Changing the landscape of institutional assessment on transfer: The impact of action research methods on community college faculty and counselors

This study explores the experiences of ten faculty members and counselors involved in a collaborative inquiry project at an urban community college. Participants in the study investigated the "transfer-gap"---the gap between the number of students who are eligible to transfer and the number who actually transfer to a four-year college. The purpose of the project under study was to increase knowledge about factors that inhibit and promote equitable transfer to four-year institutions. This new knowledge had the potential to motivate faculty members and counselors to take responsibility for addressing unequal outcomes of students of color. Participants were observed in collaborative inquiry meetings and interviewed over five months to trace changes in their knowledge about transfer and in their educational practices related to transfer. Analysis of participants' reactions, learning, and behavior was conducted using the Kirkpatrick (2006) framework on program evaluation.