Transition Matters: Community College to Bachelor’s Degree
Summary
This proceedings report details the Advisory Committee’s Community College Symposium, held on December 10, 2007 in Washington, D.C. The symposium featured community college leaders who described efforts to overcome barriers that adult learners face. The information in this document is a valuable resource to community college leaders at all levels – federal, state, and institutional – who desire change and seek to implement strategies that enhance the community college pathway to a bachelor’s degree. Recognizing the need to strengthen the community college pathway, the Advisory Committee has undertaken an initiative focusing on low-income students who pursue bachelor’s degrees in community colleges. Based on the research, the Committee identified three critical transition points for students who start at a community college and intend to obtain a bachelor’s degree: enrollment, persistence, and transfer. During the meeting, the committee representatives discussed each of these factors and provided practical suggestions in each area. In addition, the report also examines the barriers of current practice of students’ transition activities in five categories: academic, social, informational, complexity, and financial. It aims to identify and describe multiple practices that reduce barriers, which enables student enrollment, ensures persistence, and facilitates transfer from community college to four-year institution.
Citation
The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. (2008, May). Transition Matters: Community College to Bachelor’s Degree. Proceedings Report of the Advisory Committee’s Community College Symposium, December 10, 2007. U. S. Department of Education.
Retrieved From
http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/acsfa/transmattfullrpt.pdf