College Transfer Initiative Drives Higher Degree Completion Across Illinois

• 04/29/20

As all parties can now see how credits are weighted and applied, students and advisors can quickly understand which courses will apply during transfer and which ones may still be required for degree attainment. It also gives students choices around obtaining those credits at the school that makes the most sense – geographically, financially or otherwise.

Voluntary Collaboration Statewide Among Institutions

One of the hallmarks of the IAI is the high degree of participation by its member institutions. Faculty representatives voluntarily serve on discipline-specific panels that meet regularly to discuss the courses that have been submitted for inclusion in the GECC or as recommended coursework for specific majors. The faculty panels evaluate multiple criteria for each course, such as learning outcomes, rigor, the syllabus and educational resources. Courses that meet panel standards are IAI approved. Students can be assured participating schools will accept those successfully completed classes to fulfill general education requirements. The IAI Director and Coordinator work closely with Illinois’ higher education coordinating bodies — the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) and the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). This level of predictability around credit transferability has instilled a strong sense of trust and confidence in the overall higher education student population across our state.

Additionally, this voluntary, collaborative approach among Illinois’ institutions ensures that student transfer needs are being met, even during times of reduced funding for higher education. The panels have democratized the articulation process between the two-year and four-year schools. So, it’s not just “receiving” schools making the decisions; all the institutions are equal partners.

Illinois primarily relies on five pillars to support effective transfer. The first three have already been mentioned: the IAI (GECC and major course recommendations), MyCreditsTransfer (facilitating the use of Transferology), and legislative initiatives. The fourth pillar is the Illinois Transfer Coordinator group. This statewide group was established in the 1970s and has served as a key resource in addressing all aspects of transfer.

Ultimately, course articulation is a relationship among institutions. The fifth pillar supporting Illinois transfer is the strength of our institutional partnerships and collaborations. We make it possible for the institutions to retain their own focus, values and degree requirements, while still participating in a process that benefits students across the board. With IAI ensuring a portable package of general education coursework, our institutions can focus on programmatic transfer agreements and partnerships that most greatly benefit students. These institutional agreements can also be published through Transferology.

Leading Bachelor’s Degree Completion Rates for Community College Transfers

The efforts in Illinois have paid off. Illinois achieved No. 1 ranking in the United States for the bachelor degree completion rate of community college students who transferred to a four-year institution (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center report - Tracking Transfer, 2017). The bachelor completion rate among these community college students was 53.8 percent (33,267 students), compared to the national average of 42.2 percent.

Illinois has taken a proactive approach to increasing its students’ degree attainment rate — an approach that will surely pay off in a workforce that is prepared for today’s workplace challenges.