"Lost in the Shuffle": The Effects of Relationships and Personalized Advisement on Community College Students' Transfer Aspirations and Outcomes

• In Event: College Transfer Aspirations and Trajectories

Abstract

Few community college students who aspire to transfer ever do so. Research suggests that relationships with advisors, faculty, and administrators play an important role in promoting successful transfer outcomes, particularly for minoritized students. This mixed-method study examined students who received personalized transfer advising through a community college honors program and compared their experiences and outcomes to those of transfer-aspiring students attending the same community colleges who qualified for, but chose not to join, the honors program. Findings suggest that personalized advisement and relationships with transfer advisors contributed to higher rates of transfer and may support honors students’ transfer to more-selective destinations.

Authors

• Maggie Plunkett Fay, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Shanna Smith Jaggars, The Ohio State University

• Negar Farakish, New York University