TRANSFER TO TRIUMPH
EASING THE WAY HELPS COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS ACHIEVE SUCCESS
Even before the new state law, students transferring from community colleges in Illinois enjoyed guaranteed admission to University of Illinois System universities.
Still, some expect the transfer process to be difficult, which prevents them from pursuing a four-year degree. When they do, they miss out. The Wall Street Journal used 12 years of labor market data to show bachelor’s degrees deliver “an immediate 25% wage premium within a year of graduation.”
“As part of our land grant mission, the U of I System partners on many fronts to make obtaining a degree more accessible. Transferring from a community college is an essential pathway to a four-year degree, so we make sure those students — especially first-generation students and those from underrepresented groups — have the tools and support they need to succeed at our universities, ” U of I System Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs Nick Jones said.
Maddie Saenz and her father, Brian Saenz, take in a Fighting Illini football game at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Saenz shares findings from a research project.
MADDIE’S STORY
Maddie Saenz — and many others — know the importance of a smooth transfer experience.
“I loved my community college time. Not just because it was close to home, but because the scholarships made it a no-brainer,” said Saenz, who attended Lewis & Clark Community College. “I was told the transfer would be seamless, and it was.”
Saenz graduated this spring with a degree in systems engineering and design from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Keri Niehans, UIUC senior associate director of admissions operations, said the transfer process—course planning, choosing a major, applying—is less daunting than some imagine.
“We want students and parents, as well as community colleges, to know they can reach out to us with questions,” Niehans said. “They don’t have to figure this out alone while they’re exploring transfer options and when they here as students.”
“I had a good transfer experience. I want that to be the experience across Illinois.”
— Holly Pflum, U of I System transfer outreach and initiatives
GROWING OUR IMPACT
This spring, the U of I System partnered with Shawnee Community College near the state’s southern tip to connect educators and administrators with public university transfer pathways for their students.
It’s part of a larger push to engage with community colleges across the state to ensure students know about their transfers options and the support available when they attend U of I System universities.
Holly Pflum, U of I System assistant director, transfer outreach and initiatives, organized the SCC transfer symposium.
Pflum is passionate about her work.
“I got my associate degree from Parkland College in Champaign. Leaning on support staff and advisors, I had a good transfer experience. I want that to be the experience across Illinois,” she said.
Pflum also helps drive transfer advances on a national level. The U of I System plays a lead role in the first National Association of Higher Education Systems Improvement Committee, which focuses on reducing barriers to student transfers to help ensure more people can obtain the benefits a four year degree provides.