Black and African-American Community College Transfer Success

This webinar is based on the findings from the The RP Group’s report, The African American Transfer Tipping Point: Exploring the Transfer Journeys of Over 7,000 African American/Black Community College Students.

Report Introduction:

Nearly two-thirds of African American/ Black students who attend college in California begin their postsecondary journey at a community college. Yet, evidence indicates that systems, structures, policies, and practices are not currently designed to support their success. Only 3% successfully transfer from the California Community Colleges (CCC) to a university in two years, and just 35% make it within six years, compared with 45% of their White peers (Campaign for College Opportunity, 2021).

Findings from the first two phases of The RP Group’s African American Transfer Tipping Point Study indicate that four core student experiences significantly impact the transfer experiences of this student population:

1. completing transfer-level English and math in a timely way,
2. receiving academic counseling,
3. participating in an Umoja program designed to enhance the cultural and educational experiences of African American and other students, and
4. avoiding academic probation.

In 2022-2023, we surveyed over 7,000 African American/Black students across the CCC system to further explore their transfer experiences. Through this survey, we gained a more nuanced understanding of these four core experiences from the students’ perspective that helped us identify related opportunities for strengthening African American/Black students’ transfer success.

Speakers: 

• Rogéair D. Purnell President and CEO of RDP Consulting
• Jerrell Hill (Co-Interim) Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Human Development and Education at Pacific Oaks College),
• Alyssa Nguyen, Senior Director of Research & Evaluation, The RP Group

Slides:

Featured Image: Photo by Nqobile Vundla on Unsplash