Supporting Transfer Students Series: Topic Intro | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Supporting Transfer Students Series
Part 4:
Strategies for Encouraging Instructor-Student Interaction with Transfer Students
Overview
Research has found that for transfer students, interactions with instructors are a particularly strong indicator of student learning (Fauria & Fuller, 2015; Levin et al., 2010; Lundberg, 2014). Fauria & Fuller (2015) note that while “transfer student persistence and completion rates towards baccalaureate degree attainment continue to be lower than non-transfer student persistence and completion rates” (p. 40), but that interactions with instructors through feedback and direct encouragement had a positive impact on transfer students’ cumulative GPAs. Jabbar et al. (2022) had similar findings when studying the transfer students’ social capital. In this study, “social capital” refers to access to relationships (e.g., family and friends) that students can draw upon. An example of a student with high social capital might have attended a private school, had access to private tutors, participated in extra-curricular activities, and be a multi-generation student. However, strong advising helped nontraditional students overcome gaps in prior knowledge, as well as strengthen already existing knowledge. Jabbar et. al. (2022) found that even with strong social capital, students still needed the presence of someone at the institution supporting them—strong advising helps everyone succeed.
Suggestions for how to foster supportive interactions with transfer students:
| Strategies | Explanations | Teaching Suggestions |
| Normalize consistent feedback | Fauria & Fuller (2015) found that transfer students who received timely written or oral feedback on their academic performances were more likely to persist to graduation. | Make feedback an integral part of your class activities, and provide feedback in a timely manner (within a week, depending on class size), so that students can integrate your comments into their next assignment. Balancing instructor feedback and structured peer feedback helps you manage the workload, helps students connect with their peers, and offers comments at varying levels. For more feedback strategies, see our “Effective Feedback Series.” |
| Encourage office hours and interact with students | Transfer students may feel uncomfortable contacting instructors if they need help (CCCSE, 2012), or may have difficulty making time in their schedules to attend office hours. | Clearly post your office hours on the syllabus or Canvas, including directions on how to find your office. Clarify that offices hours are for everyone and that students can come in for any reason:
Offer office hours at multiple different times/days (early and late) or in different modalities and remind students about office hours frequently. If students appear to be struggling in your class, be the first to initiate contact (or work with your TA) to see if they need support. |
| Set and clarify high expectations | Research has shown that educational outcomes for transfer students are improved when instructors hold students to high standards, but help support students in achieving those standards (e.g., Fauria & Fuller, 2015; Levin et al., 2010). | Encourage students to be self-motivated and hardworking, but remind them that you are there to support them if they need help. For example, Fauria & Fuller (2015) suggest challenging your students to meet your high expectations by working harder than they think they can, but make sure to also respond promptly with feedback or answers to questions. Be sure to clarify your expectations on topics like attendance, participation, and teamwork in the syllabus and/or the Canvas site. |
| Encourage students to seek help outside of the classroom | Help students navigate the higher education system and identify resources where they can receive the help they may need. | Include information on various university support services in your syllabus (see below in Additional Resources, as well as our Campus Resources Guide for transferspecific services). |
| Self-identify if you were a transfer student | If you were a transfer student yourself, publicly identify yourself as such; this can help your students feel more at ease in your classroom, while also providing them with a potential mentor. | Invite students to ask questions and learn more about your academic journey or visit you during office hours to discuss your experiences in more depth. Consider even putting this information on your webpage and invite prospective students to contact you directly with questions about the university or department! |
What does this all mean?
The Survey of Entering Student Engagement (CCCSE, 2023) found that when prospective students needed guidance, 29% of students that intended to transfer went to friends, family or other students. In the same survey, 29% of transfer-intending students also reported asking instructors at college. However, with more first-generation students attending college, there can be discrepancies in information from friends and family, or a student might be lacking this resource entirely. Instructors are in a prime position to support transfer students because of their frequent interactions with students and ability to forge connections during instructional time and office hours. Learning more about the transfer process and institutional resources available better equips you to support students seeking advice. This support demystifies university bureaucracy and helps students graduate on time. With many students choosing community college, curricular ambiguity that forces them to re-take classes or earn units that won’t transfer to another university expends valuable and finite resources.
Remember that the changes required to better support transfer students are not achievable by an individual and, therefore, require an extensive network of collaborations (Teshera-Levye et. al 2023). In “The Transfer Maze,” Carlson (2023) explains the systemic issues that plague the transfer experience. His article underscores the importance of familiarizing yourself with the systems and resources available to you and your students. For example, a student might feel defeated after being told that a course credit won’t transfer and that they will need to retake a class. That same student might also not know that they can petition to their department chair to have this credit awarded (Carlson, 2023)—an insight you can provide. These gaps in knowledge become wider if students want to transfer out of state (Jabbar et al., 2021).
Transfer series reflection
As expressed in Parts 1 and 2, advocating for a cohort-based learning community yields better advising, promotes student collaboration, encourages application of knowledge, and fosters a sense of belonging on campus (Thacker Thomas et al., 2021; Laman, 2026).
As you continue to learn about transfer student support, reflect on the following questions (CCCSE, 2023):
- Do you have the necessary knowledge to talk to students about transfer opportunities? If not, do you know where to direct students for support?
- Are there classroom activities
weyou can utilize to help students explore potential career interests so that they have a clearer idea of what they want to study? - What opportunities can
weyou create for students to utilize transfer support services?
- Additional Resources
- Transfer and Reentry Center
- Student Academic Success Center [SASC]
- SASC’s Writing Assistance Services
- Veteran Success Center
In addition to this resource, we would also suggest referencing our “Supporting First-Generation University Student Series,” as the experiences of transfer students often parallel those of first-generation students more broadly.- Citation
- Center for Educational Effectiveness [CEE]. (2026). Supporting Transfer Students Series. Just-in-Time Teaching Resources. Retrieved from https://cee.ucdavis.edu/JITT
- References
Carlson, S. (2023). The transfer maze: How systemic snags too often block the path from community college to a bachelor’s degree. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-transfer-maze
Center for Community College Student Engagement [CCCSE]. (2012). A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success (A First Look). Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, Community College Leadership Program
Center for Community College Student Engagement [CCCSE]. (2023). Helping community college students climb the transfer ladder. The University of Texas at Austin. https://cccse.org/NR2023
Fauria, R. M., & Fuller, M. B. (2015). Transfer student success: Educationally purposeful activities predictive of undergraduate GPA. Research & Practice in Assessment, 10, 39–52.
Jabbar, H., Epstein, E., Sánchez, J., & Hartman, C. (2021). Thinking through transfer: Examining how community college students make transfer decisions. Community College Review, 49(1), 3-29.Jabbar, H., Schudde, L., Garza, M., & McKinnon-Crowley, S. (2022). Bridges or barriers? How interactions between individuals and institutions condition community college transfer. The Journal of Higher Education, 93(3), 375-398. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2021.1953339
Laman, Mariah F. (2026) Reducing uncertainty for new transfer students: Improving institutional communication of transfer resources. Graduate Student Creative Works. https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/communication_creative_works/2
Levin, J. S., Cox, E. M., Cerven, C., & Haberler, Z. (2010). The recipe for promising practices in community colleges. Community College Review, 38(1), 31–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091552110374505
Lundberg, C. A. (2014). Peers and faculty as predictors of learning for community college students. Community College Review, 42(2), 79–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091552113517931Thacker Thomas, D., Walsh, E., Torr, B., Alvarez, A., & Malagon, M. (2021). Incorporating high-impact practices for retention: A learning community model for transfer students. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory, and Practice, 23(2), 243-263.