Expanding Reverse Transfer Across Michigan

The Michigan Association of State Universities (MASU) is leading a statewide effort to expand reverse transfer at Michigan’s public universities. Supported by a $255,000 College Success Grant from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), the project is helping universities put the systems and processes in place to share student course information more efficiently with community colleges. The goal is simple: when students have completed the requirements for an associate degree, that achievement should be recognized, even if they have already transferred to a university.

What reverse transfer means for students

Reverse transfer applies to students who begin at a community college and transfer to a university before earning an associate degree. As they continue taking courses at the university, some of those credits may also satisfy requirements for the associate degree they started. With the student’s consent, the university can send eligible course and grade information back to the community college. The community college then reviews the student’s full record and determines whether the requirements for an associate degree have been met.

For students, this can matter in several ways. A student may earn an associate degree while continuing toward a bachelor’s degree. Another may gain a credential that can be added to a resume while still enrolled. For students whose plans change before completing a bachelor’s degree, reverse transfer can also mean leaving college with a degree that reflects work they have already completed. Reverse transfer is not about choosing between an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree. It can help more students earn an associate degree on the way to completing a bachelor’s degree, recognizing meaningful progress at multiple points in their education.

That recognition can also matter to the people supporting students. A career advisor may be able to help a student present an additional credential to an employer. Academic advisors can help students better understand how coursework across multiple institutions contributes to their educational goals. Faculty and staff can see a more complete picture of student progress, particularly for students whose college experience spans more than one institution. And for families, employers, and communities, the result is a clearer accounting of the credentials Michigan students have earned.

Building a more consistent statewide process

Reverse transfer itself is not new, but the process has often depended on individual agreements and locally developed procedures between institutions. In some cases, staff have had to manually identify eligible students, prepare records, exchange information, and review results through largely manual processes. MASU’s current project is focused on helping Michigan’s public universities move toward a more consistent approach using the free National Student Clearinghouse’s Reverse Transfer service.

The technology makes it possible to exchange information more efficiently, but implementation involves much more than connecting computer systems. Universities must determine which students are eligible, how and when students provide consent, what data should be shared, which community colleges should receive it, and how the process will fit within existing academic and student support practices. Registrars, information technology staff, academic affairs leaders, transfer staff, and other campus teams all have a role in making the process work. The Clearinghouse provides the common data structure and system for exchanging student information, while each institution remains responsible for its own policies, student eligibility decisions, and degree requirements.

What comes next

All 15 of Michigan’s public universities are committed to the reverse transfer project. Central Michigan University, Wayne State University, Oakland University, and the University of Michigan-Flint are already live with the National Student Clearinghouse service. The remaining universities are at different stages of development and testing as they work toward implementation.

MASU will continue working with institutions as they move from planning and development into active use of the service. The broader goal is to make reverse transfer a regular part of how Michigan supports students who move between community colleges and universities. As more institutions participate, more students can receive the associate degrees they have earned while continuing toward a bachelor’s degree. That means more Michigan residents with recognized college credentials, without asking students to choose one educational goal over another.

Questions about the project or reverse transfer in Michigan can be directed to:

Joey Lehrman
Reverse Transfer Project Manager, MASU
jlehrman[at]masu.org