Toya Roberts-Conston

From Community College to a 4-Year Urban University:

African American Male Transfer Students’

Degree Attainment

Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it

today. Malcolm X

Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it

today. Malcolm X

The purpose of this study is to examine whether a predictive relationship exists between institutional GPA, credits earned at time of transfer and 6-year

graduation rates for African American male community college transfer students at a four-year

university

The purpose of this study is to examine whether a predictive relationship exists between institutional GPA, credits earned at time of transfer and 6-year

graduation rates for African American male community college transfer students at a four-year

university

Significance of Study• Research has suggested that community college

students are more likely than those attending 4-year institutions to be from low-income, first generation, historically underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups

• Disadvantaged students often times lack academic resources, degree aspirations, and social capital in comparison to higher income peers

• Community colleges are used as ‘gateways’ to 4-year universities

• Postsecondary education is increasingly important to employers and will continue to be in high demand (Carnevale & Rose, 2012).

African American Males

•Often comparatively less prepared than others for the rigors of college level academic work (Bonner II & Bailey, 2006; Loury, 2004; Palmer, Davis & Hilton, 2009; Harper, 2012)

•Completion rates are lowest among both sexes and all racial/ethnic groups in U.S. higher education (Harper, 2006a; Strayhorn, 2010; Harper, 2012)

Research Questions

RQ1) Who comprises the African American transfer cohort at the urban university during the 2006-2007 academic year?

RQ2)For African American males, is the number of credits earned and community college GPA at time of transfer predictive of graduation from the Urban University within 6-years of matriculation?

Methodology

•Archival Data from 2006-2007

•Sample population- African American- 141 Males; 212 Females- 219; Transfer from 2-year college

RQ1) Descriptive StatisticsRQ2) Logistic Regression Model

RESULTSCharacteristics & Description of Sample

Results Graduation Rates of CC Transfer Students

ResultsLogistic Regression Analysis (Total Sample)

ResultsLogistic Regression (Male CC Transfers Only)

ResultsLogistic Regression (Female CC transfer Only)

ResultsTotal Sample

AGE: A one-unit decrease in age results in 7.8% increase in the odds of being a graduate from Urban University.

GPA at time of Transfer: A one-unit increase in cumulative GPA results in a 71.5% increase in the odds of being a graduate from Urban University

No. of credits at Transfer: A one-unit increase in the number of credits earned at time of transfer results in a 1.8% increase in the odds of being a graduate from Urban University

ResultsAfrican American Male Two Year CC Transfers

AGE: A one-unit decrease in age results in 14.8% increase in the odds of being a graduate from Urban University.

No. of credits at Transfer: A one-unit increase in the number of credits earned at time of transfer results in a 3.4% increase in the odds of being a graduate from Urban University

ResultsAfrican American Female Two Year CC Transfer

GPA at time of Transfer: A one-unit increase in cumulative GPA results in a 5.10 increase in the odds of being a graduate from Urban University.

No. of credits at Transfer: A one-unit increase in the number of credits earned at time of transfer results in a 2.2% increase in the odds of being a graduate from Urban University

Discussion

GPA at time of Transfer

a. significant predictor for total sample

b. significant predictor for African American female two year CC transfers

c. not a significant predictor for African American male two year CC transfers

No. of Credits at time of Transfer

a. significant predictor for total sample

b. significant predictor for African American female two year CC transfers

c. a significant predictor for African American male two year CC transfersAge

a.significant predictor for total sample

b. not a significant predictor for African American female two year CC transfers

c. Significant predictor for African American male two year CC transfers

LimitationsL1) Sample taken from single institution

L2) Definition of graduation status

L3) Narrow amount of data available from Urban University’s Office of Institutional Research

L4) Limited accuracy of the prediction models

Implications for Research

• Further investigation to examine why 72% of the African American transfer cohort did not stay and graduate from Urban University within 6-years

• Further investigation to examine if GPA is an accurate predictor for African American male transfer students

• Further investigation to examine enrollment patterns of African American non-traditionally aged two-year CC transfer students

Implications for Practice

•Programs for two-year CC transfer students that assist with navigation of the four-year university system

• Introducing the transfer process to students early on at the two-year CC

•Ensure college level work on the CC level is as rigorous as college level work at the University level

Questions & Answers