View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Community College Transfer Admission and Articulation in a Selective STEM Major: How University Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Contribute to Hypercompetitive and Convoluted Transfer Processes.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Community College Transfer Admission and Articulation in a Selective STEM Major: How University Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Contribute to Hypercompetitive and Convoluted Transfer Processes.
Authors: Blaney, Jennifer M. (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Higher Education. 2026, Vol. 97 Issue 3, p620-645. 26p.
Subjects: Transfer students, University & college admission, STEM occupations, Rational-legal authority, University faculty, Academic freedom
Abstract: Drawing on interview data from 20 faculty, staff, and administrators across five universities, this study identifies how university agents shape community college transfer pathways into highly competitive computer science majors. Applying the concept of street-level bureaucracy and using phenomenological methods to center the meaning making of university decision makers, the findings reveal how university agents create hyper-competitive admissions processes to manage capacity constraints. Other findings show how departments prioritize faculty autonomy when setting transfer requirements, leading to inconsistent requirements across university transfer destinations, despite state- and system-level policies designed to streamline transfer admission and articulation. I further discuss how university faculty and administrators make decisions that lead to extended bureaucratic procedures for processing transfer students' credit articulations, placing burdens on students and departmental staff. Implications focus on the importance of creating a shared sense of responsibility among university actors for facilitating transfer student success and other strategies for universities to build more accessible transfer pathways into STEM majors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 193276917
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Community College Transfer Admission and Articulation in a Selective STEM Major: How University Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Contribute to Hypercompetitive and Convoluted Transfer Processes.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Blaney%2C+Jennifer+M%2E%22">Blaney, Jennifer M.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Higher+Education%22">Journal of Higher Education</searchLink>. 2026, Vol. 97 Issue 3, p620-645. 26p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Transfer+students%22">Transfer students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22University+%26+college+admission%22">University & college admission</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22STEM+occupations%22">STEM occupations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rational-legal+authority%22">Rational-legal authority</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22University+faculty%22">University faculty</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+freedom%22">Academic freedom</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Drawing on interview data from 20 faculty, staff, and administrators across five universities, this study identifies how university agents shape community college transfer pathways into highly competitive computer science majors. Applying the concept of street-level bureaucracy and using phenomenological methods to center the meaning making of university decision makers, the findings reveal how university agents create hyper-competitive admissions processes to manage capacity constraints. Other findings show how departments prioritize faculty autonomy when setting transfer requirements, leading to inconsistent requirements across university transfer destinations, despite state- and system-level policies designed to streamline transfer admission and articulation. I further discuss how university faculty and administrators make decisions that lead to extended bureaucratic procedures for processing transfer students' credit articulations, placing burdens on students and departmental staff. Implications focus on the importance of creating a shared sense of responsibility among university actors for facilitating transfer student success and other strategies for universities to build more accessible transfer pathways into STEM majors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=193276917
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/00221546.2025.2497185
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 26
        StartPage: 620
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Transfer students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: University & college admission
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: STEM occupations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Rational-legal authority
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: University faculty
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Academic freedom
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Community College Transfer Admission and Articulation in a Selective STEM Major: How University Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Contribute to Hypercompetitive and Convoluted Transfer Processes.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Blaney, Jennifer M.
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Text: 2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 00221546
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 97
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Higher Education
              Type: main
ResultId 1