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Project Background

Nearly ⅔ of African Americans who attend college in California begin their postsecondary journey at a community college, yet over 60% wind up leaving without a degree or certificate or without transferring to a university. Decreasing the existing racial inequities in transfer rates is a key strategy for increasing income equality.

In the first phase of our Through the Gate project, results revealed that while African-American students were less likely to make it “near the transfer gate,” among those who did reach this milestone, they were significantly more likely to transfer than their peers. In fact, when compared to White students, African-American students were 2.04 times more likely to transfer than remain near the gate and 1.17 times more likely to transfer than to remain at the gate.

This finding presents an alternative narrative to some common perceptions about academic achievement among African-American students. However, too few African-American students are making it to this point in the first place. Thus, we are seeking to understand the programs, practices, and factors that facilitate or hinder university transfer among African-American community college students.

Research Questions

The African American Transfer Tipping Point project is a 24-month, mixed-methods research study designed to answer two critical sets of research questions:

1. Where along the academic continuum are we losing the greatest proportions of African-American students who leave without transferring? Conversely, where are the tipping points that signal students’ transition from being unlikely to reach their transfer goal to being significantly more likely to do so?
2. What are the factors (both academic and non-academic) that contribute to students' likelihood of reaching the tipping point? Which programs and practices are associated with greater persistence to and through the tipping points and, ultimately, the transfer gates?

Project Plan

In the first year of the project, we are conducting a quantitative analysis of student course-taking patterns and unit completion thresholds to identify key transition points in their transfer journey. This analysis will be followed by qualitative assessment (via interviews/focus groups with students and administrators) to identify programs and practices that bolster or hinder transfer outcomes. In year two, we will administer a systemwide survey to African-American students at key points in their academic journey to develop a comprehensive understanding of the many variables influencing their transfer journeys and ultimate success. The results from all these analyses will be summarized in a series of materials, followed by outreach and engagement — developing practical resources to support efforts to improve African-American transfer outcomes.

We have recruited a robust Advisory Committee consisting of a range of transfer leaders working at the campus and system levels, leaders who are committed to equitable student outcomes, individuals with expertise overseeing African-American student programs, researchers with a focus on racial inequities in postsecondary outcomes, and most importantly students who are currently on the transfer journey or have successfully transferred.