Building Vertically: Examining the Vertical Transfer Experiences of First-Generation Community College Students

• In Event: Disrupting the Narrative: Diverse Perspectives on First-Generation College Student Transitions Across the P–20 Pipeline

Abstract

Community colleges (CC) serve as the access point and hub of opportunity for postsecondary education for many students nationwide. In 2020-2021, nearly 30% of students enrolled identified as first-generation college students (FGCS), and over half identified as students of color (American Association of Community Colleges, 2022). While over 80% of students begin their collegiate journeys at CCs, less than 15% earn baccalaureate degrees within six years (Jenkins & Fink, 2015). The gap widens for students of color, who are more likely to be FGCS and from low-income backgrounds (Crisp & Nuñez, 2014). Numerous studies on FGCS have theorized the unique transfer experiences of FGCS, including student-related academic and personal challenges and institutional barriers (Byrd & Macdonald, 2005; Crisp et al., 2021; Rendon, 1995). However, few studies have explored the salience of FGCS identity and its impact on how students experience the vertical transfer process.

A constructivist epistemology guides this qualitative study and seeks to understand the lived experiences of FGCS as they navigate statewide and institutional policy and processes along the vertical transfer journey. The poly-contextual nature of the transfer process allows us to explore how FGCS bridges home and multiple institutional contexts through the vertical transfer process. As such, this study is guided by asset-based frameworks and cultural ways of learning which emphasize the socioculturally informed “repertoires of practice” (Gutiérrez & Rogoff, 2003, p. 22) and third spaces, or zones of development that expand students’ learning and development (Gutiérrez et al., 1999). We explore how first-gen community college students in North Carolina learn about and understand the vertical transfer process, including transfer policy (i.e., articulation agreements, credit mobility), college choice, and financial aid. The following research questions guide this study:

How do first-generation college students navigate the vertical transfer process?

In what ways do first-generation community college students’ first-gen identities influence their vertical transfer journeys?

We draw on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample of 72 first-generation college students across 18 pre-and post-transfer institutions in North Carolina. Of the 72 participants, nearly 60% identified as students of color, 27% as student-parents, and 31% as first-or second-generation immigrants. These interviews explore how CC transfer students experience the transfer process and how their home or communities inform their transfer journeys.

We find that first-generation college students navigate complex systems and seek information from trusted sources such as informal networks and trusted institutional agents throughout the transfer process. Students in this study held a deep connection to their FGCS identity, often using this identity to propel baccalaureate aspirations, despite systemic barriers. This study has significant implications for understanding how FGCS draw knowledge from third or hybrid spaces to negotiate transfer policies and processes. For sending and receiving postsecondary institutions, this study underscores the need to bolster FGCS communities where FGCS are celebrated and supported. Moreso, this study adds to the rich body of work which centers on asset-based ways of learning and knowing alongside diverse student populations.

Authors

• Carmen Serrata, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Mark M. D'Amico, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Sandra L. Dika, University of North Carolina - Charlotte