THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE • COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

A Seminar Course to Help With Transfer

ShockWafa Hakim OrmanBrinda Mahalingam

The University of Alabama in Huntsville

ACHIEVE Conference, 2019

Transfer students often struggle with the transition to a 4-year university

● Transfer shock is a sadly common phenomenon● What % of Alabama community college students who transfer to a 4-year

university eventually earn a bachelor’s degree?○ According to the National Student Clearinghouse: only 33%

Why do transfer students struggle?

What can we do about it?

● UAH already runs a 1-credit freshman seminar course titled “First Year Experience,” or FYE

● FYE introduces students to campus and the study skills needed for success

● In 2015, colleges were allowed to develop their own FYE courses

○ Many transfer students who heard about the course told us they wished they had something like it!

Solution: BUS 300, Transfer Success

● An 8-week 1-credit seminar course modeled on FYE

● Tailored to the needs of transfer students○ They already know “how to do college”○ But they need help fitting in & finding a community

○ And they need help getting a jump-start on career planning

Special challenges for transfer students

● They have succeeded so far with their current study habits and time management routines

● They don’t know what they don’t know — and they don’t appreciate how different things are in college

● Stigma around tutoring/asking for help prevents them from doing it in time

● They often “check out” or give up hope after one bad test

● Financial challenges: fewer scholarships available

How BUS 300 addresses these challenges

● Academic skills: study habits, math, reading, writing, note-taking, even being part of a large class

○ Reading? Really?● Non-cognitive skills: grit/persistence, coping skills,

collaborative skills, empathy● Human connections: Clubs, campus activities, friends, &

even faculty

Course Outline

Session 1: Introduction & icebreakerSession 2: Dean’s presentationSession 3: Advising & developing a 4-semester plan to graduationSession 4: Note-taking & study habits. Collaborative learning. Session 5: Career development: Career Services presentation, discovery of interests & talents, major assessment, resume development, resume assessment, career fair planAll students attend Career Fair Session 6: Professionalism and networking

Session 7: Campus activities/clubs. Survey students financial habits. Start spending diarySession 8: Student Success Center presentation; study habits and time managementSession 9: Time managementSession 10: Stress management and coping skills Session 11: Grit, persistence, obstacles, mindsetSession 12: Financial planning & budgeting, review spending diarySession 13: Library & information literacySession 14: Diversity, ethics, stereotyping & implicit bias testSession 15: Ethics, academic integrity, role-plays

Course Outline

Session 3: Advising & developing a 4-semester plan to graduationSession 4: Note-taking & study habits. Collaborative learning.Session 8: Student Success Center presentation; study habits and time managementSession 9: Time managementSession 13: Library & information literacy

33.3

Academic skills

Session 10: Stress management and coping skillsSession 11: Grit, persistence, obstacles, mindsetSession 12: Financial planning & budgeting, review spending diarySession 14: Diversity, ethics, stereotyping & implicit bias testSession 15: Ethics, academic integrity, role-plays

33.3Session 1: Introduction & icebreakerSession 2: Dean’s presentationSession 5: Career development: Career Services presentation, discovery of interests & talents, major assessment, resume development, resume assessment, career fair planSession 6: Professionalism and networkingSession 7: Campus activities/clubs. Start spending diary

33.3

Non-cognitive skills

Human Connections

Activities to build academic skills

● Advising○ Advisors visit the class & guide the students

through the planning process; major selection & interest inventory

● Collaborative Learning○ “Lost At Sea” worksheet: rank items individually &

in groups & then compare with Coast Guard ranking● Study Habits

○ Student Success Center tutors visit class; “draw a penny” exercise

● Time Management○ Weekly planners, priority matrix, students try out

different time management approaches● Information Literacy

○ Library activity: students compare information sources & learn to discern between them

Activities to build non-cognitive skills

● Stress Management○ SWOT matrix

● Grit○ Grit questionnaire, Obstacles to Success worksheet

● Financial Planning○ Spending diary, Mint app, student loan discussion

● Diversity○ Diversity Bingo

● Ethics○ “Is it plagiarism?” flowchart

Activities to build human connections

● Icebreaker○ Concentric Circles

● Dean’s Presentation○ College of Business culture

● Career Development○ Career Services presentation, resume writing,

attend career fair & debrief● Networking

○ Business etiquette activities & networking reception● Campus Activities & Clubs

○ Student Life representative visit & presentation; students need to attend at least two club meetings

Results

Year-over-year retention of students taking the BUS 300 course in Fall 2017 was 80%

❏ Compared to 48% for students who did not take the course

❏ And 66% in Fall 2016.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE • COLLEGE OF BUSINESS 14

Questions?

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE • COLLEGE OF BUSINESS 15

FUELING INNOVATION. SPARKING IDEAS. LAUNCHING CAREERS.

uah.edu/business