An examination of individual and organizational characteristics influencing persistence for community college transfer students at the University of Michigan -Dearborn.

The purpose of the two-phase study was to determine which individual demographic characteristics, community college characteristics and experiences, and four-year institution experiences influence the retention of community college transfer students at a highly selective four-year university as compared to native students. The sample consisted of 1,258 students who transferred to the University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-D) in Fall 1990, 1991, 1992, or 1993 with a minimum of 25 transferable credit hours from one of four community colleges located in the metropolitan Detroit, Michigan area. As part of this study, the researcher developed a conceptual framework designed specifically for the study of community college transfer student persistence behavior. After the development of a conceptual framework, multiple regression analysis was employed to measure the amount of influence that certain demographic and organizational characteristics have on the dependent variable, persistence. The case study phase of this study involved the collection of descriptive data regarding processes relating to the existing organizational structures designed to support articulation and transfer at each of the four community colleges and the UM-D. The findings indicate several important discoveries. First, it appears that the community colleges that made the heaviest investment in the development of institutional operations such as physical, financial, and human resources solely dedicated to the facilitation of transfer are most helpful in preparing students for persistence at the four-year institution level. For both native and transfer students, ethnicity and the possibility of additional financial aid were found to be positive predictors of persistence, while student age and academic unit of current enrollment were negative predictors. For transfer students, academic unit of initial enrollment and former community college attended were also found to be significant predictors. Transfer students from certain schools are more likely to persist, while those majoring in degree programs in the liberal arts or education are less likely to persist. Furthermore, the findings highlight the importance of close cooperation between two- and four-year institutions to ensure that students are academically prepared, and that the transfer process that they encounter is as seamless as possible.PhDCommunity college educationEducationHigher educationSchool counselingUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/132063/2/9959695.pd