TAP is working in conjunction with the Achieving the Dream initiative

1. Bridging the gap for community
college students transferring to
University of Houston

2. Overview
• Partnership between UH and Gulf Coast
Community Colleges
• Part of the national Achieve the Dream
initiative
• Transfer Advising Program at the heart of the
plan
• Joint funding between Academic Affairs and
the individual colleges at UH

3. Academic performance of 2‐year college transfer students to
the University of Houston for Fall 2007
Core completed prior to transfer
•Lone Star/Tomball
•HCC •Lone Star/North Harris
•Total 9 Transfer
•Total 145 transfer •Total 23 transfer
•48 below 2.0 •7 below 2.0 •1 below 2.0
•21 ‐ 2.0‐2.49 •6 ‐ 2.0 – 2.49 •2 ‐ 2.0‐2.49
•35 ‐ 2.5‐2.99 •5 ‐ 2.5 – 2.99 •4 ‐ 2.5‐2.99
•24 ‐ 3.0‐3.49 •2 ‐ 3.0 – 3.49 •0 ‐ 3.00‐3.49
•15 over 3.5 •3 over 3.5 •2 above 3.5
• 15 persisted a year
•115 persisted a year •8 persisted a year

5. • Achieving the Dream is a multiyear national
initiative to help more community college
students succeed. The initiative is particularly
concerned about student groups that
traditionally have faced significant barriers to
success, including students of color and low‐
income students.

6. Goals
• Achieving the Dream aims to bring about change
within community colleges and in state and federal
policy. The initiative also seeks to augment knowledge
about strategies that increase student success and to
expand public support for raising postsecondary
attainment levels.
• At its core, the initiative seeks to help more students
reach their individual goals, which may include earning
a community college certificate or degree, attaining a
bachelor's degree, and/or obtaining a better job.

7. Institution Profiles
• The Houston Community College System’s
(HCCS) mission is to open the doors to higher
education and close academic performance
gaps for residents of Houston, one of the most
diverse cities in the nation. Its student
population of 39,528 is approximately 25
percent Hispanic, 24 percent African
American, 26 percent White and 12 percent
Asian. It has 20 campuses or centers in the
southern Texas metropolitan area.

8. • The Lone Star College System (LSCS) is made
up of five community colleges located in the
Houston metropolitan area, enrolling nearly
50,000 students. LSCS is a publicly supported,
two‐year, comprehensive community college
system involving diverse individuals,
businesses and the community in quality
education opportunities for the successful
development of knowledge, skills and
attitudes for a rapidly changing world.

9. • The University of Houston is the largest and
most comprehensive component of the
University of Houston System and is Houston’s
largest public research and teaching
university. With more than 34,000 students
from some 130 countries and a wide range of
ethnic groups, it is most diverse major
research public institution in the United
States.

10. Goals
The University of Houston’s goal is to effectively use data to evaluate
newly implemented programs and policies designed to improve
student outcomes. During its first year in the initiative, the
university plans to:
• Target transfer students, particularly those who transferred from
community colleges, to help students successfully navigate UH
• Work with community colleges to develop a transfer pipeline
• Incorporate Achieving the Dream goals and values in the
accreditation process
• Data will inform, support and enhance institutional change that will
help all students succeed. It is the overarching goal of UH to have all
students successfully complete courses and graduate.

11. Funding
• UH was invited to participate in the Achieving
the Dream initiative by Houston Endowment
Inc., a private philanthropic organization and
an Achieving the Dream sponsor. The
foundation awarded a five‐year, $450,000
grant to UH after the university was accepted
in the program. The grant provided $50,000 in
the first year for initial planning, and $100,000
each additional year to help implement the
program.

12. Coaches
Two education experts are helping the group clarify
their stated goals, and also think about other
ways to improve the quality of transfer students’
experiences on campus.
• Vasti Torres, Associate Professor of Education
Leadership and Policy Studies at the Indiana
University Bloomington Wendell W. Wright
School of Education
• George D. Kuh, Chancellor’s Professor of Higher
Education and Center for Postsecondary Research
Director at the Indiana University Bloomington

13. Three Transfer Centers:
• Lone Star College – North Harris
• Lone Star College – Willow Chase
• Houston Community College – Town &
Country

15. Advisors

16. Joel Pearson
Stephanie Allen Dale Higginbotham
Whitney Thompson
Danillo Ronquillo
Gladys Arvizu Hillard Williams

17. UH College
Participants • Training provided by colleges
• Advisors at Transfer Centers four
days per week
C.T. Bauer College of
Business
• Advisors participate in TACRO
C.N. Hilton College of Hotel events and DiscoverUH events
Restaurant Management
• Advisors provided a mobile
College of Liberal Arts and
office
Social Sciences
• Designated space at Transfer
College of Natural Sciences
Centers for advising sessions
and Math
• Classroom presentations
College of Technology
arranged with faculty at
community college sites
STEM – Science,
• Peoplesoft Prospects used to
Technology, Engineering &
keep data on students and track
Math
progress

18. UH Funding
• Marketing
• Salaries
• Technological Upgrades

19. Student Contact
• First indication of interest at community
college
• Application for Joint Admission (if
appropriate)
• Transfer to University of Houston
• Two semesters after they transfer

20. Evaluation
Student evaluations
•
Community College feedback
•
Statistical metrics
•
Supervisory review from ETUO and the
•
colleges at UH

21. Contact Information
www.uh.edu/tap
www.achievingthedream.org