Volume 6:3 (June 2018)

Transfer Student Success - Research Reports & Literature Reviews

The Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer (ACAT) contracted completion of Transfer Student Success in Alberta Research Projects. These projects focused on answering the following questions:

1. How successful are post-secondary transfer credit students?
2. How well do post-secondary transfer credit students do in comparison to direct-entry students?

One of the largest learner pathways and mobility data gaps in Alberta is regarding the transfer system. Currently, there is no provincial data about transfer credit or the success of transfer students or the transfer system.

Duklas Cornerstone Consulting completed a literature review and two separate case study research reports with two institutions. Plaid Consulting Inc. completed four separate case study research reports with four institutions and a literature review that is embedded within these reports. The reports focused on defining and developing measures for post-secondary transfer student success and evaluating the success of transfer credit students in Alberta in comparison to direct entry students for each individual institution. The intention was analysis of relevant data measures within each of the institutions not comparison between institutions. All reports involved a quantitative analysis of anonymized student data for applicable student cohorts to facilitate the comparison between transfer and direct entry students.  

This issue of Spotlight is being made available on the new ACAT website. Developed as a resource for our stakeholders, we encourage you to explore the other resources available on the new site.