Navigating the Transfer Process

Researchers are beginning to understand that there are some differential effects on students in relation to exposure to part-time faculty; one possible explanation may be differences depending on program area. This study explores whether exposure to part-time faculty differentially affects students’ likelihood of transferring across academic program areas. The findings confirm prior research identifying a negative relationship between students’ instructional time with part-time faculty and their probability of transferring from a community college to a 4-year institution; however, the results indicated no differential effects of exposure to part-time faculty depending on program area. As scholars highlight differences among part-time faculty depending on academic discipline, this research suggests that these differences do not translate into differential effects on students’ likelihood of transferring.