students have been re-admitted to a 4-year university, community college transfer students learn they often have to take extra courses peculiar to that school's requirements for a major. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone [phone]. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]