Description
The purpose of this case study was to explore through a constructivist lens, the influence of university structural environments on the transition process of community college students to a research university. The findings of this study will help to inform the development of university programs and services that will assist community college transfer students. This study consisted of one-on-one interviews with students and staff at Western University and a document analysis. It was determined that the structural environments in place at Western University included academic support, faculty, social support, orientation, preenrollment programs, and university communication, all of which influenced the transition process of community college students. This influence was positive, negative, or neutral. The university provided strong academic support through academic advising and other support programs and services. Everyone interviewed acknowledged the challenges of the semester to quarter transitions due to the accelerated pace and academic expectations of a research university. Faculty were generally seen as distant and unapproachable, making it challenging for students to connect with their academic environment. Social support was effective if utilized, but needed improvement to better address the unique needs of community college transfers. Orientation contributed to a successful transition, but needed to better address the varied needs of a largely heterogeneous transfer student population. Preenrollment programs provided an early familiarity to the new environment contributing to transition for those who participated. University communication was framed by a comprehensive website that served as a virtual transfer center, providing a comprehensive source of transfer student information and support services. Unfortunately, university communication did not clearly articulate the attributes of a research institution in comparison to other 4-year colleges and universities. Some recommendations for improvement were provided. The findings from this study may also contribute to the improvement of the community college student to university transition process at other 4-year institutions due to the structural environments this study identified and needed to influence successful community college student transition.
