Summary of Recommendation for Closure: Excels Project 109Page 2

Summary of Recommendation for Closure: Excels Project 109- Integrate transfer counseling into intake process during orientation

Prepared by Dr. Carolyn Storms-Stoltman, Mark Mazzone, Katie Marshall

July 30,2018

START Orientation has made specific and measurable efforts to incorporate transfer counseling into the intake process. These efforts are outlined below, along with recommendations to further enhance transfer counseling college wide.

Each department is provided with data about student transfer plans approximately two weeks prior to the START session via an Excel spreadsheet. START collects the data by surveying students who have RSVPd to START. Transfer related questions are:
Have you earned any college credit prior to enrolling at ECC?
Do you intend to transfer to another college or university following the completion of your degree/certificate at ECC?
To what school do you intend to transfer? (Not yet determined is an option)
In Fall 2017, 64.7% of the 2249 students who took the survey indicated intent to transfer, 42.2% did not determine to what school they wanted to transfer, and 33.8% had earned prior college credit.
START Advisors are trained to use Appreciative Advisement model to have goal orientated conversations during the advisement session.Appreciative Advisement is a six-staged framework designed to increase student retention through the collaborative process of asking positive, open-ended questions that help students identify their educational goals.The Dream stage asks students, “Where do you want to be personally and professionally in 2 years?”It is during this stage that transfer conversation takes place, and students who have not yet determined their destination school can begin formulating their educational trajectory.
START Advisors are trained to determine the optimal first semester schedule at SUNY Erie for students planning to transfer to UB and Buffalo State, which are the top two transfer institutions for SUNY Erie students. Furthermore, the articulation agreements for these schools are made available in hard copy form in the START Advisement box, present at every advisement session, as well as electronically on the M drive.
Within the START folder, students are provided a flier outlining the role of SUNY Erie counselors in their future success, which includes transfer counseling. Students are encouraged to schedule a meeting with a four-yeartransfer representative, and they are given a list of items that they should bring to the meeting, as well as a list of proposed questions to ask. Last, students are encouraged to schedule a follow-up appointment with a counselor in October/November for the Spring semester and in February/ March for the Fall semester. Students undecided about transferring should determine a school of choice by this time to optimize thetransfer-abilityof credits through theidentificationof comparableECC courses.
START attendees who indicate they have incoming transfer credit are advised at that time to bring an unofficial copy of their transcripts with them to their orientation session to further assist with advisement. A START Pre-advisement sheet is completed for every student prior to their orientation by the START staff verifying(a) whether the student has attended a prior college or university and (b) whether the student has any previous college credits either advanced placement, transfer, or otherwise.

Recommendations:

RECOMMENDATION / NEXT STEPS
Create Academic Roadmaps for all programs that focus on top two transfer intuitions (Buffalo State and UB). / This is being addressed as a part of Excels 108 and the Academic Roadmaps taskforce.
Departments need to reengage students in transfer advisement beyond orientation. / Academic Roadmaps could be one method of engaging. Katie will bring this to the attention of the Academic Roadmaps taskforce. Committee recommends that departments make this a part of their action plan.
Pre-advisement sheets could include transfer-out plans. / Recommendation to be made to Carolyn Storms-Stoltman (START) and Andy Annesi (Advisement Center Director).
Need for incoming transfer credit to be processed prior to START. Students are asked to bring unofficial copy of transcripts to START and guesswork is done by Advisors. / This determination reinforces excels initiative 19: “Improve the speed and efficiency of incoming transcript processing via ImageNow workflow software,” however the committee feels there is a need to more formally address this issue. Recommendation to explore the need for a Transfer Services department.
SUNY built a matrix in degree works, ECC built transfer matrix, but SUNY Erie does not have anyone to take over transfer function centrally. / The committee sees an opportunity for START, Advisement Center or Registrar to own this function. Advisors need access and training on ImageNow. Recommendation to explore the need for a Transfer Services department.
Opportunity to list most common four year articulation agreements and/or dual admissions agreements on curriculum fliers. / This would need to be vetted and managed by departments, in conjunction with Marketing. Recommendation to be made to Steve Smith, Paula Sandy, Phil Struebel, Colleen Quinn.
Supply Dual Admissions applications to academic departments and include Dual admission applications in START orientation packets. / Recommendation to be made to Carolyn Storms-Stoltman (START) and Andy Annesi (Advisement Center Director).
Provide online ‘accepted student profiles’ for competitive ECC programs (See Dental Hygiene web page for example). / Recommendation to create Excels initiative to do this for competitive programs (Access?).
Provide case management to transfer students and undecided students in 250 and 909 programs. / This is being addressed through the new Advisement Center. Recommendation will be shared with Director Andy Annesi.