This issue describes an enrollment pattern emerging in higher education--students who are matriculated at, or have graduated from, a four-year college who then transfer to a two-year school, a process labeled "reverse transfer." The following articles are included: (1) "What Do We Know about Reverse Transfer Students?" (Barbara K. Townsend and…

This exploratory study uses document analysis to ascertain how the enrollment of reverse transfer students in community colleges has been interpreted over time to fit with the community college mission. Indicates that reverse transfer student enrollment has been justified under a variety of rationales, including providing a second chance for these…

A study of 195 reverse transfer students showed that following a poor academic performance at the university, the students achieved satisfactorily at the two-year college. Students who later returned to the university improved their grades with each quarter's course work. Factors associated with academic performance at the two institutions are…

This report presents the characteristics of students who failed in their first four-year college attempt, then transferred into community colleges, and subsequently moved on to a four-year college and succeeded. While the numbers who moved on through each stage dropped, they were large enough to identify recovery as a valuable community college…

This document discusses the American sport baseball as a metaphor to help describe a way to measure, comprehend and visualize student progression through the American community college. This analysis is based on data from the Transfer and Retention of Urban Community College Students (TRUCCS) study. TRUCCS is a longitudinal study of 5,000…

This digest is drawn from "Understanding the Impact of Reverse Transfer Students on Community Colleges," a "New Directions for Community Colleges" volume. Reverse transfer student characteristics, reasons for non-traditional transfer patterns, and implications for community colleges are discussed. Reverse transfers are students…

This report presents the results of the 20th annual study of application and enrollment patterns of transfer students within the State University of New York (SUNY). The report includes data on transfer students moving from two-year colleges to other two-year colleges, from senior institutions to two-year colleges, and from two-year to senior…

In 1985, the New Start Program was initiated at Kingsborough Community College (KCC) to encourage and assist students in academic difficulty at Brooklyn College (BC) in transferring to KCC. With the cooperation of BC's president, a letter was sent to several hundred students who were about to be dismissed from the college, inviting them to attend…

This study deals with the reverse transfer student population at Broward Community College. In a previous study 211 reverse transfer students out of a total population of 809 reverse transfer students were mailed a questionnaire which elicited responses in various areas, including demographic information and previous academic record. 134 responses…

This paper asserts that a sizeable number of students at the community college have attained a baccalaureate degree or higher and have returned to the community college to take credit courses. These post-baccalaureate reverse transfer students (PRTS) enroll in the community college for a variety of reasons, but one of the more common factors is…

Describes an ongoing investigation of student mobility from four-year to two-year colleges in Alberta, Canada, presenting a profile of the characteristics of community college students who had previously attended other postsecondary institutions. Includes interview findings related to students' university and community college experiences. (DMM)

In 1986, a Reverse Transfer Project was initiated at Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) in order to promote the summer school attendance at MVCC of "reverse transfer" students (i.e., students who attended another institution during the regular academic year). A mailing, containing a cover letter, informational brochure, summer catalog, and…

Drawing from a variety of sources, this paper reviews information on transfer education in the California community colleges. Section I provides a historical review of events surrounding the transfer function and identifies some of the questions about transfer education that have arisen since 1960. Section II presents and analyzes data concerning…

"Reverse" transfer students are students who began their post-secondary education at a four-year institution and then transferred to a two-year college. "Lateral" transfer students are those who began at one two-year college and later transferred to another two-year college. A review of the admissions and enrollment records at…

A questionnaire was developed to obtain the following information about students who transfer from four-year colleges to two-year colleges: (1) demographic; (2) reason for leaving four-year institution; (3) future plans; and (4) comparison between institutions. The majority of reverse transfers came from families with income over $7,000 whose…