In Their Own Words: Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses of What Students, Staff, and Faculty Say About Vertical Transfer

This research analyzed higher education constituencies’ statements about vertical transfer (student transfer from community to bachelor’s colleges). Data consisted of both focus group excerpts involving dozens of students, staff, and faculty, and of answers to open-ended survey questions completed by thousands of students and faculty. Results were generally consistent using both qualitative (topic identification) and quantitative (bigram frequency and sentiment analysis) analyses. The results were also compared according to participant type (students, staff, and faculty) and higher education sector (community and bachelor’s colleges). The extensive results included that all constituencies expressed a need for more information about transfer. In addition, students frequently described the vertical transfer experience negatively. Further, community college constituencies’ statements were consistent with their relative lack of power concerning vertical transfer, while the opposite was the case for bachelor’s college constituencies. The results also included many specific suggestions regarding how to improve transfer processes, such as by improving the timing of the steps involved in transfer. Listening to what people involved in vertical transfer have to say about it, including how to improve it, can provide higher education with information that can help facilitate vertical transfer and increase equitable access to higher education.