PCC joins national initiative to improve transfer student success
Story and Photos by PCC PR Staff.
Most community college graduates say they want to earn a four-year degree.
The numbers show the challenge — 80% of students who start at a community college aim to earn a bachelor’s degree, but only 16% achieve it within six years. But hope is on the horizon.
The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) have selected Portland Community College to participate in Cohort 4 of the Transfer Student Success Intensive. This year-long professional development initiative aims to enhance transfer pathways between community colleges and four-year institutions, ultimately improving bachelor’s degree attainment rates.
Supported by Ascendium, the Transfer Student Success Intensive focuses on increasing economic mobility and talent development by streamlining transfer processes. Since its launch in 2021, the initiative has impacted over 16,000 transfer students across 23 states, engaging 91 colleges, including 41 AASCU members. Cohort 4 will build on these successes by implementing innovative strategies tailored to support underrepresented student populations.
“The Transfer Intensive is a hands-on program that gives institutions research and proven practices that help them reimagine and improve their transfer pathways,” said Tania LaViolet, director of research and innovation at the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.
Cohort 4 includes 10 teams comprising 10 four-year institutions and 13 community colleges from 10 states. PCC’s team will collaborate with Portland State University to develop sustainable transfer strategies.
For more information about the Transfer Student Success Intensive, visit the program’s website.