Overview

Student Success Assessment (SSA) is a division-wide initiative to identify, measure, and improve the underlying variables that impact student success at NC State. A team of division faculty, staff, and students overseen by DASA Assessment is identified each year to explore a success variable in three stages: Literature Review, Data Collection, and Implementation. The SSA topic changes each year. In 2024-2025 SSA was focused on transfer student experiences as they transition to NC State.

Transfer Student Experiences

Background

The Division of Academic and Student Affairs (DASA) at NC State has a mission to “promote the success of the whole student.” To better support students, DASA regularly engages in assessment to identify and understand the unique factors that influence students’ success. Given that transfer students make up roughly one-fifth of the undergraduate body at NC State, assessing their transition experiences is important.

Literature Review and Focus Groups

In fall 2024, a committee of faculty and staff within DASA convened to explore existing scholarship related to undergraduate transfer student success. This work resulted in the literature review. The members of this committee identified specific assessment questions that they then wanted to explore within the context of NC State. The guiding questions from the committee are below:

• What is the experience of transfer students as they transition to NC State?
• What factors impact transfer students’ ability to be successful at NC State?
• What strengths do transfer students exhibit?
• Who do transfer students interact with the most?

During the spring 2025 semester, DASA Assessment hired four Pack Assessment Ambassadors and a spring graduate intern to support the exploration of these questions. The Pack Assessment Ambassadors (PAA) engaged in rigorous assessment work throughout the spring semester. This work was conducted under the supervision of DASA Assessment staff, but Ambassadors and our spring graduate intern played a major role in the administration of focus groups, data analysis and report writing.

Selected Results

• Transfer students are strategic, resourceful, and bring strong academic experience to successfully navigate campus.
• Students experienced academic and social struggles that made them feel disconnected, but found connection through support and joining communities.
• The most helpful people were found to be students in their college, professors, and advisors. 
• Impactful factors that support transfer student success at NC State include:
  • Living on campus
  • Developing a sense of community that provides personal and professional support
  • Early contact with NC State or advisors prior to starting their first semester here

Student Recommendations

• Invite new transfer students to all Welcome Week events
• Create new opportunities for new spring transfer students to get involved or connected in Winter Welcome Week. Specifically with the Student Involvement Fair, encourage the student organizations to be present.
• Encourage offices/departments across campus to hold transfer-specific events where new transfer students can engage with students.
• Initiate a Transfer Student Ambassadors program.

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