Oklahoma Statewide
Transfer Student Success
Conference Agenda
October 18th, 2022
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Oklahoma State University – Starlight Terrace
8:30 – 9:10 - Registration and Check-in
9:10 – 9:15 - Welcome
9:15 – 10:00 - Keynote Speaker - Shannon Looney
(Re)imagining Transfer By Centering on Equity
10:00 – 10:20 - Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Oklahoma Transfer Student Progression at a Glance
10:20 – 10:30 - Break
10:30-11:15 Break-Out Session 1
A) Establishing institutional commitment for recruiting and supporting undergraduate transfer students – Starlight Terrace
Dr. Johnnie-Margaret McConnell, Director Transfer Student Success, University of Oklahoma
Over the past 3 years, OU has prioritized transfer students in our Strategic Plan, established partner institution MOUs, to the development of a Virtual Transfer Student Center. This session will walk through who was involved in prioritizing transfer students, administration’s expectations, and actions taken to date (MOUs, articulation agreements, Director of Transfer Student Success, coordinating offices, Virtual Transfer Student Center). Space will also be make for feedback regarding what OU needs to be doing in our support of partner institutions.
B) College Park – Reimagining the Four-Year Experience – Case Study 1
Zachary Grant, University Transfer Specialist-College Park, Tulsa Community College
Megan Pitt, Manager of Recruitment, OSU-Tulsa
Overview of the College Park program, including inception, development, launch and current status. Will include student testimonials and discussion of the program mission and vision for future growth.
C) OSU Transfer Guide Demo – Case Study 2
Casey Oldenburg, Coordinator of Articulation, Oklahoma State University
This presentation will be a demonstration of OSU’s online transfer guides, including our Transfer Equivalency Self-Service tool. These guides allow students to input their transfer coursework on their own to see how each course may transfer into OSU as well as how courses may fit into an OSU degree plan. Process for courses that don’t appear in the transfer guides will be covered.
11:20 – 12:05 Break-Out Session 2
A) Yes! Transfer Students Benefit from an Orientation / FYE Course – Starlight Terrace
Dr. Robin Ploeger, Chair Transfer Student Success Committee/Vice President for Business Continuity and Sustainability, University of Tulsa
As a part of its work, the Transfer Student Success Committee at our institution developed an Orientation/First Year Experience (FYE) course, FYE 3001, that would meet the specific needs of transfer students. The course was developed from a ‘predecessor’ course, which was a modified version of the freshman FYE course.
The course is designed to help transfer students become acclimated to the university early in the semester as they develop a concise plan throughout the semester for maximizing the opportunities they have for a rewarding college experience and professional preparation while they complete their degree. The course description states “FYE 3001, Transfer Experience, is both an academic and personal development course that helps transfer college students develop skills necessary for making a successful academic, professional, and personal transition to TU.”
This presentation will discuss the goals, learning objectives, curriculum, content, and learning activities that are a part of the course. Information will be shared in a way that attendees will be able to take ideas, concepts, and materials back to their campuses to develop and implement a course in a way that would fit their campus and students.
While the course has only been taught during two semesters, course evaluations and student feedback have been positive. Students have benefitted in ways that align with the goals and objectives of the course. Feedback has also helped refine the course for future semesters.
B) Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots – Case Study 1
Vincent Rivera, Veteran Success Coordinator, Oklahoma State University
Tom Joyce, Academic Advisor, Oklahoma State University
In the Fall of 2017, over ¾ of all Student Veterans enrolled in universities across the country were transfer students. We geared our presentation towards preparing Higher Education Faculty, staff and students to better understand the experience of student veterans, service members and their families.
C) Increasing the Visibility of Transfer Pathways – Case Study 2
Dr. Pamela Fly, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Northeastern State University
Beverly Morris, Director of Academic Advising, OSU-Tulsa
Emily Tichenor, Director University Transfer, Tulsa Community College
As part of an Equity Transfer Initiative grant, TCC, NSU, and OSU-Tulsa have collaborated to increase visibility of transfer pathways. During this session, we will share a joint recruitment event and joint marketing materials that highlight particular transfer pathways. These efforts serve as examples of the impact institutions can have by working together.
12:05 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00-1:45 Break-Out Session 3
A) Fostering Cross-Institutional Collaboration Through Communities of Practice – Starlight Terrace
Dr. Laura Latta, Executive Director, Tulsa Higher Education Consortium
Dr. Sarah Wyatt, Director of Strategy and Operations, Tulsa Higher Education Consortium
Considering the times in which we are living, collaboration is not only a helpful approach to work in higher education, it is critical for survival. It was against the backdrop of the pandemic, during a time of declining student enrollment, that the Tulsa Higher Education Consortium was formed. A product of cross-institutional transfer work that began in 2017, the seven member institutions (Tulsa-area colleges and universities) spent 2020 working with the John N. Gardner Institute, learning from the best practices of consortia across the nation, and formalizing the Consortium. When the Consortium became a formal organization in 2021, the seeds of partnership planted during the early stages of formation bloomed into full blown cross-institutional collaboration.
The Consortium serves its member institutions and organization in three ways (the 3C’s): as a Convener, Communicator, and Connector. One way of doing this is through facilitating groups called Communities of Practice. The Tulsa Higher Education Consortium defines a Community of Practice (CoP) as “a group of people who share a similar role, a common set of challenges, or an interest in a topic and who collaborate to fulfill shared goals.” The three elements that make up a CoP are a community that facilitates interactions (such as discussions, collaborative activities, and relationship building); a shared domain of interest (such as student support or workforce partnerships); and a shared practice of experiences, stories, tolls and was of addressing challenges related to higher education. While some CoPs are strategic, with a clear end goal or project, others are organic, with a primary focus on relationship building and information sharing.
Communities of Practice serve a primary role of collaboration with THE Consortium and help drive innovation and strategy among member institutions. Through regular cooperation and communication, THE Consortium’s Communities of Practice enable educational, operational, and fiscal advantages made possible through wide-spread collaboration. Additionally, this approach enables higher education professionals to develop and share expertise to foster an environment of knowledge-sharing and problem-solving.
B) Supporting Transfer Student Planning, Exploration, and Landing – Case Study 1
Emily Tichenor, Director of University Transfer, Tulsa Community College
Take a look into the support efforts of Tulsa Community College's University Transfer Office, support offices, and university partners to create a smoother path for students transferring.
C) Oklahoma’s Community College Transfer Profile: A Four-Year College Roadmap for Supporting Intentional Transfer for High Performing students– Case Study 2
Nancy Sanchez, Chief Opportunity Officer, Phi Theta Kappa
Building a seamless transfer system requires data-driven strategies that are built with the community college student in mind. Through the analysis of data from over 4,500 active PTK members and over 50,000 alumni in Oklahoma, and analysis of its annual Transfer Honor Roll survey, PTK has gained key insights and identified strategies to address challenges in the transfer system and maximizing opportunities for best student outcomes. The goal is to define a pathway for best practices beyond articulation agreement that target the needs and concerns of community college students, including credit transfer, degree completion, need and merit-based aid, and most importantly developing policies and resources that value the vast experiences and talents of community college students.
1:50 – 2:50 - Collaborative Sessions
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- 2-Year
- 4-Year
- Engineering
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2:50 – 3:00 - Break
3:00 – 3:45 - Transfer Student Panel
3:45 – 4:00 - Closing and Survey