Describes a study conducted to gather information about the number of two-year college students who hold baccalaureate degrees. Finds that, for academic year 1997-98: (1) 12,946 students out of 753,255 already had bachelor's degrees, 2,527 had master's degrees, and 142 had doctoral degrees; and (2) criminal justice development was the most popular…

A study was conducted to provide information on the educational, economic, and personal characteristics of students in the Los Rios Community College District (California) and to compare the characteristics of first-time students (FTS); students who transferred from other community colleges, including noncompleter lateral transfer students (NCLT)…

A post-baccalaureate reverse transfer student is a community college student who has completed a baccalaureate or higher degree prior to enrolling in a community college. This study was conducted to better understand post-baccalaureate reverse transfer students who enroll in community college degree or certificate programs; it sought to…

This article discusses community colleges as educational institutions that not only prepare students to transfer to other colleges, but also receive transfer students from other institutions as well. The article emphasizes the limited awareness of this transfer reciprocity, both on part of the general public and of policymakers. Cited are the…

Postsecondary education needs to encourage open recognition of reverse (four-year college to two-year college) and lateral (two-year to two-year college) transfers not recognized in traditional articulation efforts, and develop constructive programs for them. (MSE)

In this article, the authors discuss the alternate degree paths for both non-traditional and traditional students and offer ways for institutions to accommodate nontraditional students. Students attend multiple institutions of higher education for myriad reasons. Increasingly common, a student may start a four-year institution and then do a…

In January 1986, the Coordinating Board of the Texas College and University System conducted a longitudinal study of college transfer using course enrollment data. The study identified all first-time students enrolled in general academic courses in Texas public community and junior colleges in fall 1981 (N=92,519) and matched them by social…

Describes reverse transfers (i.e., students who transfer from four-year to two-year colleges) in terms of demographics, educational goals, and academic performance, using survey and academic data from 13 two-year colleges. Finds significant differences between reverse transfers and two-year natives in terms of race and other demographic…

Reviews recent research on the characteristics of reverse transfer students. Reverse transfer students are defined, their reasons for reverse transfer are discussed, and their academic activities and achievements are noted. Suggestions for additional research in this area are presented. (Author/JDS)

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…

Describes a study of students at Northern Illinois University (NIU) conducted to determine the characteristics, attendance patterns, grade point averages, and degree attainment of students who initiated their postsecondary education at a four-year college, transferred to a community college, and then transferred to NIU. (AYC)

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…