Media Contacts
Ana Beatriz Cholo (CUE)
(213) 240-2307 (office)
ana.cholo@usc.edu

Kathleen Hohl (MATC)
(414) 297-6208 (office)
hohlk@matc.edu

Faculty and staff are looking into data to help students
transfer into four-year institutions

MILWAUKEE (May 10, 2010) – Faculty and staff at MATC have teamed up with the Center for Urban Education (CUE) at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education as part of a two-year study into how transfer from two- to four-year institutions for students of color may be improved.

As part of the Wisconsin Transfer Equity Study, CUE is working directly with an “evidence team” composed of faculty and staff from MATC as well as its regional partner, UW-Milwaukee.

“This study is unique because it represents an opportunity to holistically examine the challenge of improving transfer policies to provide better transfer access to African American, Latino and Latina, Southeast Asian, and American Indian students from the top-down, in terms of state policy and accountability, and from the bottom-up, in terms of campus and intra-campus interventions,” said Dr. Estela Mara Bensimon, co-director of the Center for Urban Education and a professor of higher education. “This type of work has not been done before.”

The team members from MATC include Barbara Cannell (Interim Associate Provost), Tom Pilarzyk (Director, Institutional Research), Yan Wang (Manager, Institutional Research), Aparna Sen (Faculty, Natural Sciences), Sarah Adams (Registrar), Boungning Her (Student Services Specialist), and Eva Hagenhofer (Faculty, Teacher Education Program). The team meets on a monthly basis, and is working to identify barriers to transfer for students of color. Like many states, Wisconsin seeks to raise the level of baccalaureate attainment among its residents, and improving transfer is an important strategy towards achieving that goal.

"The statistics gathered through the Wisconsin Transfer Equity Study will help us better serve our students aspiring to transfer to four-year institutions," said Dr. Michael L. Burke, MATC President. "Providing all students, especially students of color, with a seamless pathway to a bachelor's degree is an essential role for MATC. The results of this study will enhance our transfer opportunities and strengthen partnerships with four-year institutions, particularly UW-Milwaukee, with whom we enjoy a close, collaborative relationship."

The work for the Wisconsin Transfer Equity Study, funded by The Ford Foundation, started in Fall 2008. This is when the Center for Urban Education began working with key administrators from the system administration offices of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Technical College System to identify system-level policy barriers to transfer. Some major areas for change identified by this system-level team include developing accountability structures to monitor transfer and outcomes for students of color; and strengthening articulation between the technical/occupational and baccalaureate programs.

In the current phase of the study, the Center is working directly with the selected two- and four-year institutions to identify choke points or barriers in the transfer pathway within an institution or between institutions. The Wisconsin Transfer Equity Study includes Fox Valley Technical College, UW-Sheboygan, and UW-Oshkosh, in addition to Milwaukee Area Technical College and UW-Milwaukee.

The USC Rossier School of Education is one of the world's premier centers for the study of urban education, preparing teachers and educational leaders who are committed to strengthening urban education locally, nationally and globally.
Established at USC in 1999 as part of the University's urban initiative, the Center for Urban Education (CUE) leads socially conscious research and develops tools needed for institutions of higher education to produce equity in student outcomes.

The largest technical college in the state, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of the economy in southeastern Wisconsin. MATC offers 200 degrees, diplomas, certificates and apprenticeships, plus nearly 400 transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees. A large pre-college program enables people to complete high school and prepare for higher learning. The Office of Corporate Learning provides customized training to incumbent workers. Approximately 50,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses, numerous evening centers and community-based sites, or learn online. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses right here at home.