When Two Plus Two Does Equal Four: The Experiences of Students Who Started at the Community College and Graduated in Four Years

• In Event: Poster Session 18
  In Poster Session: College Student Learning and Outcomes Poster Session 1

Abstract

Transfer student success through a two-year/four-year collaborative dual degree program provides insights how institutions can improve student success. Dual degree students who successfully transferred and earned a bachelor’s degree within four years were interviewed in a qualitative study. These students are exemplars of success after starting out without the credentials for four-year college admission, and they illustrate alternative pathways can build student academic momentum and provide credentialing opportunities. Students experienced the dual degree program as motivating them for full time enrollment, as allowing them to hold on to their dream of a four-year degree, and as restoring their academic self-confidence.

Authors

• Tekla Nicholas, Florida International University

• Glenda Droogsma Musoba, Texas A&M University