Spending the Summer at a California Community College.Introduction The label "summer sessioners" coined by Hagedorn and Castro (in press) designates the growing subset A group of commands or functions that do not include all the capabilities of the original specification. Software or hardware components designed for the subset will also work with the original. of non-traditional transfer students who regularly attend four-year baccalaureate institutions but elect to attend a community college during the summer. Typically, the summer credits are transferred back to the four-year institution and applied toward degree progress. Although many researchers include summer sessioners under the broad rubric RUBRIC, civil law. The title or inscription of any law or statute, because the copyists formerly drew and painted the title of laws and statutes rubro colore, in red letters. Ayl. Pand. B. 1, t. 8; Diet. do Juris. h.t. of reverse transfer students (Townsend, 1999), they are a unique genre characterized char·ac·ter·ize tr.v. character·ized, character·iz·ing, character·iz·es 1. To describe the qualities or peculiarities of: characterized the warden as ruthless. 2. by distinctive goals whose first allegiance allegiance, in political terms, the tie that binds an individual to another individual or institution. The term usually refers to a person's legal obligation of obedience to a government in return for the protection of that government, although it may have reference naturally belongs to their four-year institution. Like migratory migratory /mi·gra·to·ry/ (mi´grah-tor?e) 1. roving or wandering. 2. of, pertaining to, or characterized by migration; undergoing periodic migration. migratory emanating from or pertaining to migration. birds, they are predictable seasonal visitors at virtually all community colleges. Yet, despite growing numbers, summer sessioners have remained an understudied group. Thus, our present knowledge does not allow us to answer the following important questions: * What attracts summer sessioners to the community college? * What are their course enrollment patterns? * Is the purpose of enrollment dependent on course type (for example, are the purposes for enrolling in a hard science different from those for courses in the fine arts)? * Do course-taking patterns differ by gender or ethnicity ethnicity Vox populi Racial status–ie, African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic ? *How can community colleges best serve summer sessioners? While providing preliminary answers to these posed questions, the present study considers how summer sessioners fit into the mission of community colleges and recommends policy to better serve them without compromising the quality or accessibility of education provided to the community college's regular student population. Review of the Literature In a recently published monograph mon·o·graph n. A scholarly piece of writing of essay or book length on a specific, often limited subject. tr.v. mon·o·graphed, mon·o·graph·ing, mon·o·graphs To write a monograph on. about reverse transfer students, Townsend and Dever (1999) describe the summer sessioner student as a subset of reverse transfer, or "temporary reverse transfers" who take courses that transfer back to their four-year institutions" (p.9). They cite the failure of studies to distinguish between summer sessioners and other forms of reverse transfer students who attend community colleges during the regular academic year. A study in Oregon further dissected dis·sect·ed adj. 1. Botany Divided into many deep, narrow segments: dissected leaves. 2. Geology Cut by irregular valleys and hills. Adj. 1. the reverse transfer definition by identifying as an "opportunity group" those students who periodically attend the community college to supplement their coursework coursework Noun work done by a student and assessed as part of an educational course Noun 1. coursework - work assigned to and done by a student during a course of study; usually it is evaluated as part of the student's and credits (Bach, Banks, Blanchard, Kinnick, & Stoering, 1999). Thus, the evidence indicates that our general, and limited, knowledge base of reverse transfer students may not apply to the summer sessioners. Townsend and Dever note that educational leaders, the general public, as well as state policy makers lack understanding about reverse transfer students, especially summer sessioners (1999). They voiced concern over possibly serious impacts of reverse transfer students on institutional funding and accountability. In particular they noted that two-year college leaders must address the "implications of reverse transfer students upon their original mission of serving students not served by other institutions" (Townsend & Dever, 1999). Administrators and policy makers may have good reasons to practice caution and to take steps to take action; to move in a matter. See also: Step to prevent reverse transfer enrollments from displacing regularly enrolled students who are more likely to be economically or academically disadvantaged. On the other hand, Townsend and Lambert (1999) relate the benefits of integrating reverse transfer students. They cite their ability to "positively affect classroom dynamics" as well as "provide informal tutoring and academic advising" and "stimulate and challenge faculty academically" (p. 73). Similar to other types of reverse transfer students, summer sessioners do not conform to Verb 1. conform to - satisfy a condition or restriction; "Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?" fit, meet coordinate - be co-ordinated; "These activities coordinate well" the vertical transfer design high school to community college to four-year university. Rather, they are aptly described by the picturesque picturesque, term used in 18th-century England to refer to a landscape that looked as if it had come out of an academic painting. Used as derogatory criticism of such painting, the picturesque was considered pretty rather than beautiful. phrase "transfer swirl" (de los Santos De Los Santos is a common surname in the Spanish language meaning of the saints.
Reverse transfer has a long and rich history. A 1980 study conducted for the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). system concluded that the flow of students from the University of California system to the California Community Colleges (i.e., reverse transfer) was actually larger than the expected traditional flow from the two year colleges to the university (Kissler). Although exact numbers of reverse transfers are not regularly disseminated disseminated /dis·sem·i·nat·ed/ (-sem´i-nat?ed) scattered; distributed over a considerable area. dis·sem·i·nat·ed adj. Spread over a large area of a body, a tissue, or an organ. , it appears that the proportion of students flowing from the University of California system to the community college system is growing rather than shrinking. The implications of reverse and other non-traditional transfers was officially recognized by the state of California in the early 1990's, and extraordinary action was taken to stem the tide Stem The Tide An attempt to stop a prevailing trend. Sometimes referred to as "stop the bleeding." Notes: If a stock is continually falling, stemming the tide would be an attempt to halt the free fall and change its direction. See also: Reversal, Trend . In January 1993, the state of California enacted a differential fee which charged community college students holding a bachelor's degree or higher Bachelor's degree or higher is a commonly used term by the US Census Bureau and other United States government agencies on the federal as well as state and local level. The term describes the portion of the population that has either a Bachelor's degree or a higher degree such as an additional $50 per unit (Hagedorn & Castro, 1999). Soon rescinded, the differential fee became an embarrassing example of public policy failure and a stark admonition Any formal verbal statement made during a trial by a judge to advise and caution the jury on their duty as jurors, on the admissibility or nonadmissibility of evidence, or on the purpose for which any evidence admitted may be considered by them. of the need to address the complexity of reverse transfer. California's experiences combined with the burgeoning growth of reverse transfer added little to the understanding of the phenomenon. Recently, Phelan (1999) challenged the community colleges' open-door mission to address and establish policy to effectively deal with all types of reverse transfer students. He examined the policy implications of eight specific challenges posed by reverse transfer students and noted that problems with limited funding and increasing enrollment naturally give rise to questioning the comprehensive mission of the community colleges. Phelan promoted the establishment of modifications to present enrollment practices such that both regular and reverse transfer students could be reasonably served. Thus, it may be that rather than fitting reverse transfer students into the present comprehensive mission of the community colleges, their presence and strong numbers will force an expansion of the mission. Others argue that serving the needs of reverse transfer students fits the open access mission of the two-year colleges in a dynamic process that will enhance the development of diverse new mission areas (Quinley & Quinley, 1999). Similarly, Barnes and Robinson believe that the "reverse transfer phenomenon is essential to advancing the role, scope, and mission of the community college" (1999, p.64). Therefore while the opposition is concerned that reverse transfer students may absorb an unfair proportion of college services, others call for an expansion of the community college mission to better serve the needs of all students. To explore the question of why summer sessioners systematically appear every summer, Reis (1987) studied summer sessioners at an Illinois community college. She found that students were more likely to enroll in the community college during the summer to lighten light·en 1 v. light·ened, light·en·ing, light·ens v.tr. 1. a. To make light or lighter; illuminate or brighten. b. To make (a color) lighter. 2. the fall semester se·mes·ter n. One of two divisions of 15 to 18 weeks each of an academic year. [German, from Latin (cursus) s , take advantage of substantial financial savings, and obtain transferable credits. In addition, students cited the community college's flexible scheduling and the quality of the courses as instrumental in their decision. The study described the typical summer sessioner as a college sophomore enrolled in mathematics, business, and/or communications. In an inquiry where summer sessioners were depicted de·pict tr.v. de·pict·ed, de·pict·ing, de·picts 1. To represent in a picture or sculpture. 2. To represent in words; describe. See Synonyms at represent. as savvy consumers, Hagedorn and Castro (1999) relate an interview with a college administrator who described summer sessioners as smart, students who "really know the system" and how to best use college services. The administrator cast the summer sessioners as manipulators who partake of the advantages of the community college without granting serious acknowledgement of its role in their degree process. In conjunction with the present study, we interviewed teachers of summer sessioners who described them as "more confident," "more assertive as·ser·tive adj. Inclined to bold or confident assertion; aggressively self-assured. as·ser  tive·ly adv. ," and "not afraid to ask or answer questions in
class." However these comments should be tempered by other
responses indicating that many of the summer sessioners interact well
with the regular students, have sound academic skills, and overall
contribute to creating a positive classroom dynamic that optimizes
learning.Methodology Description of the College and Community The location for this project was a large, urban, southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, community college located about ten miles east of downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or . Most facilities at the college are over fifty years old with many classrooms not yet retrofitted with heating or air conditioning air conditioning, mechanical process for controlling the humidity, temperature, cleanliness, and circulation of air in buildings and rooms. Indoor air is conditioned and regulated to maintain the temperature-humidity ratio that is most comfortable and healthful. . As many as 25% of the classes offered by the college are taught in "temporary" bungalows (formerly barracks bar·rack 1 tr.v. bar·racked, bar·rack·ing, bar·racks To house (soldiers, for example) in quarters. n. 1. A building or group of buildings used to house military personnel. ) donated to the campus by the Defense Department at the end of World War II End of World War II can refer to:
fading skin coloring. See Arabian fading syndrome (below). Declining in body condition, general health, activity and productivity. Arabian fading syndrome general health is unimpaired. buildings surrounded by graceful grace·ful adj. Showing grace of movement, form, or proportion: "Capoeira is a graceful ballet of power and control, artists kicking and jumping in synchronized movement" Alisa Valdes. trees, nicely tended flower beds and colorful bougainvilleas. College enrollment in the Spring of 1998 was approximately 16,000; of which approximately 60% were females. In terms of ethnic/racial representation, Hispanic students dominate (77.8%) while Asians occupy the second largest proportion (16.9%). The college student population includes a small proportion of White students (2.7%) and an even smaller proportion of African Americans African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. (1.8%) (LACCD LACCD Los Angeles Community College District , 1996-98, pp. 10-13). The college has 27 departments that offer transfer courses in 68 disciplines, vocational education/workforce preparation certificate programs, and opportunities for academic remediation (ELACC, 1998). Eleven communities are served by the college. Collectively the college community is predominantly pre·dom·i·nant adj. 1. Having greatest ascendancy, importance, influence, authority, or force. See Synonyms at dominant. 2. Hispanic (81%, mostly of Mexican descent) with a large representation of Asians (predominantly Chinese) (ELACC, 1997-1998). The Academic Calendar Historically, the college summer session consisted of one six week term. However, in the Summer of 1998, the college initiated a new triple summer session calendar. The first session extended from May 26 to July 3 and consisted of 106 classes. The second session, anticipated to be the most popular, consisted of 116 courses and was conducted from June 22 to July 31. Session 3, with 64 courses, covered the time period of July 6 to August 14. Note that the second session overlapped both session one and three by two weeks. Although the majority of offerings provided transferable credit, the college offered a mixture of vocational and remedial REMEDIAL. That which affords a remedy; as, a remedial statute, or one which is made to supply some defects or abridge some superfluities of the common law. 1 131. Com. 86. The term remedial statute is also applied to those acts which give a new remedy. Esp. Pen. Act. 1. courses. Classes were balanced evenly between morning and evening time frames with lab sections scheduled in the afternoon to best accommodate the needs of both day and evening students. Sample With the approval of the college administration, the researchers sorted the summer admission applications by enrollment status. All applications indicating reverse transfer activity were flagged. On the second sort, the researchers differentiated between regularly enrolled reverse transfer students and summer sessioners. For purposes of this study, we included those students who had completed at least 15 but not more then 59 college units by the first day of the summer term and listed as their educational goal obtaining a Bachelor's degree without completing an Associate's degree as·so·ci·ate's degree n. An academic degree conferred by a two-year college after the prescribed course of study has been successfully completed. . The resulting sample consisted of 206 summer sessioners; students that were regularly enrolled at four-year colleges or universities who enrolled during the summer for supplemental credits or coursework. Survey Instrument We designed the questionnaire to query students about their reasons for taking coursework during the summer at the community college as well as to provide a means for comparing experiences and course particulars of the community college with that of the four-year college. In addition students also provided information on demographics The attributes of people in a particular geographic area. Used for marketing purposes, population, ethnic origins, religion, spoken language, income and age range are examples of demographic data. , grades, and financial aid. The questionnaire included a series of 21 possible reasons for taking summer classes at the community college. Respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. rated their agreement with the series of enrollment reasons and purposes via a 5-part Likert scale Likert scale A subjective scoring system that allows a person being surveyed to quantify likes and preferences on a 5-point scale, with 1 being the least important, relevant, interesting, most ho-hum, or other, and 5 being most excellent, yeehah important, etc (1=strong disagree to 5=strongly agree). To allow for differences by course type, space was provided to allow students to rate their agreement or disagreement with the statements for up to 3 summer courses. Administration of the Survey We developed a database of students fitting our criteria. We included information such as names, addresses, phone numbers, session numbers, class schedules, and instructors. During the third week of the first session, we prepared and sent a survey package to each of the identified students who was enrolled at that time. The package included an introductory letter co-signed by the two project researchers and the college president, the questionnaire, and a stamped envelope for easy return. We telephoned each of the students to verify receipt of the survey package, to remind them to complete and return the survey, as well as to stress the importance of their participation. Despite gallant efforts, the return rate was slightly less than 50%. To increase the return rate for the second and third summer sessions we employed a different data collection technique. We contacted the instructors of each of the flagged students and explained the purpose and importance of the study and stressed our need for their cooperation. We requested that they administer the survey to their student(s) and return it to us.(1) The rate of survey return for the second and third sessions dramatically improved to 92%. Analyses Initial analysis Our initial analyses included descriptions of the sample by age, ethnicity, institution attended during the regular school year, college placement, college GPA GPA abbr. grade point average Noun 1. GPA - a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university; calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted , receipt of financial aid, gender, as well as variables pertaining per·tain intr.v. per·tained, per·tain·ing, per·tains 1. To have reference; relate: evidence that pertains to the accident. 2. to campus life activities. Our second goal was to ascertain the overall reasons why summer-sessioner students enrolled for summer classes. Using the mean response, we ranked the 21 reasons rated by students. Finding "saving money" as the strongest reason for enrolling, we compared it to the average response for all other cited reasons using a paired sample t-test. Differences by course-type We next sought to discover if the reasons students take specific types of courses differed by student type. After collapsing the summer courses into three categories or general disciplines; 1) science and mathematics, 2) social sciences, and 3) humanities, we tested the hypothesis that the courses chosen by summer sessioners differed by course type, gender, ethnicity, college standing, GPA, or regular four-year college. To test this hypothesis we performed chi-square analysis, shifting the unit of analysis from the student to the course type. We then investigated if the reasons for enrolling differed by course-type. Using the students' stated reasons for signing up for courses, we performed confirmatory factor analysis In statistics, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is a special form of factor analysis. It is used to assess the the number of factors and the loadings of variables. and subsequent reliability analyses to construct scales. We then performed a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA anova see analysis of variance. ANOVA Analysis of variance, see there ) to determine differences for signing up for courses by course-type. Table 1 lists the items and scales with their respective Cronbach alpha value.
Scale name Item
(Cronbach's
Alpha)
CC course is a I had extra time and I wanted to spend it
Service (.5741) productively
I am interested in the subject
I need a review of the material
Better Here I will get more personal attention here
(.5300) The instructors are better (nicer) than at
regular school
Save Single item
Easier path The course will be easier
(.6351) Easy "A"
Convenience and This course did not fit into my schedule
Scheduling during the school year
(.5994) It was offered at a convenient time
I can concentrate on this subject better
during the summer
It wouldn't mix well with my other
subjects during the year
I want (need) more free time during the
regular school year
I am afraid of this course at my regular
school
It is too much work at my school
Results Initial analyses The respondents ranged in age from 17 to 46, with the majority (75%) in the traditional college age interval (17 to 21 years). There were significantly more women (69.9%) than men. With respect to college standing, 14.1% (n=29) were first year students, 40.8% (n=84) were sophomores, 17% (n=35) were juniors, 17% (n=35) were seniors, and 6.3% (n=11) were graduate students. The majority of the sample regularly attended one of the California State campuses (51.9%) while 19.4% were from campuses in the University of California system, and 29.2% were from private colleges. This distribution was expected as the California State system has approximately 326,000 students as compared to the approximately 163,700 students at the University of California system (California Citizens Commission of Higher Education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. , 1998). Similar to the community, student ethnicity was predominantly Latino/Hispanic (59.2%), but the proportion of Asian students was higher than anticipated (36.4%). Half of the sample (49.5%) had never taken a community college course before. About one half of the sample was taking one course (48.5%) while 42.8% were enrolled in two courses and 8.7% were enrolled in three courses. The majority of students (77.2%) received some form of financial aid. About half had loans (51%), 69.4% were receiving aid from a grant or scholarship, and 31.1% were involved in a workstudy program. Further analyses indicated that slightly less than half (47.1%) of the sample received multiple forms of aid. For example, 26.2% received scholarships, loans, as well as workstudy. With respect to other college-related variables, only a minority of students (12.6%) reported being members of a sorority sorority: see fraternity. or fraternity, 18% were members of college honors programs, and 5.3% participated in intercollegiate in·ter·col·le·giate adj. Involving or representing two or more colleges. Adj. 1. intercollegiate - used of competition between colleges or universities; "intercollegiate basketball" sports. Educational aspirations aspirations npl → aspiraciones fpl (= ambition); ambición f aspirations npl (= hopes, ambition) → aspirations fpl were high. For example, 41.3% aspired to a master's degree master's degree n. An academic degree conferred by a college or university upon those who complete at least one year of prescribed study beyond the bachelor's degree. Noun 1. , and another third of the sample (32.5%) aspired to a doctorate. Of this total sample of summer sessioner students, 72 were enrolled in at least one history course, 49 took at least one course in the social sciences, while 33 took a political science course. There were 30 students taking a science course, 24 students taking a class in psychology, 16 students taking a mathematics course, 14 took an English course, 9 enrolled in a fine arts class, and 1 student took a foreign language course. Differences by course type Table 2 provides a rank-ordering by the means of the reported reasons for taking classes at the community college during the summer. Note that each mean represents the average of up to three courses. A comparison between saving money against the average response of all other cited reasons (paired-sample t-test) indicated that saving money was statistically the most important reason to be a summer sessioner (t=20.135, df=203, p < 0.0001).
Mean Std.
Reasons for Taking Courses Deviation
To save money 4.4273 0.9139
A required course 4.1108 1.1964
To finish college sooner 3.9770 1.0538
Offered at a convenient time 3.8108 1.0007
Necessary credits 3.6864 1.3334
Course will be easier 3.3325 1.0667
For interest in subject 3.2884 1.0462
For better concentration 3.2348 1.0394
To spend extra time productively 3.1823 1.3200
To provide more free time during the year 3.1122 1.1128
Didn't fit during the regular year 3.0429 1.2705
Instructors are better at CC 2.9861 0.8620
Didn't mix well in the regular year 2.9417 1.0924
Requires too much work at regular school 2.8922 1.0380
Easy "A" 2.7915 1.0328
Pre-requisite for course during the year 2.7459 1.2672
More personal attention at CC 2.7397 1.1254
For a review of the material 2.7214 1.1327
Serves as an elective 2.5166 1.3200
Afraid to take the course at regular school 2.0829 1.1559
Failed the course at regular school 1.4401 0.8840
After collapsing the summer courses into three broad categories (Science/math, social sciences, humanities), all tests for homogeneity Homogeneity The degree to which items are similar. of proportions (chi-square analyses) were not significant. Therefore, for this sample of summer sessioners the type of course enrolled was not dependent on gender, ethnicity, college standing, regular college, or grades. Table 3 provides complete results of these comparisons.
Percentage of Courses by Science Social Human
/ Math Sciences -ities
Gender(1) Male 12.1% 81.8% 6.1%
Females 17.6% 73.9% 8.6%
Ethnicity(2) Asian 13.4% 78.2% 8.4%
Latino/Hispanic 16.7% 76% 7.3%
College First Year 10.9% 73.9% 15.2%
Standing(3) Sophomore 17.2% 74.6% 8.2%
Junior 14.8% 83.3% 1.9%
Senior 18.8% 73.4% 7.8%
Regular California State 15.1% 75.3% 9.6%
4-year University of 6.3% 89.1% 4.7%
college(4) California
Private College 23.6% 69.7% 6.7%
Grades(5) A's and B's 16% 76.5% 7.5%
B- and below 15.9% 75.7% 8.4%
(1) [Chi]= 2.393, df=2, p > .05, [Phi]=.086 (2) Since the majority of the sample consisted of Hispanic and Asian students, these were the only ethnicities included in the analysis [Chi]= 0.654, df=2, p > .05, [Phi]=.046. (3) [Chi]= 8.845, df=8, p > .05, [Phi]=.168 (4) [Chi]= 11.424, df=6, p > .05, [Phi]=.189 (5) [Chi]= 0.80, df=2, p > .05, [Phi]=.016 Implications for Practice Taking one or more courses during the summer at the local community college is a practice gaining momentum among traditionally aged students. Our findings reveal that summer sessioners are both goal oriented o·ri·ent n. 1. Orient The countries of Asia, especially of eastern Asia. 2. a. The luster characteristic of a pearl of high quality. b. A pearl having exceptional luster. 3. and consumer savvy. The evidence suggests that the summer sessioners are clever shoppers in the educational marketplace. In the words of Townsend and Dever, they "know that the education they receive at a two-year college is a bargain hunter's delight" (1999, p. 12). Because the community college transfer courses are generally equivalent to those offered in the first and second years of study at four-year institutions, it is not surprising that the largest group of students partaking of coursework self-classified as sophomores.(2) In the present study, we found that taking a summer course was more appealing to women than to men. However, other studies have found conflicting results (Townsend & Dever, 1999). The lower than expected proportion of men most likely explains why so few student athletes took advantage of the summer offerings at the study site. The comparisons of proportions of students taking different types of courses was not significant by gender, ethnicity, college standing, regular four-year college, or grades. Although we expected to find differences across at least some of these variables, the distributions indicate that students' choices of courses do not depend on the tested divisions. Therefore, it appears that the college can offer courses most popular to the students without serious regard to demographic or other student descriptors. By far, the most prevalent reason for taking a summer course at the community college was to save money. The tuition at California community colleges at the time of the survey (Summer 1998) was $12.00 per semester unit, significantly lower than the cost of taking a course at the four-year college (public or private).(3) A very important factor related to the pervasiveness of cost for this sample may be due to the relatively lower socioeconomic status socioeconomic status, n the position of an individual on a socio-economic scale that measures such factors as education, income, type of occupation, place of residence, and in some populations, ethnicity and religion. of the area served by the college. Other reasons such as taking a course that was required and to decrease the time to graduation Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the associated ceremony. The date of event is often called degree day. The event itself is also called commencement, convocation or invocation. were also salient reasons for the summer course enrollment. However, the results of our analyses revealed that far and above all other reasons, saving money was the most prevalent. We see several policy implications for community colleges regarding the dual presence of summer sessioners and the college's emphasis on transfer. First, the evidence strongly suggests that the traditional transfer paradigm (vertical pipeline) upon which educational leaders and state and federal policymakers base their decisions is much too exclusionary. Rather than a narrow pipe, a wide funnel may better symbolize the transfer function. Indeed, there are multiple and wide paths to successful transfer of credits to the four-year college. Second, despite periodic criticism about low transfer rates, community colleges actually play a significant role in preparing an increasing percentage of reverse transfer students for degree completion. Thus, educational leaders and public policymakers should augment aug·ment v. aug·ment·ed, aug·ment·ing, aug·ments v.tr. 1. To make (something already developed or well under way) greater, as in size, extent, or quantity: and acknowledge the community college's mission in meeting the transfer needs of multiple types of students including summer sessioners. Of course, acknowledgement is empty if it does not also include additional resources that effectively serve the transfer needs of both its regular and reverse transfer students. Third, in order for policy to benefit all students, the role of the college in serving summer sessioners should be established and enforced. A fair method of registration that clearly allots registration preference for continuing students without discouraging dis·cour·age tr.v. dis·cour·aged, dis·cour·ag·ing, dis·cour·ag·es 1. To deprive of confidence, hope, or spirit. 2. To hamper by discouraging; deter. 3. summer sessioners is fair to all. However, the positive attributes summer sessioners bring should not be discounted. Summer sessioners may bring new life into the college and its curriculum while exposing the regular students to individuals who are acculturated members of four-year colleges and universities. Fourth, four-year and two-year colleges should establish partnerships that develop common student information systems, articulated transfer courses, and services that assist the flow from the multiple paths flowing through the wide funnel of transfer to the narrow pipeline of transfer success. Footnotes (1.) The surveys came with an envelope thus allowing the student to maintain anonymity when handing it back to his/her respective instructor. (2.) Since the data was collected during the summer, most likely those students who self-classified as sophomores would be between their first and second year of college. (3.) In 1998, the summer tuition at the University of California campuses was $98 per unit plus a $260 registration fee. At the California State University Enrollment  campuses the cost was $150 per unit. The
University of Southern California The U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 8,634 of the almost 34,000 who applied for freshman admission (private institution) charged $706 per
unit.References Bach, S. K, Banks, M. T, Blanchard, D. K, Kinnick, M. F, & Stoering, J. M. (1999). Reverse transfer students in an urban postsecondary system in Oregon. In B. K. Townsend (Ed.). Understanding the impact of reverse transfer students on community colleges (New Directions for Community Colleges, pp. 47-56). San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden : Jossey-Bass Inc. Barnes, T. L, & Robinson, L. (1999). Bachelor degree students attending community colleges: A Missouri look at post-baccalaureate reverse transfers. In B. K. Townsend (Ed.). Understanding the impact of reverse transfer students on community colleges (New Directions for Community Colleges, pp. 57-66). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc. California Citizens Commission on Higher Education Commission on Higher Education can refer to
De los Santos, A. G, & Wright, I. (1990). Maricopa's swirling students: Earning one-third of Arizona State's Bachelor's Degrees. Community, Technical and Junior College Journal 60(6), 32-34. ELACC. (1998). Fall class schedule. Monterey Park Monterey Park, city (1990 pop. 60,738), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a growing residential suburb of Los Angeles; inc. 1916. It is a wholesale, retail, and financial services center. , CA: East Los Angeles East Los Angeles, uninc. city (1990 pop. 126,379), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a residential suburb of Los Angeles, in an industrial area. It has a large Mexican-American population. There is a performing arts center and a cultural center. A junior college is there. Community College. East Los Angeles City College (1997). Self-study report for reaffirmation re·af·firm tr.v. re·af·firmed, re·af·firm·ing, re·af·firms To affirm or assert again. re of accreditation accreditation, n a process of formal recognition of a school or institution attesting to the required ability and performance in an area of education, training, or practice. . Monterey Park, CA: East Los Angeles City College. ELACC. (1997-1998). College Catalog catalog, descriptive list, on cards or in a book, of the contents of a library. Assurbanipal's library at Nineveh was cataloged on shelves of slate. The first known subject catalog was compiled by Callimachus at the Alexandrian Library in the 3d cent. B.C. . Monterey Park, CA: East Los Angeles Community College. Hagedorn, L.S, & Castro, C.R. (1999) Paradoxes: California's experience with reverse transfer students. In B. K. Townsend (Ed.). Understanding the impact of reverse transfer students on community colleges (New Directions for Community Colleges, pp. 15-26). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc. Kissler, G.R. (October 16, 1980). Trends affecting undergraduate education undergraduate education Medtalk In the US, a 4+ yr college or university education leading to a baccalaureate degree, the minimum education level required for medical school admission; undergraduate medical education refers to the 4 yrs of medical school. Cf CME. in the University of California. Presentation to the Board of Regents An independent governing body that oversees a state's public Colleges and Universities. All 50 states have governing bodies that oversee the administration of public education. of the University of California Committee on Educational Policy. LACCD. (1996-1998). Annual Digest. Los Angeles: LACED. McCormick, A. C, & Carroll, C. D. (1997). Transfer behavior among beginning postsecondary students 1989-94. (ERIC DOCUMENT FILE ED408929): NCES NCES National Center for Education Statistics NCES Net-Centric Enterprise Services (US DoD) NCES Network Centric Enterprise Services NCES Net Condition Event Systems 97-266. Phelan, D. J. (1999). Institutional and public policy implications of the phenomenon of reverse transfer students, In B. K. Townsend (Ed.). Understanding the impact of reverse transfer students on community colleges (New Directions for Community Colleges, pp. 77-84). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc. Quinley, J. w, & Quinley, M. P. (1999). The post-baccalaureate reverse transfer student: New meaning to the term "second chance". In B. K. Townsend (Ed.). Understanding the impact of reverse transfer students on community colleges (New Directions for Community Colleges, pp. 35-46). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc. Reis, E. (1987). Reverse Transfer Project Summer 1986 (Research Note). Illinois: Moraine Valley Community College Moraine Valley Community College is located in Palos Hills, Illinois in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. It is the second largest community college in the state. There are approximately 47,000 students enrolled as of the Fall 2006 semester. . Townsend, B. K. (Ed.). (1999). Understanding the Impact of Reverse Transfers upon the Community College. (New Directions for Community Colleges, no. 106). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Townsend, B. K, & Dever, J. T. (1999). What do we know about reverse transfer students? In B. K. Townsend (Ed.). Understanding the impact of reverse transfer students on community colleges (New Directions for Community Colleges, pp. 5-14) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc. Townsend, B. K, & Lambert, R. Y. (1999). Post-baccalaureate reverse transfers in Maryland and Tennessee: Institutional problems and possibilities. In B. K. Townsend (Ed.). Understanding the impact of reverse transfer students on community colleges (New Directions for Community Colleges, pp. 67-76). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc. Dr. Linda Serra Hagedorn is an Associate Professor of Higher Education and the Chair of the Community College Leadership Program. She also serves as the Director of USC's Orange County Community College
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