"It's Like Trying to Merge into Traffic": Relationships Between Transfer Student Experiences and Identity

How Studying Community Colleges Impacts Learners: Reducing Community College Stigma and Improving Community College Advocacy

“…Community college stigma can have an impact on students' self-perception of their community college student identity or transfer student identity (Hartman & Mayo, 2022;Rodriguez & Kerrigan, 2016;Zuckerman & Lo, 2021). For example, studies suggest that community college students (and transfer students) will often hide that they attend(ed) a community college because they are ashamed or they want to avoid anti-community-college bias (Alexander et al, 2009;Jain et al, 2017).…”

“…For example, studies suggest that community college students (and transfer students) will often hide that they attend(ed) a community college because they are ashamed or they want to avoid anti-community-college bias (Alexander et al, 2009;Jain et al, 2017). As another example, Hartman and Mayo's (2022) study suggests that transfer students either (a) perceived transfer as a positive identity because of their university's transfer receptive culture and transfer-affirming experiences with people, (b) perceived transfer as a negative identity because of inequitable transfer policies and non-transfer-STUDYING COMMUNITY COLLEGES 4 affirming experiencing with people, or (c) felt that "transfer was not a part of who they were or how they saw themselves" (p. 482). Hartman and Mayo's (2022) study suggests there may be benefits and consequences to these self-perceptions.…”

“…As another example, Hartman and Mayo's (2022) study suggests that transfer students either (a) perceived transfer as a positive identity because of their university's transfer receptive culture and transfer-affirming experiences with people, (b) perceived transfer as a negative identity because of inequitable transfer policies and non-transfer-STUDYING COMMUNITY COLLEGES 4 affirming experiencing with people, or (c) felt that "transfer was not a part of who they were or how they saw themselves" (p. 482). Hartman and Mayo's (2022) study suggests there may be benefits and consequences to these self-perceptions. For example, some transfer students recognized the unique strengths they have as a transfer student compared to non-transfer students.…”

“…Shifting away from community college studies curriculum, I will now focus on recommendations related to this study's outcomes of interest: community college perceptions and advocacy. Building off past work, future research should quantitatively study the impact of self-perception of community college student (or transfer student) identity on academic outcomes (Hartman & Mayo, 2022;Rodriguez & Kerrigan, 2016;Zuckerman & Lo, 2021). Furthermore, there have been a couple studies on community college advocacy from community college professionals (Baime, 2022;Mayfield et al, 2022;White, 2022) and community college student leaders (Miles, 2010;Miles et al, 2011).…”

Motivation Differences in First-Semester Organic Chemistry: A Comparison between First-Time-in-College Students and Transfer Students

“…Laanan argued that transfer shock is, in part, due to the one-on-one support experienced at two-year institutions that is less available at large four-year institutions. Differences between institutions result in a nuanced and complex relationship between experienced transfer shock and overall success at a new institution. − With foresight, institutions have sought to minimize transfer shock and provide a more seamless transition. Laanan, however, found that one transition initiative did not necessarily lead to a seamless transition.…”