Latinx Transfer Students' Transition to a Four-Year Public Research-Intensive University

• In Event: 35.057 - Latinx College Students: Access, Transition, and Skill Development

Abstract

This ethnographic case study examined how 16 Latinx community college students experienced the transition to a selective 4-year public research-intensive university. Participants encountered challenges with social isolation, adapting to a fast-paced quarter system and to large course sizes, limited access to information on resources and research opportunities, understanding academic policies, restricted access to majors, and maintaining healthy lifestyles while attending to academic achievement. In support of their transition, participants benefited from involvement with student organizations, family, and professors, and accessing selected university resources for transfer students. These findings can inform strategies serving the growing Latinx student population pursuing the community college transfer pathway.

Authors

• Bertin Solis, University of California - Santa Barbara

• Richard P. Duran, University of California - Santa Barbara