Spring Break
In weaker economy, more students choosing transfer path
Krystal Moya / Administration Editor
Issue date: 4/15/09 Section: News
The ailing economy is having a direct effect on transfer relations at Eastern.
As state and federal aid declines for four-year public institutions, enrollment has begun to increase in community colleges across the country to reduce the blows of tuition increases. Enrollment head counts at community colleges has increased by 28 percent nationally from Fall 2008 to Spring 2009, according to a winter 2009 survey by the League for Innovation in the Community College.
Rita Pearson, transfer coordinator and associate director of transfer relations, said Eastern has seen a "definite trend." The office indicates that more than 50,000 students transferred "somewhere in Illinois" in 2008, compared to the 30,000 students who transferred 10 years ago.
"As more students are choosing to begin their college careers at community colleges, four-year institutions are going to need to have more transfer resources to accommodate them," Pearson said.
However, Director of Admissions Brenda Majors said that even with increases in the transfer population, the majority of Eastern's new-student population will always be freshmen.
"There will be waves of demographic shifts and a likely upturn in the economy that will assure us of a good balance of traditional new freshmen," she said.
Services for transfer students at Eastern stem from the motto of "transfer friendly."
The office attempts to work with students as soon as possible in order to cater to each one personally and help them transition, Pearson said.
"We encourage (transfer) students to apply as early as possible," she said. "We start accepting applications up to a year in advance, but the planning and preparation for transferring can begin earlier than that."
Pearson said students who desire to attend a community college first can begin to plan their transfer to Eastern their freshman year.
Requirements for application are official transcripts and ACT or SAT scores.
"Eastern is a full participant in all statewide agreements like the Illinois Articulation Initiative, the Associate in Arts for Teaching, u.select and Associate Compact Agreements," Pearson said. "We also appreciate our partnerships with the community colleges in individual program articulation agreements and course articulation."
Eastern has a general education foundation that incorporates community colleges' core curricula.
The curriculum used to complete an associate's degree is the curriculum used by Eastern for general education credits.
"We also print substitution lists for each community college, which lists all the courses that meet general education requirements as well as departmental equivalencies," Pearson said.
But despite Transfer Relations' willingness to work with students in advance, transferring to Eastern still has its complications.
Transfer scholarships are minimal, with one Phi Theta Kappa scholarship administered and only a few Academic Achievement Awards.
Transfers can also apply for departmental scholarships, but many of these are decided before most transfer students apply, Pearson said.
She is currently pushing for more scholarships to be dedicated to transfer students.
"We also could use more staff dedicated to the recruitment and retention of transfer students," she said. "Transfer Relations would definitely put an additional full-time transfer counselor to use."
She also expressed an interest in having more publications distributed to transfer students, both prospective and enrolled.
The focus will allow Eastern to show the university is paying attention to its transfer students, Pearson said.
"We truly have the transfer student's best interest at heart and want them to have an excellent college experience here at Eastern Illinois University," she said.
Krystal Moya can be reached at 581-7942 or at ksmoya@eiu.edu.
As state and federal aid declines for four-year public institutions, enrollment has begun to increase in community colleges across the country to reduce the blows of tuition increases. Enrollment head counts at community colleges has increased by 28 percent nationally from Fall 2008 to Spring 2009, according to a winter 2009 survey by the League for Innovation in the Community College.
Rita Pearson, transfer coordinator and associate director of transfer relations, said Eastern has seen a "definite trend." The office indicates that more than 50,000 students transferred "somewhere in Illinois" in 2008, compared to the 30,000 students who transferred 10 years ago.
"As more students are choosing to begin their college careers at community colleges, four-year institutions are going to need to have more transfer resources to accommodate them," Pearson said.
However, Director of Admissions Brenda Majors said that even with increases in the transfer population, the majority of Eastern's new-student population will always be freshmen.
"There will be waves of demographic shifts and a likely upturn in the economy that will assure us of a good balance of traditional new freshmen," she said.
Services for transfer students at Eastern stem from the motto of "transfer friendly."
The office attempts to work with students as soon as possible in order to cater to each one personally and help them transition, Pearson said.
"We encourage (transfer) students to apply as early as possible," she said. "We start accepting applications up to a year in advance, but the planning and preparation for transferring can begin earlier than that."
Pearson said students who desire to attend a community college first can begin to plan their transfer to Eastern their freshman year.
Requirements for application are official transcripts and ACT or SAT scores.
"Eastern is a full participant in all statewide agreements like the Illinois Articulation Initiative, the Associate in Arts for Teaching, u.select and Associate Compact Agreements," Pearson said. "We also appreciate our partnerships with the community colleges in individual program articulation agreements and course articulation."
Eastern has a general education foundation that incorporates community colleges' core curricula.
The curriculum used to complete an associate's degree is the curriculum used by Eastern for general education credits.
"We also print substitution lists for each community college, which lists all the courses that meet general education requirements as well as departmental equivalencies," Pearson said.
But despite Transfer Relations' willingness to work with students in advance, transferring to Eastern still has its complications.
Transfer scholarships are minimal, with one Phi Theta Kappa scholarship administered and only a few Academic Achievement Awards.
Transfers can also apply for departmental scholarships, but many of these are decided before most transfer students apply, Pearson said.
She is currently pushing for more scholarships to be dedicated to transfer students.
"We also could use more staff dedicated to the recruitment and retention of transfer students," she said. "Transfer Relations would definitely put an additional full-time transfer counselor to use."
She also expressed an interest in having more publications distributed to transfer students, both prospective and enrolled.
The focus will allow Eastern to show the university is paying attention to its transfer students, Pearson said.
"We truly have the transfer student's best interest at heart and want them to have an excellent college experience here at Eastern Illinois University," she said.
Krystal Moya can be reached at 581-7942 or at ksmoya@eiu.edu.
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