The Future of Transfer & Transition Summit

Over 220 stakeholders attended the Future of Transfer & Transition Summit on July 26-29, 2021. Participants included administrators, policy-makers, faculty, staff, high school and university partners, and students from the Texas region, as well as national experts. 

July 26-29, 2021   |   ONLINE

Austin Community College employees, students, and transfer partners are invited to attend this free virtual event.

This virtual event is designed to support an integrated culture of transfer throughout ACC in order to improve and maintain positive transfer outcomes. Austin Community College's Strategic Plan Goal 3 directs this important action, which will result in improved access, equity and success for all students.

ACC’s goals for an integrated culture of transfer includes focused objectives.  ACC will decrease gaps in transfer rates among disaggregated groups, eliminate excess credit hours, and reduce time to bachelor’s degree completion. This will be accomplished by: 

• the alignment of transfer pathways, 

• creation of degree-specific articulation agreements, 

• effective dissemination of transfer information, and

• providing resources and services that allow students to explore transfer destinations early and prepare for successful transfer, and 

• tracking student progress post-transfer to assess best transfer practices.     

These objectives support the State of Texas landscape framed by Senate Bill 25 provisions to improve transfer in Texas, including recommended course sequences, earlier filing of degree plans, and new reporting on nontransferable credit. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has prioritized improving transfer for community college students planning to transfer to public four-year universities.   Their transfer framework will build upon the strengths of the existing Texas transfer policy and introduce new policies and procedures that will substantially improve transfer. 

“Improving completion rates and reducing the difference in time to degree between native and community college transfer students needs to be addressed through the combined efforts of both Texas public universities and community colleges. Texas public community colleges, GAIs, and students are likely to do things differently with the passage of Senate Bill 25 (SB 25) by the 86th Texas Legislature. 

The 2019 higher education transfer bill includes many changes intended to improve transfer, including: 

• earlier degree planning, 

• greater awareness of applicability of specific courses, 

• clarification of degree requirements and the sequence of courses to complete a degree, 

• better and more easily exchanged student information, 

• expanded funding for dual credit courses, and 

• another look at the core curriculum. 

Collaboration and commitment among institutions, and clarity in messages to students about degree completion are key elements to improve transfer moving forward. At the state level, encouraging the use of existing mechanisms, such as common course numbering, course alignment through the ACGM Learning Outcomes Project, curriculum alignment through approved mechanisms, and the Texas Core Curriculum will be important to foster continued improvement in student transfer.”

-A Report to the Texas Legislature per House Bill 1, Texas General Academic Institutions: Increasing Successful Community College Transfer, 86th Texas Legislature (Fall 2020)