Transfer Initiative Target Data

On December 17, 2012, the SUNY Board of Trustees passed resolution 2012-089 that established the current policy framework governing transfer across the SUNY system (Seamless
Transfer). The policy established guidelines for lower division undergraduate curricula and the transfer of coursework as it related to general education, courses in the major (‘Transfer Path courses’) and credit requirements for associate and baccalaureate degree programs.
A SIRIS course element (CC095 Transfer Path Course Indicator) was added in Spring 2021 to assist in identifying transfer courses and transfer paths.

An undergraduate student who is enrolled at the reporting institution for the first time in the current term but who has attended another college or university prior to the current term. The actual number of credits the student is allowed to transfer is not relevant to the distinction between a transfer student and a first-time student, even if no credits were transferable.

A student who was initially enrolled in an associate degree program at the reporting institution and is entering a baccalaureate program at the same institution for the first time.

Credit Hours Accumulated at 2-Year Institution is defined as the sum of accumulated credit hours in the first term at the 2-year institution, plus the sum of all end-of-term total credit hours across all terms at the 2-year institution pre-transfer.

To obtain the course transfer rate, Institutional Research data included students who were first enrolled as home associate-seeking undergraduates at a SUNY 2-year campus in a Fall term between 2017 and 2023, and transferred to a SUNY 4-year campus as home baccalaureate-seeking undergraduates within 12 months of their final term at the 2-year campus, with no enrollments at any other institutions (SUNY or non-SUNY) before transfer.

Credit Hours Accumulated at 2-Year Institution were defined as the sum of accumulated credit hours in the first term at the 2-year institution, plus the sum of all end-of-term total credit hours across all terms at the 2-year institution pre-transfer.

The Average Difference in Credit Hours was calculated as the difference between student’s accepted transfer credit hours and accumulated 2-year credit hours. Average Rate of Credit Hour Acceptance was calculated as accepted transfer credit hours divided by accumulated 2-year credit hours.

Data Considerations and Exclusions

Only 4-year campuses with undergraduate transfers from 2-year campuses in this period were included. Campus records with significant data anomalies were also not included in the analysis, pending a determination of the issues and impact. This did not impact specific campus records but may impact the overall SUNY-wide averages if data is introduced or corrected.

Stony Brook: not included as data was not reported for terms included in the analysis.

Binghamton: not included due to the effect of the Binghamton Advantage Program (BAP) on reporting.

Fashion Institute of Technology: due to issues associated with identifying 2- and 4-year transfers, FIT was not included in the analysis.

SUNY Upstate Medical Center: as an upper division program only Upstate is not included in the analysis.

SUNY Downstate Medical Center: as an upper division program only Upstate is not included in the analysis.

SUNY Optometry: as an upper division program only, SUNY Optometry is not included in the analysis.

NY Colleges at Cornell and Alfred University: These campuses do not report data to SUNY for transfer.