Implementing Transfer Associate Degrees: Perspectives From the States New Directions for Community Colleges, Number 160

In recent years, a convergence of several forces—increased legislative involvement in higher education, governmental and philanthropic pressure to increase postsecondary degree and certificate production, and fiscal belt-tightening at colleges and universities across America—has resulted in efforts to significantly reform community college-to-university transfer and articulation processes.

One increasingly popular method of reform is the implementation of transfer associate degrees: statewide pathways or degree programs that allow students to both earn an associate degree from a community college and transfer seamlessly into a state university with junior status. This volume of New Directions for Community Colleges outlines the elements of effective transfer associate degrees and explores their implementation in six states.

This is the 160th volume of this Jossey-Bass quarterly report series. Essential to the professional libraries of presidents, vice presidents, deans, and other leaders in today's open-door institutions, New Directions for Community Colleges provides expert guidance in meeting the challenges of their distinctive and expanding educational mission.

Carrie B. Kisker??is an editor, researcher, and educational consultant in Los Angeles. She has taught courses on the history of higher education and on citizenship, leadership, and service, and is the former managing editor of New Directions for Community Colleges.

EDITORS’ NOTES 1
Carrie B. Kisker, Richard L. Wagoner

1. Elements of Effective Transfer Associate Degrees 5
Carrie B. Kisker, Richard L. Wagoner, Arthur M. Cohen
This chapter outlines the elements of effective transfer associate degrees and discusses the policy impetuses of such reforms.

2. Transfer Associate Degrees in Historical Context 13
Arthur M. Cohen
The author examines transfer associate degrees from a historical perspective, arguing that their implementation moves America’s system of higher education away from long-ingrained, isolated practices and toward greater trust and collaboration among institutions.

3. The Successful Transfer Structure in Washington State 17
Jane Sherman, Michelle Andreas
This chapter describes Washington State’s effective and efficient transfer structure from historical and policy perspectives.

4. Widening and Wandering the Short Road to Success: The Louisiana Transfer Degree Guarantee 31
Kevin L. Cope
In this chapter, the author narrates the complex and often surprising process by which Louisiana deployed a transfer degree program in just two years.

5. Faculty-Determined Course Equivalency: The Key to Ohio’s Transfer Mobility System 45
Paula K. Compton, Jonathan Tafel, Joe Law, Robert Gustafson
Ohio’s process for developing a comprehensive, guaranteed transfer system that connects colleges and universities, high schools, adult career centers, and the workplace is detailed in this chapter.

6. Faculty Reflections on Implementing Associate Degrees for Transfer in California 55
Jane Patton, Michelle Pilati
This chapter describes California’s intersegmental faculty-led system for implementing associate degrees for transfer.

7. The Role of Presidential Leadership in Improving New Jersey’s Community College Transfer Experience
Casey Maliszewski, Kathleen Crabill, Lawrence Nespoli
Presidential leadership contributed to the implementation of New Jersey’s transfer articulation legislation.

8. Developing a Culture of Transfer and Student Success in Arizona 79
Maria Harper-Marinick, Jeanne Swarthout
This chapter provides an overview of the transfer model in Arizona, as well as recent efforts to enhance collaborations among community colleges, universities, and public schools in the state.

9. Putting the Pieces Together and Asking the Hard Questions: Transfer Associate Degrees in Perspective 91
Richard L. Wagoner, Carrie B. Kisker
In this concluding chapter, the authors synthesize information from the volume, suggest a state-level model organizational structure for implementing transfer associate degrees, describe the interests and values of major constituencies in systemic transfer reforms, and note several hard questions that must be addressed if transfer associate degrees are to reach their full potential.

10. Sources and Information on Transfer Associate Degrees 105
Carlos Ayon
This annotated bibliography provides links to and short descriptions of statewide legislation authorizing or mandating the implementation of transfer associate degrees in several states, as well as scholarly articles and reports on the subject.

INDEX 111

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