Townsend would characterize this student a non-traditional transfer student, compared with students who begin their postsecondary education at a community college with the intention of eventually transitioning to a four-year institution. For this student and many others, the community college has become an accessible source of transferable college courses, a trend that, according to Townsend, has placed community college leaders at an important crossroad.

Historically, community colleges have provided access to the baccalaureate degree through such degree pathways as the Associate in Arts, or the Liberal Arts degree; the traditional community college stepping stone to higher education (Cohen & Brawer, 1996). The emergence of additional degrees (e.g., Associate in Applied Science degree), duly noted by Townsend, has created additional pathways to upper-division courses and the baccalaureate degree. Though not explicitly designed for transfer, these pathways may include articulated course options that maximize the transfer of credit hours to a senior institution.

Townsend's perspective on the transfer function is placed in the context of the original intent of the founders of the community college. The historical framework, however, has been re-framed and expanded to incorporate the needs of a broader variety of students. Currently, the transfer function is understood broadly, as is evident from the multiple categories noted by Townsend. Students often make multiple transitions from one educational institution to another throughout the various stages in their lives. The important question that emerges for community college leaders is not whether the community college will serve or not serve the students who come, but rather, how best to facilitate transfer between institutions? How well will we serve students in this process?

One answer to this question can be found in articulation agreements. In recent years, several initiatives have been pursued by two- and four-year institutions to foster strong articulation and thus to increase transfer opportunities for students. Statewide articulation initiatives have been implemented in several regions of the U.S. for the purpose of streamlining the transfer process. Dual admissions agreements, formal articulation, and educational/partnership agreements proliferate and emphasize the importance of the community college transfer function. Four-year institutions have the opportunity to offer upper-division courses at community college campuses. Under some agreements, students may actually complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree without leaving the community college campus. These measures reflect the expanding role of the community college in the landscape of higher education.

Given this burgeoning role, the viability of the community college transfer function must be explored within the context of the larger education community. During its 2001 Conference, the American Association for Higher Education featured a session on a P-16 educational model that represented progression through an integrated system. This educational model demonstrates a serious attempt to create a more responsive system. It seeks to increase student learning with a smooth, seamless process. A concern for student needs and the potential for strengthening articulation through multi-institutional collaboration drove the discussion of this model at the conference session. Educators and researchers like Townsend can contribute to our growing understanding of how the community college transfer function will refocus the community college mission.

Students will continue to access the transfer process in multiple ways, and institutional support of their various needs is essential. Community college educators must wisely consider how best to assist students in reaching their educational goals. Townsend suggests expanding the role of research in order to furnish educators with useful data about transfer students and their progression through the higher education system. I would suggest other considerations as we consider the future community college transfer function:

• Transfer options facilitated by technology/virtual initiatives in education
  
  
• Multiple educational ports of entry and re-entry
  
  
• Transfer patterns in relation to economic fluctuations
  
  
• Workplace trends: skill development and training
  
  
• Individual educational cost factors

As the hopes and dreams of the founders, students, and institutional leaders merge rather than collide, perhaps the pertinent issue becomes the extent to which these hopes and dreams for the transfer function can be realized. For the future of the community college, shared hopes and dreams do matter.

Reference

Cohen, A.M. & Brawer, F.B. (1996). The American community college (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.