Abstract
Brief Literature Review The original California Master Plan of Higher Education came into effect after the signing of Senate Bill 33, also known as the Donahue Act (California Department of Education, 1960). The Master Plan faced drastic demographic changes, growth in enrollment, and severe budget cuts between 1980 and 2010. During these difficult times the state legislation made an additional attempt to help alleviate some of the strain by creating a new bill—SB 1440: Student Achievement Reform Act—which came into effect to help students transfer from a CCC to the GSU system and have a more seamless transfer pathway. In an effort to gain further insight, the researcher used Astin’s theory of student involvement and Bolman and Deal’s model of organizational structure. Statement of the Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of the new transfer process, SB 1440: Student Transfer Achievement Reform (STAR) Act, between the Community College and Grand State University. The following questions were constructed based on the related literature: 1. What challenges or benefits did SB 1440: Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act, students encounter at Grand State? 2. What perceptions did the SB 1440: Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act students have regarding the transfer process from the community college to Grand State? 3. What recommendations did SB 1440: Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act students have for Grand State University to facilitate the transfer process? The study researched the perceptions of STAR students from the local Community Colleges to Grand State University. The study sought to provide administrators, faculty, and student services professionals with insight into the STAR students’ perceptions of the new transfer pathway as well as any challenges and benefits they encountered during their transfer process. Furthermore, the study sought to provide recommendations to administrators, faculty, and student services professionals on possible improvements to services to facilitate the transfer process for future STAR students. Methodology This study utilized a mixed methods research approach. The study consisted of 61 STAR students who had transferred to Grand State University. Forty-one point one percent (41.1%) followed the SB 1440 transfer pathway for timely completion of degree, obtaining an associate degree, and being admitted to Grand State. Fifty-five point six percent (55.6%) were admitted into impacted programs. Furthermore, 57.1% had a positive transfer experience. Conclusions and Recommendations The research provided insight on challenges STAR students experienced during their transfer process. Lack of communication from the two-year and four-year institutions created frustration for students seeking information regarding the new transfer pathway. The benefits highlighted were admission to their four-year school of choice and admission into impacted programs. The study revealed the importance of a more structured transfer pathway and is highly recommended in order for future SB 1440 students to persist toward the completion of their bachelor’s degree in a timely manner.