Ohio Community Colleges and Independent Universities Partner to Approve Transfer Pathways in Biology, English and Psychology
A December 7 signing event at the Ohio Statehouse will recognize the partnership of 25 Ohio institutions establishing pathways for students transferring from community colleges to independent campuses
Columbus, OH—The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) today announced the approval of three transfer pathways developed by faculty and leadership at a consortium of 11 community colleges and 14 independent colleges. The pathways are for majors in Biology, English and Psychology, and align with the Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways (OGTPs).
The Ohio Consortium for Transfer Pathways to the Liberal Arts, was launched in the fall of 2021, made possible through a grant from the Teagle Foundation and Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. The Consortium has united 14 independent colleges and universities and 11 community colleges in Ohio to remove obstacles and establish pathways to a bachelor’s degree for students at community colleges for smooth transfer to one of Ohio’s private colleges.
To recognize the 25 consortium institutions and their recent curricula approvals, the Ohio Consortium for Transfer Pathways to the Liberal Arts Signing Ceremony and Reception will take place on December 7 at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. Presidents and/or a senior leadership officer from each institution will participate in the signing ceremony with a pledge to support access and opportunity for transfer students. Randy Gardner, Chancellor for the Ohio Department of Higher Education, will provide opening remarks, and Annie Bezbatchenko, senior program officer for the Teagle Foundation, will speak from the perspective of a grantor's support of this and other transfer pathway projects.
“We are tremendously grateful for the engagement, leadership and enthusiasm of these 25 Consortium institutions pledging to work together to bring clarity, consistency, and confidence to the transfer conversation for students, faculty and advisors, and to build a strong, enduring transfer culture,” stated Winnie Gerhardt, Consortium project director. “It is our hope that by building these three major pathways, a foundation will be in place for pathways to be approved in many more majors in the years to come.”
According to data published by a collaborative effort among the Clearinghouse Research Center, the Community College Research Center at Columbia University, and Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program in their report titled “Tracking Transfer: Measures of Effectiveness in Helping Community College Students to Complete Bachelor’s Degrees,” about 80 percent of community college students say they want to earn a bachelor’s degree when they first arrive. However, the 2022 data show that of those students who began postsecondary education at a community college in fall 2015, less than 50 percent graduated with a bachelor’s degree within six years, and lower-income students were nearly half as likely than their higher-income peers to have transferred to a four-year institution (25 percent vs. 41 percent) and to have attained a bachelor’s degree within six years of first entry (11 percent vs. 22 percent). Transfer pathways create clear curriculum choices for students that will then transfer to many 4-year universities to alleviate fears of losing credits or taking the wrong courses, which are often obstacles for students hoping to transfer down the road.
In addition to building transfer pathways, the Ohio Consortium for Transfer Pathways to the Liberal Arts project will work with partner institutions on best transfer practices by:
Developing workshops for faculty, administrators, and transfer advisors from the consortium institutions to support and enhance the transfer culture on their campuses
Highlighting financial aid and scholarship opportunities
And encouraging students to follow transfer pathways to the four-year institutions as juniors, and explore reverse transfer
A Final Report to be published in Spring 2025 will evaluate the pathways’ influence on enrollment numbers, transfer numbers, student experiences, and work and relationships of faculty and transfer advisors.
Learn more about the Consortium: https://www.ofic.org/transfer-pathways
View each approved transfer pathway:
Psychology - https://www.ofic.org/transfer-pathways-psychology
CIC/OFIC Members
Ashland University
Baldwin Wallace University
Bluffton University
Capital University
Defiance College
Denison University
Hiram College
Lourdes University
Malone University
Muskingum University
Ohio Dominican University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Tiffin University
Ursuline College
Community Colleges
Central Ohio Technical College
Clark State College
Columbus State Community College
Cuyahoga Community College
Lakeland Community College
Lorain County Community College
North Central State College
Northwest State Community College
Sinclair Community College
Stark State College
Terra State Community College
About CIC: The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) is an association of more than 700 nonprofit independent colleges and universities, state-based councils of independent colleges, and other higher education affiliates, that works to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of independent higher education’s contributions to society. CIC is the major national organization that focuses on services to leaders of independent colleges and universities and state-based councils. CIC offers conferences, seminars, publications, and other programs and services that help independent institutions improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, student outcomes, and institutional visibility. It conducts the largest annual conferences of college and university presidents and of chief academic officers in the United States. Founded in 1956, CIC is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, DC.
About OFIC: The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) believes all students who enroll at a member campus deserve the opportunity to complete their college education. OFIC connects and partners with corporations and foundations to help to keep education affordable through scholarships, internships and career opportunities. OFIC’s goal is to facilitate an exceptional appreciation of independent higher education and its impact on the state of Ohio’s citizens, economy, and culture. Through its Scholarship Management Resources, OFIC creates national scholarship opportunities by partnering with organizations in Ohio and beyond. OFIC is located in Columbus, OH.
Media Contact: Sarah Hance, hance@ofic.org