TCC Joins Forces with Five Other Higher Ed Institutions to Help Students

Tulsa Community College, along with regional partners Langston University, Northeastern State University, Oklahoma State University, Rogers State University, and The University of Tulsa have joined forces for the Tulsa Transfer Project.

These five northeast Oklahoma universities and TCC will collaborate to improve the success of transferring from TCC to any of these four-year institutions. Transfer students lose, on average, 13 credit hours through the transition from a community college to a four-year university, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

“TCC is the state’s largest provider of transfer students. We believe this is a critical piece of the conversation to not only help our students succeed but also help increase the number of bachelor’s degrees in our community,” said TCC President & CEO Leigh B. Goodson, Ph.D.

The John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education will provide the framework for the project including a self-assessment by each school and then collaboration to improve the overall transfer experience. Designed to take two years, the project is sponsored locally by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.

“We are committed to empowering young people to achieve their goals. Unfortunately, many who go to college face barriers along the way, and the goal of earning a Bachelor’s degree becomes out of reach. In supporting this partnership, it is our hope that participating institutions will improve the way they serve transfer students as they work toward completing a degree and achieving their goals,” said Michael DuPont, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation Program Officer.

During the 2017-2018 academic year, 3,419 students transferred from TCC into a bachelor’s degree program with more than half of those students transferring to either Langston, NSU, OSU, RSU, and TU.

The Tulsa Transfer Project will be the first of its kind collaborative effort for the Gardner Institute. While the non-profit has done this kind of work nationally with a single institution or a statewide system, the Tulsa collaboration is the first for a group of regional partner institutions. Each institute will participate in the Foundation of Excellence Transfer program coordinated by the Gardner Institute.

The Tulsa Transfer Project officially launches Sept. 21, 2018 as leaders from all six higher education institutions, as well as the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and the John N. Gardner Institute, gather in Tulsa. The meeting will take place at the Thomas K. McKeon Center for Creativity on the TCC Metro Campus at 910 S. Boston Avenue.

Partner Institutions:

“Langston University is honored to partner with Tulsa Community College and be a part of this new initiative that will assist students in obtaining a college education. We are grateful to the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation for their generous support of this valuable program.” –Dr. Kent J. Smith, Jr., Langston University President

"This initiative aligns with our multi-year efforts to increase enrollment, retention and graduation rates at NSU. We appreciate the leadership of the Schusterman Family Foundation and the many institutions who are working together for the betterment of our state. We are encouraged by the fact that our transfers from community colleges increased this year and we are hopeful this trend will continue." –Dr. Steve Turner, Northeastern State University President

"If Oklahoma is to meet the workforce demands of increasing our number of individuals with bachelor's degrees, we must all collaborate to remove unnecessary obstacles. We couldn't be happier to work within this group and offer a smoother transfer process to students seeking an OSU degree in Tulsa." –Howard Barnett, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa President

“As the Tulsa metro’s four-year regional university, RSU welcomes the opportunity to participate in this historic partnership aimed at improving student success for transfer students. Whether our transfer students want to continue their studies in a traditional campus environment or online, RSU’s participation in the Tulsa Transfer Collaborative will help ensure these students get access to the resources and networks they need to successfully complete their educational journey.” –Dr. Larry Rice, Rogers State University President

“The University of Tulsa is committed to creating an affordable pathway for TCC students who seek a small private university experience with meaningful opportunities in research, leadership, social justice and much more. As a partner in the Tulsa Transfer Project, TU offers an inclusive environment and full support from campus to career.” –TU President Gerard P. Clancy, M.D.