New York Senator Chuck Schumer took to Twitter on Tuesday to share a meeting he attended with SUNY Chancellor John B. King and Onondaga Community College President Dr. Casey Crabill, where they discussed the issue of transfer students.
The tweet, which was retweeted by Onondaga Community College’s official account, read: “SUNY Chancellor @JohnBKing, Senator @SenSchumer, and OCC President Dr. Hilton met once again at an event discussing the tra…”
Transfer students have long been a topic of discussion in higher education circles. According to data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, nearly 40 percent of college students transfer at least once within six years of starting their degree program.
For many students, transferring can be a way to find a better fit for their academic goals or financial situation. However, it can also come with its own set of challenges – including losing credits when switching schools or facing confusion over differing requirements between institutions.
In recent years, policymakers and educators have sought ways to make the transfer process smoother for students. One approach has been increased collaboration between community colleges and four-year universities – something that appears to be at the heart of the meeting Schumer attended.
It’s not clear what specific proposals were discussed during the event mentioned in Schumer’s tweet. However, both King and Crabill have previously spoken about their support for policies that facilitate transfers and help ensure credit continuity across institutions.
King has advocated for measures such as statewide articulation agreements – formal agreements between colleges outlining how specific courses will transfer between them – as well as more streamlined transcript evaluation processes.
Crabill has emphasized initiatives like dual-enrollment programs that allow high schoolers to take college-level courses while still enrolled in secondary school. These programs can give students a head start on earning credits towards their degree before they even enroll full-time in college.
New York State itself has taken steps towards improving transfer pathways in recent years. In 2017, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the creation of a Transfer and Articulation Task Force to identify ways to make it easier for students to move between institutions. The task force ultimately recommended several measures, such as creating a centralized transfer credit database and expanding dual-enrollment opportunities.
Schumer’s attendance at the meeting suggests that he may be supportive of these efforts as well. However, it’s unclear whether any concrete policy proposals or next steps will emerge from the discussion.
Regardless, the conversation around transfer students is likely to continue in higher education circles – particularly as more students seek alternative pathways to traditional four-year degrees. As King noted in a recent interview with Inside Higher Ed, “We want every student who starts college in New York state…to be able to finish and have access to all sorts of opportunities.”
Time will tell whether this goal can be achieved – but meetings like the one Schumer attended indicate that stakeholders are continuing to work towards making it a reality.