LEARNING ENGAGEMENT FINAL REPORT - College Futures Foundation Supported California State University-California Community College Transfer Partnerships: A Retrospective Look - February 2024

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum

From 2016–2023, College Futures Foundation supported multiple California State University (CSU) campuses in partnership with nearby California community colleges to increase transfers and bachelor’s degree completion at CSU. Education Insights Center (EdInsights) conducted a retrospective learning engagement with key constituents to capture transferable lessons. The report examines what drove partners to collaborate, what they implemented during grant periods, and what attributes supported successful intersegmental transfer partnerships, including barriers removal, policy and practice changes, and programmatic supports.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages32

Reading Time1 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Findings

Findings Across Partnerships

Approach

Conclusions and Considerations

Limitations

Case Studies

Partnership 1

Partnership 2

Partnership 3

Partnership 4

Partnership 5

Appendix

LEARNING ENGAGEMENT FINAL REPORT College Futures Foundation Supported California State University-California Community College Transfer Partnerships: A Retrospective Look February 2024 Rebecca K. Woolston Madeleine R. Kerrick Jaquelyn Caro-Sena Table of Contents Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................... 3 Executive Summary ................................................................................................... 4 Findings................................................................................................................... 4 Approach ................................................................................................................. 5 Findings Across Partnerships .................................................................................. 6 What Compelled Partners to Work Together on Transfer?................................. 7 What Did Partners Undertake During Their Grant Periods? .............................. 8 What Attributes Foster a Successful Intersegmental Transfer Partnership? . 13 Conclusions and Considerations ........................................................................... 17 Limitations ................................................................................................................ 20 Case Studies ............................................................................................................. 21 Partnership 1......................................................................................................... 21 Partnership 2......................................................................................................... 24 Partnership 3......................................................................................................... 26 Partnership 4......................................................................................................... 28 Partnership 5......................................................................................................... 30 Appendix ................................................................................................................... 32 College Futures Foundation Supported CSU-Community College Transfer Partnerships: A Retrospective Look EDUCATION INSIGHTS CENTER AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO 2 Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge the time and expertise of the many people who contributed to this report, foremost among them the California State University (CSU) and California community college partners who were a part of this learning engagement and contributed their time and energy. Thank you to College Futures Foundation for their deep commitment to this information-sharing experience, their collaboration, and their prompt response to our inquiries. Leslie Dunnigan provided valuable assistance in data analysis and Benjamin Paquette-Ferguson provided excellent visual design development. Jasmine M. Nguyen provided valuable research support and helped in facilitating partnership discussions. Jeanine L. Cunningham provided thought partnership in the early stages of the evaluation and Kalifa Madden managed the communications processes. Finally, Sarah Hudson’s copyediting expertise and Pat Davis Design Group’s layout helped pull this report together, and Access Ingenuity ensured compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. College Futures Foundation Supported CSU-Community College Transfer Partnerships: A Retrospective Look EDUCATION INSIGHTS CENTER AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO Executive Summary From 2016-2023, College Futures Foundation supported several California State University (CSU) campuses to partner with California community colleges in their regions to increase the number of students transferring from community colleges and completing bachelor’s degrees atthe CSU. I

FAQs

What was the purpose of the retrospective learning engagement reported here?

It was designed to document and share learnings from CSU–community college transfer partnership efforts and to inform stakeholders interested in forming similar intersegmental partnerships, funding them, or studying them.

What kinds of actions did partnerships take to remove barriers to transfer?

Partnerships worked to improve clarity of the transfer process, increase students’ access to shared points of contact (including CSU advisors at community colleges and peer mentorship), and create transfer-specific scholarships and/or CSU employment opportunities.

What factors did the report identify as supporting a successful intersegmental transfer partnership?

Across partnerships, the report emphasizes efforts that improve students’ sense of belonging through pre-arrival contact, co-branded transfer programs, CSU programming such as orientations and summer transition programs, and welcome supports when students arrive at CSU.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum