NMU Transfer Team Provides Update

The transfer team within Northern Michigan University's Admissions Office is making tactical changes to streamline the process and provide proactive support for students who transfer from another university or bring college credit from high school. The team has also developed 18 new articulation agreements with partner colleges and completed an audit of the process through the new Transfer Advocacy Committee.

This fall, 385 new transfer students are beginning their studies at Northern. Transfer recruitment goals directly support the Admissions Office's efforts to attract, support, and serve incoming undergraduate students to help Northern maintain enrollment. Fifteen regional admissions counselors sustain this effort by recruiting both first-time and transfer students.

Lucas Abromowitz, senior associate director of Admissions, develops and communicates strategies and practices that admissions counselors can implement in their territories. He also collaborates with other university departments and pursues strategic partnerships that would attract and support transfer students.

Abromowitz and the transfer recruitment team seek status as an attractive option for transfer option through sharing the success stories of NMU graduates.

"We look at success metrics such as students in our recruitment funnel that we communicate and work with, the yield on applicants who ultimately enroll, and ensure that once a student is at NMU, they are achieving success through persistence, retention, and graduation," attested Abromowitz.

A new Transfer Advocacy Committee composed of eight members conducted an audit of the overall transfer process at Northern and issues facing transfer students. The group presented a report with recommended actions to improve transfer student experiences and services to the Enrollment Committee and provost.

Abromowitz and Assistant Director of Transfer Pathways and Partnerships Tanya Savage presented "Strategic Plans for Articulation Agreements and Pathways," at the 2024 National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students conference in St. Louis, Mo. The team also modeled strategies of transfer department excellence for other colleges and universities.

Abromowitz said Savage's new position "is a strategic improvement to dedicate resources and effort to developing academic pathways like articulation agreements."

"Those take a lot of time and energy to guide faculty from NMU and the partner college through negotiations, working on the curriculum analysis and alignment, and then securing signatures. Tanya also helps our marketing efforts to develop recruitment materials based on the agreements, like our new Northern Transfer Tracks listed under each articulation agreement on our website," he reported.

Partners in the 18 new articulation agreements include: Bay de Noc College, Bay Mills Community College, Fox Valley Technical College, Gogebic Community College, Nicolet College, North Central Michigan College, Northcentral Technical College and Oakton College, among others.

Articulation agreements link transfer students directly with a Northern department to ensure a smooth transition. Savage and Abromowitz have collaborated directly with the Food Service Operations & Hospitality Leadership, Criminal Justice & Loss Prevention, Social Work, Environmental Studies, Communications and Media Studies, College of Business, International Studies, Electrical Engineering Technology, Medicinal Plant Chemistry, Education, Native American Studies, Art & Design, and Anthropology departments to design these transfer pathways.

In the event that none of the articulation agreements Northern maintains with the previously stated colleges suit the needs of a particular transfer student, the major equivalency guide is utilized as a supplement to guide students with strategic plans for degree completion.

Abromowitz said the Admissions Office develops an annual strategic plan for the needs of transfer students coming to NMU. It also analyzes best practices and research from peer institutions.

"Currently, Northern places well ahead of the national graduation rate average of 16% for two-year college starters; NMU's rate is at nearly 62%," added Abromowitz. "Some of these metrics are measured and reported, such as through Phi Theta Kappa, which is evidenced by our three consecutive years of placing on their Transfer Honor Roll.

"Other statistical measurements are being developed and implemented with the help of Institutional Effectiveness. Over the next few academic years and cycles of students having a chance to come through new academic pathways and articulation agreements, we should be able to report more on their expected positive effects."