Community College transfer students show growing trend

By RYAN JARVI

Updated: February 17, 2013, 5:53 PM

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To make transferring credits from community colleges easier, Grand Valley State University established a reverse transfer agreement with Grand Rapids Community College in 2011. Since then, it has signed agreements with six other colleges, including a recent contract with Lansing Community College.

Lynn Blue, vice provost and dean of Academic Services, said GVSU would eventually like to establish agreements with all 28 public community colleges in Michigan to make transferring credits easier.

“Students have many choices and need to exercise them based on their and their families’ circumstances,” Blue said. “Sometimes, all that a family can afford for their son or daughter is a community college for the first year or two.”

Blue said GVSU strives to be transfer-friendly – and statistics suggest it’s succeeding.

Philip Batty of Institutional Analysis reported an increasing trend in community college transfer enrollment over the last 10 years.

Last semester, total enrollment at GVSU was 24,654 with transfer students making up about 7.1 percent of the population. In 2002, transfer students were about 6.8 percent of the total headcount of 20,407. The number of transfer students that came to GVSU from a 2-year college in fall 2012 was 1,251, which is up 47 percent since 2002’s number of 849.

The reverse transfer agreements may contribute to the increasing enrollment of community college transfers, but it is not likely the only reason, Blue said.

GVSU’s Admissions Office has been actively recruiting community college transfer students through sponsored events and campus visits.

“We are always looking for new opportunities to reach out to students interested in transferring to Grand Valley,” said Bonnie Ulmer-DeGraves, associate director of Admissions.

Transfer student open houses, on-site admission at various community colleges, transfer-specific scholarships and financial aid workshops all help bring students to GVSU from community colleges, Ulmer-DeGraves said.

Several times each year, Admissions employees also visit all of the community colleges to meet with students interested in transferring to GVSU.

“This isn’t something that we can do at the 4-year colleges since those students typically don’t intend to transfer, since they can complete the bachelor’s degree at their current college,” Ulmer-DeGraves said.

In fall of 2002 there were 539 students that came to GVSU from 4-year institutions. That number hasn’t changed much over the last 10 years, with 2012’s number slightly lower at 508.

GVSU also hosts breakfasts and luncheons to meet with community college counselors to keep them informed on programs offered at GVSU. Over the past few years, students have also been contacted through the student organizations they are involved with at the community colleges.

“When appropriate we will bring current Grand Valley students and faculty that work with similar organizations at Grand Valley,” Ulmer-DeGraves said. “Grand Valley students and faculty can share what opportunities are available at similar organizations at GVSU.”

Transfer students have always been important to GVSU, Ulmer-DeGraves said.

“Transfer students bring another set of experiences to the campus that will enhance the Grand Valley community,” she said.

To view GVSU’s institutional data, visit www.gvsu.edu/ia.
rjarvi@lanthorn.com

Published February 17, 2013 News, PageOne