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ŠÓÓÓÓŃ  ŃĢUnderstanding€Transfer€Student€Success:€Implications€for€Policy€at€a€ĢMulti„campus€UniversityŌ‡&©i&&&ĻŽŌŠ `° ŠÓÕÓĢŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&©iP#ŌŌ‡ &ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌAbstractŠ ` ŠŌ#†&ĻŽ&& &ĻŽø#Ōó óą  ąAt€one€multi„campus€research€university€system€in€the€Midwest,€transfer€students€now€account€forŠ č8 Šnearly€half€of€all€new€students.€Two€questions€are€addressed€in€this€paper:€1)€What€characteristics€helpĻexplain€a€transfer€studentššs€likelihood€of€graduating?€And€2)€Are€transfer€students€more€likely€to€graduateĻthan€first„time€freshmen,€when€controlling€for€student€ability?€Findings€indicate€that€transfer€GPA,€theĻnumber€of€credit€hours€transferred,€and€ethnicity€were€statistically€significant€predictors€of€graduation€amongĻa€cohort€of€transfer€students€(N=3,948).€Additionally,€when€GPA€and€credit€hours€were€controlled,€first„timeĻfreshmen€(N=12,085)€graduated€at€a€higher€rate€than€students€who€transferred€to€the€University.€These€resultsĻare€discussed€in€terms€of€how€they€affect€the€institutionššs€transfer€student€policies€and€programs,€and€how€theĻresults€of€this€study€might€have€an€impact€on€transfer€student€policies€at€similar€institutions.ĢŌ‡2&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌņ ņĢĢŌ#†&ĻŽ&&2&ĻŽū#ŌŌ‡2&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌŠ  0€ V ŠŲŲŌ#†&ĻŽ&&2&ĻŽB #ŌÓÓÓ€ÓÓ  ÓńhńœńhńńbńŃ€ @Ø ŃńbńUnderstandingńhń›ńhń€Transfer€Student€Success:€Š ° ŠImplications€for€Policy€at€a€Multi„campus€University€ņņŠ ōD ŠĢóóó óÓŅ ÓĢą  ąThis€research€and€subsequent€policy€discussions€involved€unique€organizational€constraints€andĻconsiderations.€The€University€of€Missouri€System€(UM)€consists€of€four€rather€distinct€campuses€and€anĻextensive€statewide€extension€component.€The€four€campuses€are€the€University€of€Missouri€„€ColumbiaĻ(MU),€the€University€of€Missouri€„€Kansas€City€(UMKC),€the€University€of€Missouri€„€Rolla,€and€theĻUniversity€of€Missouri€„€St.€Louis€(UMSL).€MU€is€a€residential€Research€I€campus€with€22,500€studentsĻwhile€UMR,€also€a€residential€campus,€is€Doctoral€I€institution€with€5,300€students€largely€focused€onĻengineering€programs.€The€remaining€two€are€primarily€urban€commuter€campuses.€UMKC€is€a€Doctoral€IĻinstitution€with€10,300€students€while€UMSL€is€a€Doctoral€II€with€16,000€students.€€Each€campus€operatesĻwith€some€autonomy€and€approach€their€missions€in€strategically€different€ways.Ģą  ąThis€research€paper€describes€how€one€multi„campus€institution€reexamined€transfer€students€andĻrelated€policies€after€several€years€of€not€monitoring€how€these€policies€tied€in€with€their€overall€enrollmentĻmanagement€plan.€More€specifically,€two€questions€were€addressed:€What€characteristics€help€explain€aĻtransfer€studentššs€likelihood€of€graduating?€And,€are€transfer€students€more€likely€to€graduate€than€first„timeĻfreshmen,€when€controlling€for€student€ability?€Based€on€this€research,€policies€and€procedures€concerningĻtransfer€students€can€be€reassessed€in€relation€to€the€institutionššs€overall€enrollment€management€plan.ĻAdditionally,€institutional€commitments€of€resources€aimed€at€retaining€transfer€students€can€be€reevaluatedĻand€strengthened.ĢĢņ ņBackgroundó óŠ ˆ Ų, Šą  ąFor€the€system,€transfer€students€comprise€more€than€40%€of€the€new,€degree„seeking€studentsĻ(Table€1).€€However,€at€the€campuses€transfer€students€comprise€from€73%€of€the€degree„seeking€students€atĻUMSL€to€24%€at€MU.€As€admission€standards€for€first„time€freshmen€(those€with€fewer€than€24€college€levelĻhours)€have€increased€multiple€times€during€the€past€decade,€standards€for€transfer€students€have€remainedĻunchanged.€The€minimum€combined€percentiles€of€high€school€rank€and€ACT/SAT€scores€have€beenĻincreased€as€have€the€number€of€high€school€units€from€selected€disciplines.€Additionally,€each€campus€mayĻset€more€rigorous€requirements€for€first„time€students.€However,€the€Universityššs€minimal€transferĻadmissions€policy€has€remained€unchanged€since€1985:€those€students€with€24€or€more€semester€hours€ofĻcollege„level€work€must€be€in€good€standing€and€have€attained€as€overall€grade€point€average€of€at€2.0€(4.0Š ģ+<'> Šscale).€After€meeting€these€minimal€requirements,€students€may€also€face€more€stringent€requirements€set€byĻthe€campuses,€schools€or€colleges,€and€departments.ĢĢÓ  Ó[insert€Table€1€here]ĢÓÅÓĢą  ąPrevious€research€on€transfer€admissions€and€the€success€of€transfer€students€provided€someĻinteresting€areas€for€preliminary€investigation.€A€continual€theme€in€much€of€the€literature€is€that€transferĻgrade€point€average€is€associated€with€the€transfer€student€success€(measured€by€persistence€and€graduation).ĻTownsend,€McNerny,€and€Arnold€(1993)€determined€that€community€college€grade€point€average€was€theĻbest€predictor€of€degree€persistence€and€completion€for€a€population€of€full„time€students€who€transferredĻfrom€a€community€college€to€a€university.€Another€study€found€a€relationship€between€high€school€gradeĻpoint€average€and€the€likelihood€of€attaining€an€undergraduate€degree€(Kinnick€&€Kempner,€1988).€In€a€recentĻstudy€at€the€University€of€Missouri„Columbia,€Saupe€(1994)€also€found€that€transfer€grade€point€average€andĻtransfer€hours€were€variables€associated€with€persistence€and€graduation€of€transfer€students.Ģą  ąPrevious€work€has€suggested€other€factors€associated€with€transfer€student€success.€For€example,ĻSaupe€(1994)€found€that€the€type€of€institution€(public€or€private€and€two„€or€four„year)€from€which€theĻstudent€is€transferring€had€some€significance.€Additionally,€Saupe€found€that€students€transferring€from€two„¼year€colleges€without€associate€degrees€had€higher€persistence€and€graduation€rates€than€those€studentsĻtransferring€with€associate€degrees.€Other€factors,€such€as€social€and€academic€integration€(Pascarella,€Smart,Ļ&€Ethington,€1986),€student€motivation€for€obtaining€a€baccalaureate€(Kinnick€&€Kempner,€1988),€andĻstudent€reliance€(Townsend,€1995),€have€also€been€associated€with€the€success€of€transfer€students.€StudiesĻhave€also€looked€into€specific€methodologies€to€follow€when€developing€admissions€standards€for€transferĻstudents€(Saupe€and€Long,€1996).ĢĢņ ņResearch€Questions€and€Methodologyó óŠ #`0 Šą  ąTwo€research€questions€were€central€to€this€study.€They€were:€1)€What€characteristics€help€explain€aĻtransfer€studentššs€likelihood€of€graduating?€and€2)€Are€transfers€more€likely€to€graduate€than€first„timeĻfreshmen,€when€controlling€for€student€ability?€The€importance€of€this€study€is€twofold.€Addressing€theseĻquestions€was€not€only€necessary€to€evaluate€the€institutionššs€admission€policy€for€transfer€students€€but€wasĻalso€critical€to€the€development€of€a€comprehensive€enrollment€management€plan.€Second,€this€studyĻhighlights€the€importance€of€understanding€the€role€of€transfer€students€at€all€institutions€and€suggests€thatĻthe€findings€of€this€study€may€have€implications€for€similar€institutions.€Š ģ+<'> Šą  ąTo€address€the€first€question,€logistic€regression,€run€under€SAS,€was€used€to€determine€whichĻstudent€characteristics€helped€to€predict€a€transfer€student's€likelihood€of€success,€defined€as€graduation.ĻLogistic€regression€enables€one€to€develop€a€model€using€dichotomous€and€continuous€explanatory€variablesĻto€predict€a€dichotomous€dependent€variable,€in€this€case€whether€or€not€the€student€graduated.€The€studentĻcharacteristics€that€were€analyzed€included€where€the€student€transferred€from€(internal€to€system,€foreign€orĻin„€or€out„state€school),€whether€the€student€transferred€from€a€two„€or€four„year€institution,€whether€or€notĻthe€student€transferred€in€with€an€associateššs€degree,€which€of€the€four€campuses€the€student€transferred€to,Ļand€the€studentššs€sex,€ethnicity€(minority,€Asian,€or€other),€transfer€GPA,€and€transfer€hours.€The€studyĻpopulation€included€all€degree„seeking,€full„time€transfer€students€to€the€system€(including€internal,€intra„¼system€transfers)€during€the€fall€of€1987€and€1988.€At€the€University€of€Missouri,€students€transferring€withĻ24€or€fewer€credit€hours€must€meet€first„time€freshmen€admissions€requirements.€Consequently,€this€studyĻexcludes€those€transfer€students€having€24€or€fewer€transfer€hours;€this€gave€a€total€transfer€population€ofĻ3,948.€Ģą  ąTo€address€the€second€question,€first„time€freshmen€who€entered€the€university€during€the€fall€1987Ļand€1988€terms€were€identified.€Then,€these€first„time€freshmen€were€tracked€until€they€had€finished€theirĻthird€semester,€giving€a€study€population€of€12,085.€The€number€of€credit€hours€and€overall€GPA€at€that€pointĻwere€used€and€compared€to€transfer€students€who€entered€the€university€with€like€credit€hours€and€GPAššs.ĻThe€fall€1987€and€1988€cohorts€were€used€so€that€students€had€a€reasonable€number€of€years€to€graduate€(sixĻyears).ĢĢņ ņData€Collection,€Method,€and€Sampleó óŠ P( Šą  ąFor€this€study,€the€registrars€at€the€four€campuses€provided€the€student€records€of€all€first„timeĻfreshmen€and€undergraduate€transfer€students€who€either€transferred€to,€or€began€their€studies€at,€theirĻrespective€campuses€during€fall€1987€or€fall€1988.€To€be€included€in€this€study,€as€either€a€transfer€student€orĻfirst„time€freshmen,€the€student€had€to€be€classified€as€degree„seeking€and€full„time.€Furthermore,€transferĻstudents€had€to€have€a€minimum€of€24€transfer€hours.€The€fall€semesters€of€1987€and€1988€were€used€toĻprovide€a€sufficient€period€for€tracking€transfer€and€first„time€students€for€a€minimum€of€six€years.€Ģą  ąTo€track€both€transfer€and€first„time€cohorts,€data€records€from€the€Missouri€Student€AchievementĻStudy€(MSAS)€were€used.€With€the€ńhńœńhńMSASńhń›ńhń€student€performance€records€from€fall€1988€through€fall€1994,Ļsix„year€retention€and€attrition€rates€for€both€cohorts€could€be€determined.Ģą  ąThe€transfer€student€sample€for€this€study€included€3,948€transfer€students:€1,563€to€MU,€877€toĻUMKC,€399€to€UMR,€and€1,109€to€UMSL.€For€first„time€freshmen,€this€sample€cohort€was€12,085.€Due€toŠ ģ+<'> Šless€stringent€criteria,€the€first„time€freshmen€sample€is€disproportionately€high€when€compared€with€theĻtransfer€sample.Ģą  ąThe€statistical€program€SAS€was€used€to€analyze€the€data,€including€logistic€regression€to€detect€theĻrelative€effects€of€the€explanatory€variables€that€may€help€to€predict€student€graduation.Ģņ ņŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌĢCharacteristics€of€Transfer€StudentsŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽ½-#ŌŌ‡&©i&&&ĻŽŌó óŠ  T  ŠŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&©i$.#ŌņņŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌDemographic€CharacteristicsŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽ.#ŌŌ‡&©i&&&ĻŽŌóóŠ H ˜  ŠŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&©iŽ.#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌą  ąTable€2€identifies€percentage€breakdowns€by€sex€and€ethnicity,€and€the€mean€age€of€transfer€students.Š Œ Ü ŠOverall,€more€males€than€females€transferred€to€the€University.€By€campus,€UMKC€had€the€highestĻpercentage€of€transfer€students€who€were€female€and€UMR€the€lowest.€Eighty„five€percent€of€the€studentsĻwho€transferred€were€white€and€African„Americans€represented€5%€of€the€total€sample.€Of€the€fourĻcampuses,€UMSL€and€UMKC€attracted€transfer€students€who€were€older€than€transfers€at€the€two€otherĻcampuses.ĢŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽ8/#ŌÓ  Ó[insert€Table€2€here]Š $t ŠÓ–1ÓŌ#†Xv'X&&ĻŽ„#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&XXv'ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌĢņņDegree€Status€and€Institution€OriginóóŠ ¬ü Šą  ąOf€all€students€that€transferred€to€the€University€in€1987€and€1988,€two„year€colleges€and€four„yearĻcolleges€contributed€equally€to€that€total,€both€at€43%€(Table€3).€Intra„University€transfers€accounted€for€11%Ļof€the€total€number€of€students€transferring€to€the€University.€Although€it€is€not€unlikely€for€students€to€secureĻan€associate's€degree€(AA)€before€pursuing€a€bachelor's€degree,€only€one€of€eight€students€had€secured€anĻassociate's€degree€before€transferring€to€the€University.€The€urban€campuses€attracted€proportionately€moreĻstudents€with€associate€degrees€than€the€residential€campuses.€Nevertheless,€students€with€AA€degreesĻaccounted€for€less€than€a€quarter€of€all€transfer€students€at€UMKC€and€UMSL.€The€source€of€transferĻstudents€for€each€campus€showed€some€differences.€For€instance,€UMSL€attracted€one„half€of€its€transferĻstudents€from€two„year€colleges€and€one„third€from€four„year€colleges.€Conversely,€at€MU€one„half€of€theĻtransfer€students€came€from€four„year€colleges€and€one„third€from€two„year€colleges.€ĢŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽ2#ŌĢÓ  Ó[insert€Table€3€here]ĢÓ¼6ÓŌ#†Xv'X&&ĻŽ’1#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&XXv'ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌĢņņGPA€and€Transfer€Hoursóó€Š d)“$: Šą  ąTable€4€displays€the€Grade€Point€Average€(GPA)€of€students€transferring€to€the€University.€TransferĻstudents€had€an€average€transfer€GPA€of€2.83.€Approximately€30%€of€the€transfer€students€that€enrolled€inŠ ģ+<'> Š1987€and€1988€entered€the€University€with€a€GPA€of€less€than€2.5,€56%€enrolled€with€a€transfer€GPAĻbetween€2.5€and€3.5,€and€14%€enrolled€with€a€GPA€of€greater€than€3.5.€In€general,€UMR€tended€to€enrollĻstudents€with€the€highest€GPA's:€one€of€every€two€transfer€students€who€enrolled€at€UMR€had€a€GPA€of€3.0Ļor€greater.€ĢŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽ07#ŌĢÓ  Ó[insert€Table€4€here]ĢÓŌ9ÓĢŌ#†Xv'X&&ĻŽ7#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&XXv'Ōą  ąTable€5€shows€the€number€of€credit€hours€transferred€to€the€University.€Students€transferred€anŠ Œ Ü Šaverage€of€53.7€credit€hours€to€the€University.€The€average€number€of€credit€hours€transferred,€however,Ļdiffered€among€the€campuses€by€approximately€16€credit€hours:€UMR€transfer€students€averaged€66€creditĻhours€compared€with€MU€students€who€transferred€an€average€of€50€credit€hours.€Other€differences€amongĻthe€campuses€were€also€apparent.€For€example,€one€of€every€two€transfer€students€at€MU€entered€with€lessĻthan€48€credit€hours;€at€UMR€one€of€every€five€transfer€students€entered€with€less€than€48€credit€hours.€At€theĻother€end€of€the€continuum,€42%€of€the€transfer€students€at€UMR€transferred€more€than€71€credit€hours€whereĻat€MU€only€15%€transferred€more€than€71€credit€hours.€ĢĢÓ  Ó[insert€Table€5€here]¹Ó}=ÓŌ#†Xv'X&&ĻŽ*:#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&XXv'Ōņ ņŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌĢCharacteristics€of€Transfer€Students€Who€Graduated€from€the€Universityó óŠ xČ$ ŠņņGraduation€Rates€and€Time„to„CompleteóóŠ ¼ & Šą  ąOf€the€3,948€students€who€transferred€to€the€University,€62.7%€of€those€students€graduated€in€sixĻyears€or€less€(Table€6).€ĢŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽō=#ŌĢÓ  Ó[insert€Table€6€here]ĢÓ^?ÓĢŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌŌ#†Xv'X&&ĻŽŅ=#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&XXv'Ōą  ąThe€percentage€that€graduated€was€remarkably€similar€for€three€of€the€four€campuses:€MU€at€61.4%,Š T$¤2 ŠUMKC€at€59.3%€and€UMSL€at€61.1%.€For€UMR€the€graduation€rate€was€nearly€80%.€Although€theseĻgraduation€rates€were€determined€over€six„years,€nearly€three€of€every€four€transfer€students€who€graduatedĻfrom€the€University€did€so€in€less€than€three€years€(Table€7).€ĢŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽ‘?#ŌĢÓ  Ó[insert€Table€7€ńhńœńhńhere]¹Ó AÓŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌŌ#†Xv'X&&ĻŽÓ?#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&XXv'ŌņņńeńŠ ģ+<'> ŠńeńPatternsńhń›ńhń€of€DepartureóóŠ ° Šą  ąTransfer€students€were€tracked€from€fall€to€fall€to€identify€who€dropped€out€of€the€University€andĻwhen€they€left€(Table€8).€If€a€student€was€enrolled€one€fall,€but€not€enrolled€the€following€fall,€he€or€she€wasĻconsidered€a€dropout.€This€general€definition€was€followed€despite€whether€the€student€re„enrolled€in€aĻsubsequent€fall€semester.€Nearly€21%€of€the€transfer€students€in€the€1987€and€1988€cohorts€did€not€return€toĻthe€University€the€following€fall.€In€the€first€three€years,€one€of€every€three€transfer€students€had€departed.ĻFrom€another€perspective,€of€the€total€number€of€transfer€students€who€departed€from€the€University,€57%€orĻ832€students€left€before€their€second€academic€year.Ģ€Ō#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŻA#ŌŠ Š  ŠÓ  Ó[insert€Table€8€here]¹Ó—EÓŌ#†Xv'X&&ĻŽB#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&XXv'ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌĢņņGraduation€Rate€by€Entering€GPA€of€Transfer€StudentsóóŠ œģ  Šą  ąFor€transfer€students€who€enter€the€University€with€a€GPA€less€than€2.5,€the€likelihood€of€graduatingĻwas€50%€(Chart€1).€However,€as€the€entering€GPA€increased€so€did€the€likelihood€of€graduating.€In€fact,Ļmoving€up€from€one€GPA€category€to€the€next€(e.g.,€from€the€<€2.5€category€to€the€2.5„3.0€category,€etc.)Ļfound€the€graduating€percentage€increasing€by€about€10%€per€category.€For€transfer€students€who€entered€theĻUniversity€with€a€GPA€between€3.5„4.0,€the€graduation€rate€was€79%.€The€positive€relationship€betweenĻGPA€and€the€graduation€rate€was€also€apparent€on€each€campus.€ĢŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽ F#ŌĢÓ  Ó[insert€Chart€1€here]¹ÓóHÓŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌŌ#†Xv'X&&ĻŽģE#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&XXv'ŌĢņņGraduation€Rate€by€Credit€Hours€TransferredóóŠ D”* Šą  ąOverall,€the€more€credit€hours€students€transfer€to€the€University€the€greater€the€likelihood€that€theyĻwill€graduate,€although€the€relationship€is€not€as€pronounced€as€the€relationship€between€GPA€and€graduationĻrates€(Chart€2).€For€example,€57%€of€students€who€transfer€between€24„35€credit€hours€to€the€UniversityĻgraduated.€This€graduation€rate€peaked€at€69%€for€students€who€entered€the€University€with€between€60„71Ļcredit€hours.€Consequently,€though€students€transferred€in€as€many€as€25€more€credit€hours,€the€graduationĻrate€increased€only€modestly.€In€general,€this€pattern€was€evident€regardless€of€campus€with€the€exception€ofĻUMR.€At€UMR€the€likelihood€of€graduating€was€higher€for€those€entering€with€between€60„71€credit€hoursĻ(86%)€in€contrast€to€those€entering€with€between€24„35€credit€hours€(57%).ĢŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽ%I#ŌĢÓ  Ó[insert€Chart€2€ńhńœńhńhere]Š ģ+<'> ŠÓ.MÓŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌŌ#†Xv'X&&ĻŽgI#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&XXv'ŌņņGraduationńhń›ńhń€Rate€by€EthnicityóóŠ ° Šą  ąFour€ethnic€categories€were€examined:€Minority,€Asian„American,€White€(Non„Hispanic),€and€OtherĻŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽM#Ō(Table€9)Ō‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌ.€The€Minority€category€included€African„American,€Native€American,€and€Hispanic€students;€theŠ 8ˆ ŠOther€category€included€students€who€were€not€US€citizens,€those€who€did€not€identify€an€ethnicity,€and€thoseĻwho€identified€their€ethnicity€as€"other."€Transfer€students€who€entered€the€University€between€1987€andĻ1988€and€identified€their€ethnicity€as€Asian„American,€White,€or€Other€graduated€at€about€the€same€rate:Ļ66%,€65%,€and€59%,€respectively.€Minority€students€who€transferred€to€the€University€graduated€at€a€40%Ļrate.€When€comparing€the€graduation€rate€among€the€ethnic€categories€at€each€campus,€minority€students€alsoĻhad€the€lowest€rate€of€graduation.€However,€that€rate€varied€by€campus€from€58%€at€UMR€(7€of€12)€and€53%Ļat€MU€(32€of€60),€to€35%€at€UMKC€(32€of€91)€and€34%€at€UMSL€(30€of€87).€ĢŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŗN#ŌĢÓ  Ó[insert€Table€9€here]¹Ó6RÓŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌŌ#†Xv'X&&ĻŽĮM#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&XXv'ŌĢņņGraduation€Rate€by€Associate's€Degree€StatusóóŠ $t Šą  ąAs€noted,€about€one€of€every€eight€transfer€students€entered€the€University€with€an€associate's€degree.ĻDid€these€students€have€a€higher€likelihood€of€graduating€than€students€who€entered€the€University€without€anĻassociate's€degree?€Results€suggested€that€nearly€64%€of€all€transfer€students€with€associate€degreesĻgraduated€(330/519).€This€graduation€rate€nearly€matched€the€graduation€rate€of€63%€(2,129/3,395)€for€thoseĻtransfer€students€who€entered€the€University€without€an€associate's€degree.Ģņ ņĢUsing€Regression€to€Support€or€Discount€Findingsó óŠ P( Šą  ąLogistic€regression,€run€under€SAS,€was€used€to€detect€which€student€characteristics€help€predict€aĻtransfer€student's€likelihood€of€success,€defined€as€graduation.€Logistic€regression€enables€one€to€develop€aĻpredictive€model€using€dichotomous€and€continuous€explanatory€variables€to€predict€a€dichotomousĻdependent€variable,€in€this€case€whether€or€not€the€student€graduated.€Student€characteristics€analyzedĻincluded€where€the€student€transferred€from€(internal€to€UM€system,€Missouri€school,€or€out€of€state€orĻforeign),€whether€the€student€transferred€from€a€two„€or€four„year€institution,€whether€or€not€the€studentĻtransferred€in€with€a€post„secondary€degree,€sex,€ethnicity€(minority,€Asian,€or€other),€transfer€GPA,€transferĻhours,€and€the€campus€to€which€the€student€transferred€to.€Each€of€these€possible€explanatory€variables€wasĻused€in€logistic€regression€to€predict€the€likelihood€of€graduation.€The€sample€included€all€students€who€hadĻtransferred€to€the€University€in€1987€or€1988€who€had€at€least€24€credit€hours.€To€make€interpreting€theĻlogistic€regression€results,€the€continuous€variables€(transfer€GPA€and€transfer€hours)€were€converted€intoŠ ģ+<'> Šdichotomous€variables€based€on€the€following€groupings.€Each€transfer€studentššs€GPA€was€classifiedĻaccording€to€the€following€groups:€2.00„2.49,€2.50„2.74,€2.75„2.99,€3.00„3.25,€and€3.25€and€above€(note:Ļthose€with€a€GPA€of€less€than€2.00€became€the€default€comparison€group).€Transfer€hours€were€grouped€intoĻthe€following€groups:€48„59,€60„71,€72€and€above€(note:€those€transferring€24„47€hours€became€the€defaultĻcomparison€group).€€Ģą  ąŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽhR#ŌThe€results€of€the€final€regression€model€are€displayed€in€Table€10Ō‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌ.€These€results€suggest€thatŠ  T  Šstudents€having€a€post„secondary€degree€before€transferring€and€other€possible€explanatory€variables€such€asĻsex,€type€of€institution€that€the€student€transferred€from€(private€or€public€and€two„€or€four„year),€did€not€helpĻto€predict€whether€a€student€graduated.€Of€the€significant€explanatory€variables,€the€student's€transfer€GPAĻwas€a€relatively€major€contributor€to€the€student's€likelihood€of€graduation€as€was€the€number€of€transferĻhours.€Those€students€transferring€with€a€GPA€between€3.25€and€4.00€were€4.5€times€as€likely€to€graduate€asĻsomeone€with€a€GPA€of€less€than€3.25€(see€š šOdds€Ratiošš€column€in€Table€10).€Though€not€as€strong€aĻpredictor€as€GPA,€the€number€of€hours€a€student€transferred€in€was€an€important€predictor.€Those€transferringĻwith€48€or€more€hours€were€roughly€1.5€times€as€likely€to€graduate€than€those€with€less€than€48€hours.ĻInterestingly,€a€stronger€predictor€than€the€number€of€transfer€hours€was€whether€or€not€the€student€was€anĻinternal€transfer€within€the€University€system€(transferred€from€one€University€of€Missouri€campus€toĻanother).€Moving€from€one€campus€to€another€within€the€system€increased€a€studentššs€chance€of€graduationĻnearly€twofold.€Students€transferring€from€any€institution€to€UMR€also€experienced€a€nearly€twofold€increaseĻin€the€probability€of€graduation€(see€policy€discussion€that€follows).€A€student's€classification€as€a€minorityĻstudent€(Native€American/Alaskan€native,€African„American,€or€Hispanic)€was€found€to€negatively€contributeĻto€the€student's€success.€These€results€confirmed€many€previous€descriptive€observations€mentioned€ńhńœńhńearlier.Ģńbń›ńbńĢńbń›ńbńŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽ4\#ŌÓ  Ó[insert€Table€10€here]Ō‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌŌ#†Xv'X&&ĻŽŖR#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&XXv'ŌŠ ˆ Ų, Šńhń›ńhńÓcÓĢ€ą  ąOne€measure€of€the€modelššs€fit€to€the€data€was€the€comparison€of€predicted€and€actual€graduationŠ #`0 Šrates.€A€summary€of€the€š šClassification€Tablešš€from€the€logistic€regression€is€presented€in€Table€11.€ThisĻenables€one€to€compare€the€number€of€accurately€predicted€events€(in€this€case€graduation)€to€the€numberĻincorrectly€predicted€events€by€the€model€as€well€as€comparing€the€number€of€nonevents€(not€graduating)Ļcorrectly€predicted€to€the€number€of€incorrectly€nonevents.€The€table€enables€one€to€make€these€comparisonsĻat€a€variety€of€probability€levels€that€the€event€is€predicted€to€occur.€If€one€assumes€a€predicted€probabilityĻthat€a€transfer€students€would€graduate€is€.500€or€more€(i.e.,€those€with€a€predicted€probability€of€.5€or€moreĻare€classified€as€graduating),€the€model€correctly€predicted€65%€of€the€cases.€While€the€results€areŠ ģ+<'> Šencouraging,€they€also€show€that€there€are€other€attributes€that€would€significantly€improve€the€predictiveĻquality€of€this€model.ĢŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽ?c#ŌĢÓ  Ó[insert€Table€ńhńœńhń1ńbń›ńbńń_ń1ń_ńńhń›ńhń€here]¹ÓhÓŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌŌ#†Xv'X&&ĻŽc#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&XXv'Ōņ ņĢComparing€Graduation€Rates€for€First„Time€Freshmen€and€Transfer€Students€ó ó€Š  T  Šą  ąAre€students€who€transfer€to€the€University€more€likely€to€graduate€than€students€who€begin€as€first„¼time€freshmen?€This€question€was€investigated€by€comparing€the€graduation€rate€of€first„time€freshmen€withĻthe€graduation€rate€of€transfer€students,€controlling€for€the€student's€GPA€and€number€of€credit€hours.€Ģą  ąControlling€for€credit€hours€and€GPA€was€done€in€the€following€manner.€First,€all€first„time,€degree„¼seeking€freshmen€that€began€at€the€University€in€1987€or€1988€were€identified.€This€cohort€was€tracked€untilĻthey€had€finished€at€least€three€semesters€at€the€University.€At€that€point,€the€number€of€credit€hoursĻaccumulated€and€the€GPA€associated€with€those€credit€hours€were€recorded€for€each€student.€After€threeĻsemesters,€12,085€students€from€the€original€cohort€were€enrolled.€These€12,085€records€were€then€examinedĻto€identify€who€graduated€from€the€University.€For€the€students€who€transferred€to€the€University€in€1987€orĻ1988,€the€number€of€credit€hours€transferred€and€the€transfer€GPA€were€used.€As€with€the€first„time€freshmenĻcohort,€all€transfer€students€were€also€tracked€to€identify€who€graduated€from€the€University.Ģą  ąTable€11€illustrates€the€graduation€rates€for€both€the€first„time€cohort€and€transfer€cohorts.€AlthoughĻthere€were€some€exceptions,€when€credit€hours€and€GPA€were€controlled€for,€first„time€freshmen€tended€toĻhave€higher€graduation€rates€than€transfer€students€particularly€as€the€number€of€credit€hours€increased.€ForĻexample,€first„time€freshmen€who€had€more€than€48€credit€hours€graduated€at€a€higher€rate€than€the€respectiveĻtransfer€students.€This€finding€was€consistent€in€each€GPA€category.€ĢŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽbh#ŌĢÓ  Ó[insert€Table€ńhńœńhń1ń`ń1ń`ńńbń›ńbńńań2ńańńhń›ńhń€here]¹ÓäoÓŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌŌ#†Xv'X&&ĻŽ¤h#ŌŌ‡&ĻŽ&XXv'ŌĢą  ąOn€one€hand,€it€might€be€expected€that€the€first„time€cohort€would€have€higher€graduation€rates€thanĻthe€transfer€student€cohort€because€attrition€is€most€pronounced€between€the€freshman€and€sophomore€year.ĻBecause€data€were€collected€after€the€freshmen€cohort€had€been€at€the€University€for€three€semesters,€manyĻstudents€had€probably€left€the€University€before€the€cohort€for€this€study€was€selected.€On€the€other€hand,€aĻsomewhat€similar€argument€might€be€made€for€the€transfer€students.€That€is,€of€the€grand€pool€of€studentsĻwho€could€have€transferred€to€the€University,€only€a€select€group€of€students€did.€Thus,€attrition€also€occurredĻwith€potential€students€before€they€decided€whether€to€transfer€to€the€University€of€Missouri.Š ņ+B'> ŠŃ @Ø ŃŃ r ŃŃ  Ńņ ņĢńeńŃ @Ø ŃŃ ż ŃŃ  ŃńeńńhńœńhńSummaryńhń›ńhń€of€Resultsó óŠ ōD Šą  ąSlightly€less€than€63%€of€all€transfer€students€who€entered€the€university€graduated€in€six€years€orĻless.€Nearly€the€same€number€of€students€transferred€from€four„year€institutions€as€two„year€institutions.€TheĻaverage€number€of€credit€hours€transferred€was€53.7,€the€average€entering€GPA€was€2.8€(4.0€scale),€and€oneĻof€seven€students€transferred€to€the€university€with€an€associateššs€degree€in€hand.€Concerning€the€firstĻresearch€question,€four€explanatory€variables€were€statistically€significant:€the€student's€transfer€GPA,Ļenrolling€at€the€engineering€campus,€being€of€minority€status,€and€the€number€of€hours€transferred.ĻExplanatory€variables€that€were€statistically€insignificant€included€sex,€whether€transferring€from€a€two„yearĻor€four„year€institution,€and€whether€the€student€had€secured€an€associateššs€degree€before€transferring€to€theĻinstitution.€As€to€the€second€research€question,€Table€11€depicts€the€graduation€rates€of€both€transfers€andĻfirst„time€freshmen€who€had€like€GPAs€and€number€of€credit€hours.€At€least€30€students€had€to€be€in€aĻcategory€before€a€graduation€rate€was€computed.€When€credit€hours€and€GPA€were€controlled,€first„timeĻfreshmen€(examined€after€their€third€semester€at€the€University)€were€more€likely€to€graduate€than€studentsĻwho€transferred€in€11€of€the€14€categories€examined.€Ģņ ņĢImplications€and€Policy€Issuesó óŠ š@  ŠÓ€Ą ÓŌ#†&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽMp#ŌÖ€ ģÖńhńœńhńńbńŃ  Ńńbńńhń›ńhńŃ7€v'XXdģXXdģ7ŃńdńÓ  ÓńdńÓ€ÓńdńÓ  ÓÓ  Óńdńą  ąAt€least€six€findings€of€this€study€have€important€implications€for€current€policies€and€programsŠ 4„" Šconcerning€transfer€students.€Ģą  ąA€significant€amount€of€research€and€institutional€resources€have€concerned€themselves€with€theĻassimilation€of€the€traditional€first„time€freshmen€student€at€the€present€institution.€This€study,€however,€hasĻhighlighted€the€need€to€further€investigate€and€focus€on€the€assimilation€of€transfer€students,€especiallyĻminority€transfer€students.€As€noted€earlier€in€this€paper,€even€when€the€effects€of€transfer€GPA€and€theĻnumber€of€transfer€credit€hours€were€controlled,€minority€students€€were€less€likely€to€graduate.€TheĻimplications€of€this€finding€are€twofold.€First,€there€may€be€other€factors€that€explain€the€success€or€lackĻthereof€for€minority€students€who€transfer€to€a€four„year€institution.€In€a€related€study€that€examined€first„¼time€freshmen€retention€on€one€of€the€Universityššs€campuses,€academic€integration€was€found€to€be€a€moreĻpowerful€predictor€of€a€minority€studentššs€academic€success€than€the€minority€studentššs€€entering€academicĻability€such€as€ACT€score€and€high€school€€GPA€(Eimers€&€Pike,€1997).€Thus,€it€may€be€particularlyĻimportant€to€develop€orientation€programs€that€address€some€of€the€unique€concerns€of€minority€students€whoĻare€transferring€to€an€institution.€Second,€this€finding€€reinforces€the€need€to€more€fully€understand€theĻprocess€of€transition€for€minority€students€and€to€develop€a€clearer€picture€of€what€effect€campus€climateŠ ģ+<'> Šmight€have€on€a€minority€studentššs€transition€from€one€college€to€another.€Ģą  ąSecond,€it€might€be€expected€that€transfer€students€from€two„year€colleges€would€€be€more€likely€toĻgraduate€than€transfer€students€from€four„year€colleges€because€of€articulation€agreements€and€because€two„¼year€colleges€are€more€likely€to€have€established€programs€that€assist€transferring€students.€€Interestingly,€inĻthis€study€transferring€from€a€two„year€or€four„year€institution€made€relatively€little€difference€in€the€studentššsĻlikelihood€of€graduating.€However,€because€students€who€transferred€from€one€University€of€MissouriĻcampus€to€another€were€significantly€more€likely€to€graduate,€these€intra„university€transfers€did€inflate€theϜgraduatńińeńiń›œńjńionńjń›€rate€of€those€student€transferring€from€four„year€institutions.€Because€this€finding€may€be€anĻartifact€of€a€multi„campus€system,€the€implications€for€other€institutions€are€limited.€For€the€University€ofĻMissouri,€on€the€other€hand,€enrolling€transfer€students€from€four„year€institutions€is€apparently€no€more€of€aĻrisk€than€enrolling€students€from€two„year€institutions€and€recruiting€strategies€should€reflect€the€essence€ofĻthis€finding.€€Ģą  ąA€corollary€is€that€students€with€an€associateššs€degree€were€no€more€or€less€likely€to€graduate€thanĻthose€students€who€transferred€without€an€associateššs€degree.€Although€there€are€good€reasons€whyĻcommunity€colleges€might€encourage€students€to€secure€the€associateššs€degree€before€transferring,€in€thisĻstudy€it€had€no€effect€on€whether€the€student€secured€the€bachelorššs€degree.€One€explanation€from€theĻstudentššs€point„of„view€may€be€purely€financial.€In€some€cases€students€€purposely€choose€not€to€secure€theĻassociateššs€degree€because€to€do€so€would€require€taking€courses€(i.e.,€general€education€courses)€that€might€Ļnot€transfer€the€four„year€institution€they€planned€to€attend.€At€four„year€institutions€where€a€large€number€ofĻtransfer€students€come€from€specific€community€colleges,€more€closely€aligned€articulation€agreements€mayĻbe€developed€so€that€a€community€college€student€can€secure€the€associateššs€degree€and€have€all€of€his€or€herĻcourses€transfer€to€the€four„year€institution.€This€would€enable€the€transferring€students€to€secure€the€two„yearĻdegree€and€transfer€to€the€four„year€institution€without€squandering€limited€financial€resources€for€coursesĻthat€do€not€transfer.€Similarly,€four„year€institutions€that€enroll€a€large€percentage€of€students€who€transferredĻfrom€two„year€colleges€may€be€advised€to€focus€on€non„associate€degree€recipients€as€aggressively€as€degreeĻrecipients.Ģą  ąThird,€this€study€was€completed€at€the€UM€System€institutional€research€office€with€the€cooperationĻof€individuals€on€all€four€campuses.€It€was€intended€to€provide€the€System€administration€and€theĻadministrators€on€each€campus€with€information€that€might€validate€present€policy,€lead€to€further€discussionsĻat€the€individual€campus€level,€and/or€initiate€more€focused€studies€on€each€campus.€Each€of€the€fourĻcampuses€has€the€autonomy€to€establish€its€own€admission€requirements€and€general€academic€requirementsĻfor€transfer€students€as€long€as€these€requirements€are€equal€to€or€above€the€current€University€standards.Š ģ+<'> ŠThus,€the€actual€implications€of€this€study€have€been€essentially€in€the€hands€of€the€individual€campuses.€OnĻone€hand,€the€autonomy€that€the€campuses€enjoy€highlights€the€rather€limited€ability€for€a€System€office€ofĻinstitutional€research€to€make€a€significant€impact€on€specific€policy€changes€on€each€campus.€On€the€otherĻhand,€this€study€was€successful€in€heightening€campus€awareness€concerning€transfer€students€and€thisĻawareness€has€lead€to€several€implications€that€have€occurred€or€are€in€the€process€of€being€considered.€SomeĻof€these€implications€are€described€below.Ģą  ąTransfer€admission€policies€have€probably€been€examined€most€closely€over€the€past€few€years€onĻthe€Columbia€campus.€The€present€study€has€reinforced€the€studies€that€ńhńœńhńSaupeńhń›ńhń€(1995)€and€Saupe€and€LongĻ(1997)€engaged€in€just€prior€to€and€during€the€time€this€study€was€conducted.€On€the€Columbia€campus,Ļpolicy€recommendations€presently€being€considered€require€transferring€students€with€60€or€more€credit€hoursĻto€have€a€2.5€GPA,€those€students€with€30€to€59€credit€hours€to€have€a€2.75€GPA,€and€for€applicants€with€lessĻthan€30€credit€hours€to€meet€first„time€freshmen€requirements.€At€the€invitation€of€the€vice€chancellors€forĻacademic€affairs,€campus€specific€studies€were€completed€at€the€urban€campuses.€Although€relatively€littleĻchange€came€about€on€one€of€these€campuses,€on€the€other€administrators€were€considering€shifts€in€theirĻtransfer€student€recruiting€strategy.€For€instance,€the€campus€study€revealed€that€even€when€several€keyĻvariables€were€controlled€(GPA,€transfer€hours,€minority€€status,€etc.)€there€were€still€important€differences€inĻthe€success€of€students€(i.e.,€their€success€once€these€students€transferred)€from€different€community€colleges.ĻConsequently,€discussion€presently€focuses€on€intensifying€recruiting€efforts€at€€the€community€collegesĻwhere€students€have€been€particularly€successful€once€they€transfer€to€the€four„year€institution.€Ģą  ąIn€addition,€on€the€Rolla€campus€transfer€students€were€more€likely€to€graduate€than€at€the€other€fourĻcampuses€even€when€characteristics€such€as€entering€GPA€and€credit€hours€transferred€were€controlled.€UponĻfurther€investigation€some€credit€must€go€to€a€well„established€program€entitled€the€Transfer€AssistanceĻProgram€(TAP).€€In€cooperation€with€over€fifty€two„year€and€four„year€institutions,€the€TAP€program€hasĻidentified€specific€semester„by„semester€courses€on€each€of€these€campuses€that€are€recommended€forĻstudents€intending€to€transfer€to€Rolla.€If€students€that€transfer€to€Rolla€have€taken€the€prescribed€courses€andĻmeet€the€transfer€admission€requirements,€they€are€assured€that€all€credit€hours€will€transfer€and€knowĻspecifically€what€course€requirements€have€been€met€for€their€bachelorššs€degree.€It€appears€likely€that€thisĻprogram€has€helped€to€enhance€the€success€rate€of€transferring€students€to€Rolla€as€its€graduation€rate€wasĻnearly€80%.Ģą  ąFourth,€in€recent€years€first„time€freshmen€admission€standards€have€increased€while€the€admissionĻstandards€for€transfer€students€had€remained€essentially€the€same.€This€has€raised€concern€among€theĻadministration€that€transfer€students€may€not€be€as€likely€to€graduate€as€students€who€were€accepted€underŠ ģ+<'> Šfirst„time€freshmen€standards.€Based€on€€the€finding€that€graduation€rates€of€transfer€students€are€generallyĻlower€than€graduation€rates€of€first„time€freshmen,€these€concerns€appear€to€be€legitimate.€At€the€presentĻtime,€this€finding€as€well€as€additional€information€is€being€considered€in€developing€an€admissions€policy€forĻtransfer€students€that€is€more€in„line€with€first„time€freshmen€standards.€The€Columbia€campus€already€has€aĻproposed€admission€changes€for€transfer€students.€€Rolla,€because€of€its€articulation€program€(TAP)€andĻclearly€communicated€transfer€admission€standards,€has€been€generally€unaffected€by€the€changes€in€first„timeĻadmission€standards.€At€the€urban€campuses,€however,€the€discrepancy€between€first„time€freshmen€andĻtransfer€student€admission€requirements€have€become€more€pronounced.€Although€no€specific€changes€haveĻbeen€proposed€in€transfer€admission€policies€at€the€urban€campuses,€the€discrepancies€in€academicĻpreparedness€between€first„time€freshmen€and€transfer€students€could€be€accentuated€in€the€coming€years€asĻthese€students€progress€through€the€academic€curriculum€in€many€of€the€same€classes.Ģą  ąThe€fifth€policy€implication€relates€to€the€finding€that€first-time€students€graduate€at€a€higher€rateĻthan€transfer€students€with€similar€academic€preparation.€Increasing€admission€standards€for€first-timeĻstudents€while€transfer€admissions€policies€have€remained€unchanged€may€have€been€€a€contributor€to€thisĻdifference€in€graduation€rates.€However,€a€major€impetus€to€the€admission€policy€changes€for€first-timeĻstudents€has€been€the€Missouri€Coordinating€Board€of€Higher€Education€(CBHE)€initiative€to€refine€theĻmissions€of€state€institutions.€The€CBHE€plan€encouraged€state€institutions€to€adopt€first-time€admissionĻstandards€along€the€four€tiers:€open-enrollment,€moderately€selective,€selective,€and€highly€selective€(CBHE,Ļ1992).€Those€students€not€meeting€the€selective€or€higher€standards€are€encouraged€to€attend€two-year€orĻfour-year€open-enrollment€institutions€and€then€transfer€to€a€selective€or€higher€institution.€However,€leftĻunaddressed€in€this€statewide€plan€are€the€admissions€standards€for€transfer€students.€Each€campus,Ļinstitution,€or€system€office€is€left€with€the€choice€of€grappling€with€first-time€and€transfer€students€withĻvarying€levels€of€academic€preparation€or€unilaterally€increasing€transfer€admissions€policies€to€achieve€aĻmore€academically€homogenous€student€body.€Thus,€there€is€clearly€the€need€to€begin€statewide€discussionsĻconcerning€transfer€admissions€policies€and€how€they€fit€into€the€overall€enrollment€management€plans€for€theĻstate.Ģą  ąSixth,€as€previous€studies€have€suggested,€transfer€GPA€was€a€significant€€predictor€of€graduation.ĻHowever,€one€of€the€more€interesting€findings€was€that€transfer€GPA,€along€with€and/or€in€concert€with€theĻother€significant€variables€in€the€model,€did€not€completely€explain€all€of€the€variance€in€a€transfer€studentššsĻsuccess.€That€is,€although€the€overall€logistic€regression€model€was€statistically€significant,€the€betas€wereĻmodest€at€best.€Thus,€three€implications€are€warranted.€First,€this€finding€suggests€that€other€institutions€mayĻre-consider€transfer€admissions€policies€that€rely€disproportionately€on€transfer€GPA.€Second,€it€reinforcesŠ ģ+<'> Šńhńńfńœńfńńhńńgńńfńßk€! 7'#`<dś’x_ `Ą0*xEŖx_x_É_õkßńfńńgńńhńńfń›ńfńńhńthe€importance€of€further€research,€at€this€institution€and€others,€in€an€effort€to€develop€a€more€valid€modelĻthat€can€be€used€to€shape€transfer€admission€policy.€Third,€it€complicates€an€institutionššs€ability€to€develop€anĻadmissions€policy€for€transfer€students€based€on€the€entering€characteristics€that€are€typically€used.€At€theĻpresent€institution€the€relative€weaknesses€of€the€overall€model€has€stimulated€administrators€to€search€forĻadditional€admissions€criteria€that€might€more€effectively€predict€transfer€student€success.€Furthermore,Ļalthough€probably€easier€to€implement€at€a€campus€largely€devoted€to€preparing€specific€professionalsĻ(engineers),€the€apparent€success€of€Rollaššs€TAP€program€cannot€be€overlooked.€Such€a€program€coupledĻwith€on„campus€orientation€programs€for€transfer€students€may€be€able€to€overcome€some€of€theĻshortcomings€of€the€model.Ģņ ņĢSummaryó óŠ XØ  Šą  ąRaising€first„time€admission€standards€has€been€a€part€of€a€well„thought€out€enrollment€managementĻplan€at€the€University€of€Missouri.€At€the€same€time,€the€University€has€given€less€attention€to€how€€transferĻadmission€policies€fit€into€this€plan.€The€present€study€identified€what€student€characteristics€help€to€explain€aĻtransfer€studentššs€likelihood€of€graduating€and€reported€that€first„time€freshmen€were€more€likely€to€graduateĻthan€transfer€students€when€controlling€for€student€ability.€Evidence€was€presented€that€would€support€raisingĻtransfer€admission€policies€at€the€University€of€Missouri.€For€several€reasons,€however,€the€implications€ofĻthat€action€can€be€complex€at€a€public,€multi„campus€university€that€serves€multiple€constituencies€and€hasĻtypically€granted€its€campuses€a€high€level€of€autonomy.€Those€implications€and€policy€concerns€wereĻcarefully€addressed€and€articulated€in€this€paper.€Ģą  ąIn€summary,€this€study€has€enhanced€what€is€known€about€transfer€students€and€what€indicators€helpĻpredict€their€likelihood€of€graduating.€Similar€studies€can,€as€they€have€here,€help€stimulate€interest€andĻreinforce€the€importance€of€the€transfer€function€within€a€well-developed€recruiting,€admissions,€and€retentionĻplan.€This€is€especially€true€at€a€time€when€college€and€university€administrators€wrestle€with€enrollmentĻmanagement€issues,€particularly€at€institutions€where€transfer€students€are€a€significant€source€of€newĻstudents.€ĢńdńÓµzÓńdńĢĢÓ€’zÓĢĢŌ‡&ĻŽ&&&ĻŽŌņ ņŠ  €+Š&< ŠÓÓńhńœńhńńcńŃ ż ŃńcńReferencesńhń›ńhńĢó óą0  ąą ° ąCoordinating€Board€of€Higher€Education€(June€5,€1992).€ņņSuggested€Statewide€Public€Policy€Initiatives€andŠ ˆŲ ŠGoals:€Report€to€the€Coordinating€Board€for€Higher€Education.óó€Jefferson€City,€MO:€CBHE.Š`°(#(# ŠĢą0  ąą ° ąEimers,€M.,€&€Pike,€G.€(1997).€š šMinority€and€Non„minority€Adjustment€to€College:€Similarities€or€Differences.ššŠ ` ŠņņResearch€in€Higher€Education,óó€38(1),€77„97.Šč8(#(# ŠĢą0  ąą ° ąKinnick,€M.€K.€and€K.€Kempner€(1988)€"Beyond€'Front€Door'€Access:€Attaining€the€Bachelor's€Degree.ššĻņņResearch€in€Higher€Educationóó,€29(4),€299„318.Šp Ą(#(# ŠĢą0  ąą ° ąPascarella,€E.€T.,€Smart,€ńhńœńhńńhńœńhńJ.C.ńhń›ńhńńhń›ńhń,€and€ńhńœńhńEthingtonńhń›ńhń,€C.A.€(1986).€"Long„term€Persistence€of€Two„year€CollegeĻStudents.šš€ņņResearch€in€Higher€Educationóó,€24(1),€47„71.Šų H (#(# ŠĢSAS€Institute€(1995),€ņņLogistic€Regression€Using€the€SAS€System,€Version€6,€First€Editionóó.€Š Øų  ŠĢą0  ąą ° ąSaupe,€J.€(1994).€"Persistence€and€Graduation€Rates€of€Undergraduate€Transfer€Students€Compared€to€NativeĻStudents.šš€Office€of€Admissions€and€Registration:€University€of€Missouri„Columbia.Š (#(# ŠĢą0  ąą ° ąSaupe,€J.€and€Long,€S.€(1996).€š šAdmissions€Standards€for€Undergraduate€Transfer€ńhńœStudents:A›ńhńńhńStudents:€Ańhń€Policy€Analysis.ššĻPresentation€at€the€1996€AIR€Forum,€Albuquerque,€New€Mexico.Š (#(# ŠĢą0  ąą ° ąStokes,€M.E.,€€Davis,€ńhńœńhńńhńœńhńC.S.ńhń›ńhńńhń›ńhń,€and€Koch,€ńhńœńhńńhńœńhńG.G.ńhń›ńhńńhń›ńhń€(1995).€ņņCategorical€Data€Analysis€Using€the€SAS€System.ņ ņóó€ó óSASŠ hø ŠInstitute.Š (#(# ŠĢą0  ąą ° ąTownsend,€B.€K.€(1995).€"Community€College€Transfer€Students:€A€Case€Study€of€Survival.šš€ņņThe€Review€ofŠ ōD ŠHigher€Educationóó,€18(2),€175„193.ŠĢ(#(# ŠĢą0  ąą ° ąńhńœńhńTownsendńhń›ńhń,€B.€K.,€ńhńœńhńMcNernyńhń›ńhń,€N.,€and€€Arnold,€N.€(1993).€"Will€this€Community€College€Transfer€StudentĻSucceed?€Factors€Affecting€Transfer€Student€Performance.šš€ņņCommunity€College€Journal€of€ResearchŠ T¤ Šand€Practiceóó,€17,€433„443.Ō#†Xv'X&&ĻŽp#ŌŌ#†Xv'XXXv'"²#Ō