Cohort includes ten teams of four-year institutions and community colleges
Monaca, PA – Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) announced today its selection to participate in Cohort 4 of the Transfer Student Success Intensive, a prestigious initiative led by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program (Aspen) and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and supported by the Ascendium Education Group. This year-long program empowers colleges and universities to improve outcomes for transfer students through data-driven strategies, peer learning, and expert guidance.
Cohort four includes ten teams of ten four-year institutions and 13 community colleges, representing ten different states. These new partners will work collaboratively over the next year to create sustainable transfer reform strategies tailored to their institutional and student needs.
“CCBC is thrilled to be one of only 13 community colleges participating in Aspen’s Transfer Institute with our premier transfer partner, Slippery Rock University,” said Dr. Katie Thomas, dean of the School of Professions and Transfer Studies. “Through this collaboration, CCBC and SRU will create clear transfer pathways that start at CCBC, lead to SRU, and culminate in career readiness.”
The Transfer Intensive offers institutions access to a research-based curriculum, individualized consultations, and workshops to accelerate institutional progress toward transfer reform. Participating institutions will focus on data collection, goal setting, and peer learning to enhance outcomes for transfer students in the communities that they serve.
“The Transfer Intensive is a hands-on program that gives institutions research and proven practices that help them reimagine and improve their transfer pathways,” said Tania LaViolet, Director of Research and Innovation at the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “Through this initiative, we are helping institutions address systemic barriers and develop actionable plans that if implemented, should improve transfer rates and bachelor’s degree attainment for students who begin at community colleges.”
Since 2021, the Transfer Intensive has supported 91 colleges, including 41 AASCU members, impacting 16,000 transfer students across 23 states. CCBC will join this growing network of institutions committed to ensuring successful bachelor’s degree completion for transfer students.
For more information about the Transfer Student Success Intensive, visit www.highered.aspeninstitute.org/transfer-intensive.
