DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 414 965
JC 980 036
AUTHOR
Nussbaum, Thomas J.
TITLE
Enhancing Student Transfer. Memorandum of Understanding.
INSTITUTION
California Community Colleges, Sacramento. Office of the
Chancellor.
PUB DATE
1997-11-19
NOTE
10p.
PUB TYPE
Opinion Papers (120)
Reports
Evaluative (142)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
Academic Achievement; Access to Education; *Articulation
(Education); *College Transfer Students; Community Colleges;
Educational Policy; Higher Education; Partnerships in
Education; Policy Formation; Program Improvement; *State
Programs; Student Financial Aid; *Transfer Policy; *Transfer
Programs
IDENTIFIERS
*California Community Colleges; California Master Plan for
Higher Education; Senate Bill 121 (California 1991);
*University of California
ABSTRACT
In compliance with The Master Plan for Higher Education
(1985) and Senate Bill 121 (1991), which both establish transfer as a
priority for California's colleges and universities, the California Community
Colleges (CCC) and the University of California (UC) adopted a collective
mission. To provide access and opportunity for students, CCC and UC propose
to increase transfer rates by 33% before the year 2005. They also plan to
increase the accuracy and timeliness of the articulation process to foster
transfer student success. CCC has established transfer centers on each
campus, with a commitment from UC to reinvigorate transfer-center
partnerships and create more options for part-time students. A database
functions as an official statewide repository for articulation information,
and assists students in planning for and meeting their transfer goals.
"Baccalaureate" financial aid packages illustrate the full scope of
postsecondary education, allowing students to plan their monetary needs
through degree completion. CCC and UC will work together to obtain resources
to implement these goals, collecting and exchanging data to evaluate their
success. Includes newspaper article about transfer student increase.
(YKH)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
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C
Memorandum of Understanding:
Enhancing Student Transfer
Thomas J. Nussbaum
California Community Colleges
Office of the Chancellor
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
EpUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
,This document has been reproduced
as
eceived from the person or organization
originating it.
L:I Minor changes have been made
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improve reproduction quality.
Points of view or opinions stated in this
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy.
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
J. L. Smith
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
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2
CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
1107 NINTH STREET
SACRAMENTO, CA 95814-3607
htip://viveve.cccco.edu
(916) 445-8752
November 19, 1997
TO:
Chief Executive Officers
FROM:
Thomas J. Nussbaum
,1*
Chancellor
SUBJECT: Memorandum of Understanding
Synopsis: As you know, the Community Colleges
and the University of
California have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) designed to
enhance student transfer. Most significantly, the
MOU establishes a mutual
goal to increase the number of California
community college transfer students
to at least 14,500 by the year 2005-6, a
33% increase over the next eight years.
A number of activities are included in the
MOU designed to assist us in
meeting this goal, many of which will look familiar to you.
However, the
language leaves a lot of room for dialogue, allowing us
to identify specific
activities that we can undertake in cooperation
with the University over the
next few years that will benefit both systems,
and most importantly, students.
While the details have yet to be worked out, we
will be calling upon college and
system representatives to assist in the
prioritization and implementation of
MOU activities.
Contact: For further information please contact
Kathleen Nelson, Coordinator,
Transfer and Articulation at (916) 322-5617; email:
[email protected].
cc:
Chief Student Services Officers
Chief Instructional Officers
Deans of Counseling
Academic Senate Presidents
Transfer Center Directors
Articulation Officers
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3
ENHANCING STUDENT
TRANSFER:
A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN THE
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY
COLLEGES AND
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
The California Community Colleges and the University of California
recognize student transfer from community colleges to public and
independent universities as central to providing accessibility to a
baccalaureate education for the citizens of California.
Building on
collaborative efforts of the past decade, the California Community
Colleges and the University of California are prepared to work
together to reinvigorate and to strengthen transfer student academic
success across the two systems, and to continue their
commitment to
provide access and educational opportunities to a diverse student body.
The Master Plan for Higher Education establishes transfer as a
priority for California's colleges and universities, and beginning in
1985,
the higher education community undertook a number of
initiatives to strengthen the transfer process. In 1991 Senate Bill 121
(Hart) emphasized that a strong transfer function was the shared
responsibility of the California Community Colleges, the California
State University and the University of California, and included a
number of provisions designed to enhance collaboration in support of
student transfer.
Also in 1991 the California Community Colleges, California State
University and the University of California agreed upon a Statement
of Common Principles for strengthening the transfer process. Within
these principles the systems recognized transfer as critical to providing
access
to
higher education, and as
"central and essential"
to
California's commitment to educational equity.
In order to build on these efforts and to further their commitment to
ensuring students an efficient transfer process and a quality transfer
education that leads to attainment of the baccalaureate degree, the
California Community Colleges and the University of California adopt
the following understandings:
PROVIDING ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY
The California Community Colleges and the University
of California have a shared
commitment to providing both access and opportunity
for students seeking to
transfer and to obtain a baccalaureate degree, including
indents from groups that
have had traditionally low University eligibility rates.
As such, the California
Community Colleges and the University of California
establish a mutual goal to
increase enrollment of community college transfers
from 10,900 in 1995-6 to 14,500
or more students by the year
2005-6, representing an increase of
approximately
33% over 1995-6. Together, the California
Community Colleges and the University
of California will need to ensure that
students preparing for transfer meet
University admission requirements, and complete the
appropriate prerequisites for
the program and/or college to which they are applying.
II.
ENSURING SUCCESS
The California Community Colleges and the
University of California have long
recognized and supported a proven combination of
elements that define an effective
transfer system. These elements, as identified in
the systems' 1991 Statement
of
Common Principles and reiterated in SB 121
include, but are not limited to, the
following:
enrollment and resource planning;
specific efforts to improve student diversity;
intersegmental faculty curricular efforts;
course and program
articulation:
coordinated student counseling;
financial aid;
transfer services; and
intersegmental data collection and evaluation.
In support of enhanced collaboration
and to promote and increase
transfer
opportunities for community college transfer
students, the California Community
Colleges and the University of California
draw upon these proven elements
and
commit to initiating or expanding the following
systemwide and local activities:
A. Improve Articulation Procedures
Articulation agreements are fundamental to
the transfer process and provide
the
"road maps" students need to understand
University requirements and to
prepare for transfer.
Focused effort is needed to continue to
increase the
accuracy and timeliness
of course articulation information
available to students.
2
Special emphasis needs to be placed on
major articulation, particularly in
academic majors where there are large numbers of
transfer students.
The California Articulation Number System (CAN), a system
of common course
identifiers assigned to like (articulated) courses across segments,
is one means of
establishing major articulation agreements among higher
education systems.
The University will explore ways in which major
articulation can be advanced,
using CAN or other mechanisms.
B. Develop ASSIST as the Official
Statewide Repository for
Articulation Information
ASSIST (Articulation System Stimulating
Interinstitutional Student Transfer)
electronically
stores
and conveys
articulation
information
to
students,
counselors, faculty and staff.
The California Community Colleges
and the
University of California, as well as the California
State University, should
establish the ASSIST database
as the
official
statewide
repository
for
articulation
information.
Having one
"official"
place where articulation
information resides that is easily accessible through
World Wide Web-based
technology will enable students to plan for and meet
their transfer goals and
thus enhance progress toward their baccalaureate
degree.
Should "official"
status be adopted, the systems will commit to
maintaining current, accurate and
complete articulation information in ASSIST.
C. Reinvigorate Transfer Center
Partnerships
The California Community Colleges have established
transfer centers on each of
the system's 106 campuses. The University
of California will commit to
increased participation at transfer center sites, and
both California Community
Colleges and the University of California will
work collaboratively to enhance
the provision of information and services to
students intending to transfer.
D. Enhance Transfer Alliances
Various transfer alliances have been established
between California Community
Colleges and University of California campuses over
the years. The California
Community Colleges and the University of California
will work collaboratively
to enhance transfer alliance activities,
and to ensure the participation
of every
California Community College campus in at
least one alliance.
Alliances will
delineate an agreed upon set of services and
activities designed to ensure a
seamless
transition
for
students from
initial
enrollment
at
California
Community Colleges to the baccalaureate degree.
E. Create More Part-Time Options at
the University of
California
The California Community Colleges and the
University of California will
work
together to identify the needs of part-time students
planning to transfer, and the
University of California will develop additional
options by which transfer
,
S
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students' part-time plans can be
accommodated.
Individual University of
California campuses will consider the
development of such options
and
communicate them to transfer students.
F. Develop "Baccalaureate"
Financial Aid Packages
In order to provide a seamless system
of transfer for students,
the California
Community Colleges and the University
of CaliforWa will work to
provide
entering California Community College
students financial aid that
considers the
full scope of California Community
College and University of
California
academic work. Such packaging would allow
transfer students to plan for their
financial needs to reach baccalaureate
degree completion.
G. Intensify Outreach
Activities
A number of academic development
and outreach programs are
currently in
place that encourage and provide support
services to high school
students
preparing to enter college. Such programs
include the Puente Program
(both at
the high school and community college
levels), Mathematics,
Engineering,
Science Achievement (MESA), and the
University of California Early
Academic
Outreach Program. Many of the students
in these programs opt to
attend a
community college, hoping to transfer at a
later date. The California
Community Colleges and the University
of California will develop a means
of
identifying and tracking community college
bound students who participate
in
these programs, and will jointly provide
information and support services
through their transfer to the University.
In addition, the California
Community
Colleges and the University of California
will collaborate and expand on a
number of these academic development programs
including Community College
MESA and the Puente Program.
H. Increase Data Collection
and Exchange
In order to monitor and evaluate the
usefulness of agreed upon
transfer
activities and student progress toward
the baccalaureate degree,
California
Community Colleges and the University
of California will collect
and share data
as appropriate and
consistent with state and federal
privacy laws, for
communicating with potential transfer
students; the University
of California
will provide information on the progress
of students who transfer
through
attainment of the baccalaureate degree.
The California Community
Colleges
will assure that students with transfer
aims can receive
information needed to
plan course work, and their progress
toward transfer goals will
be monitored.
University of California reports on
transfer students who
apply and enroll will
include, but will not be limited to,
data on applicants, admits
and enrollees;
retention, graduation and performance.
In addition, the
University of California
will provide transfer data as
required by the community
colleges in order to
complete Student-Right-To-Know
reporting for the Department
of Education.
7
4
I. Enhance Cooperative Admissions Programs
Many high school graduates who are eligible to attend the University would like
-- or
need -- the option of attending a California Community College and
transferring to a University of California campus at a later date.
California
Community College fees are low, and students can continue to work to save for
University expenses, or prepare academically for high-unit or competitive
University majors. The California Community Colleges and the University of
California will develop agreements that will allow California Community
College students, University of California eligible from high school, to receive
advising plans tailored to the selection criteria for University of California
campus programs of choice. These transfer students
will be guaranteed a place
on one of the University's campuses provided
minimum University of California
transfer requirements for admission are met.
The University will also work to expand its programs guaranteeing admission to
California Community College students who enter into joint University
of
California/California Community College contract agreements for specified
programs.
III. Implementation and Review
The California Community Colleges and the University of California recognize
that
additional resources will be needed to fully realize the goals and activities
specified
in Sections I and II of this Memorandum of Understanding, and
will work together
to identify and secure the necessary resources. The California
Community Colleges
and the University of California will convene a committee consisting
of systemwide
officers as well as campus administrators, Academic Senate
representatives and
students to monitor implementation of the provisions of this
Memorandum of
Understanding and to assess progress and effectiveness of activities.
IV. Signature Agreements
-1VYYY\44
7//1440-dieui1/43/77
Rok"--\ C.
Thomas J. Ntssbaum
Date
Richard C. Atkinson
Chancellor
President
California Community Colleges
University of California
5
lig 7
Date
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UC seeks more transfers from
2-year schools
By Brad Hayward
Bee Staff Writer
(Published Nov. 14, 1997)
Aiming to expand higher education opportunities, the
University of
California and California Community Colleges announced a new
effort
Thursday to increase the number of students in the two-year
colleges who
transfer to a UC campus.
At a meeting of the community colleges' statewide
Board of Governors in
Sacramento, the two systems set a mutual goal of boosting
the transfers of
community college students to UC from about 10,900
annually to at least
14,500 by 2005.
"It's ambitious considering that we haven't had any growth
in transfers in six
years," said Thomas Nussbaum, chancellor of the 106-campus
community
college system. "This says we're ready to move forward.
I'd like to go beyond
14,500."
The agreement calls for joint efforts to improve
information and services to
community college students intending to move over to
UC. Increased
outreach, a more seamless financial aid system, more
data sharing between the
systems and strengthened academic advising are
included in the plan.
Also under the agreement, UC will develop new
academic options on its
campuses for part-time students.
The idea is to expand access to a UC bachelor's
degree among students who
started their undergraduate careers in the community
colleges because they
wanted to save money, were initially ineligible for UC entrance
based on their
high school performance or other factors.
"People don't realize that a very good way to come to the
University of
California is to do two years at the community colleges
and move on," said
UC President Richard Atkinson. "For students
who want smaller classes, who
don't want to get into the hubbub of our campuses,
it might be just the right
1 oft
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
11/21/97 14:11:37
option."
UC already has a policy giving community college students top
priority
among transfer applicants for admission to
the university.
Meanwhile Thursday, a task force that has been assessing the future
of the
community college system released to the Board of Governors a
draft report
arguing that the system needs new efficiency measures coupled with
funding
increases of 10 percent a year through 2005.
',-
After it is refined by the board, the report is expected to be the basis of a drive
next year to rally support in the Legislature and
the public for long-term
measures to bolster the community colleges.
The challenge, the task force reported, is that the community college system
is
expecting to enroll 400,000 additional students between 1995 and
2005 while
taking on new mandates to help implement welfare reform and foster
economic development activities.
Meanwhile, the system's per-student funding of $3,554 trailed the $6,022
national average as of 1994, and declining participation rates are
threatening
the state's economic health, the report said. Participation in the
community
colleges fell from 88 students per 1,000 California adults in 1975 to 58 per
1,000 in 1995.
To adequately respond to those trends, the task force said, the system
will
need 10 percent annual funding hikes and also will have to
improve its internal
efficiency through such means as creating more flexible academic
calendars
and expanding the use of technology.
The report added that if the system's funding needs are not met, a state tax
hike benefiting public education should be considered.
"Californians take it as a given there will always be a place in the
community
colleges for them," said Rocky Young, chairman of the task force
and vice
president of Santa Monica College.
"There is a huge access question that is coming along. If it doesn't get
funded,
the only solution becomes denying access."
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