Transfers make the grade

Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005 | 7:07 a.m.

Community college students who transfer to UNLV with an associate's degree generally do as well if not better than students who start at the university, officials say.

Community College of Southern Nevada transfers, for instance, earn a slightly higher grade point average at UNLV than first-time freshmen. The transfers are more likely to persist through school and graduate, according to statistics provided by both CCSN and UNLV.

A study of students transferring from CCSN to UNLV in fall 2003 showed those students were more likely to return the following academic year than UNLV freshmen -- 78 percent of the transfer students returned, compared with 73 percent of UNLV freshmen.

The transfer students also earned better grades with a cumulative 2.98 GPA, while UNLV freshmen had a 2.79 average.

The study comes as Nevada System of Higher Education officials are beginning to encourage students to earn their associate's degrees at a community college first as a way of improving access and success rates at all of the state's institutions. This also allows the universities to become more selective.

Critics have questioned whether the plan would work, but several CCSN students who transferred to UNLV said this week they believed earning their associate's degrees greatly helped them succeed at the university.

Sarah Potts, a 23-year-old elementary education graduate who already has a job lined up as a first grade teacher at Petersen Elementary School, said attending CCSN first was in her best interest financially.

But Potts said she was also "highly impressed" with the quality of her instructors there. The professors were friendly and more welcoming at CCSN as well, and she was well prepared for her UNLV classes.

"CCSN is a good foundation," Potts said.

Several new UNLV graduates, who transferred with associate's degrees from CCSN, echoed those thoughts.

"I would have continued there all four years if I could have had that option," said Heather Perkins, 29, a UNLV education major.

Nevada System of Higher Education officials believe that is because those students have gotten their feet wet in a more student-friendly environment. They learned what it takes to do well in college-level courses and how to best navigate the system to get the classes and services they need.

That students who transfer from CCSN do better than students who start at UNLV proves that CCSN is preparing students well for upper-division courses, CCSN President Richard Carpenter said. Jane Nichols, vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, agreed.

But other reports also show the need for CCSN to continue to improve its own graduation rates so that more students are following that route through. This is particularly important as UNLV looks to tighten its own entrance requirements, sending more students to the community college, officials said.

Only 5 percent of CCSN students earn a degree within three years, only 61 percent persist from fall to spring and only 45 percent stay in school from fall to fall, according to data provided by the college.

Those numbers are typical for a large community college where many go part time and where many may not even intend to get a degree, but it is still unacceptably low, Carpenter said. He is placing a greater emphasis on student services to help students complete their goals -- be that a degree or just one class.

The regents, colleges and universities are also all looking at offering more incentives to encourage students to attend the community colleges and, if they do start there first, to finish their associate's degrees before transferring to a four-year program. Higher education officials believe such a policy would increase graduation rates at all of the institutions.

Regents' policy already guarantees students admission to the universities with junior status if they earn their associate's degree at a state community college first, Nichols said, regardless of their GPA.

In January regents will consider requiring that community college students earn an associate's degree before being able to transfer, as California and several other states already do, Nichols said.

Nichols thinks a similar mandate in Nevada would be in the best interest of the students, the institutions and the state by making transferring to the universities easier. It also would allow the community colleges to fulfill their mission by handling the bulk of the general education courses offered in the state.

Christina Littlefield may be reached at 259-8813 or at clittle@ lasvegassun.com.