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Q&A

Identifying the biggest obstacle for CUNY transfer students

1:24:13

·

93 sec

Council Member Eric Dinowitz asks Eli Dvorkin to identify the single biggest factor or obstacle facing transfer students at CUNY. Dvorkin points out the lack of knowledge about the transfer process as the primary challenge.

Only about 5% of faculty and administrators correctly answered transfer-related questions in a survey
About 25% of CUNY students report not understanding the transfer process
The knowledge gap affects both students and the faculty/staff who should be guiding them

Eric Dinowitz

1:24:13

Thank you so much.

1:24:14

And thank you, of course, for the report.

1:24:16

I mean, a number of your reports are really critical to our understanding of the successes that CUNY has achieved.

1:24:23

And, of course, the the the challenges and the hurdles faced by CUNY as a system in so many of our students If you had to pick one single biggest factor or obstacle facing transfer students, what would you identify that obstacle to be?

Eli Dvorkin

1:24:38

Yeah.

1:24:38

I think it's really the lack of knowledge of how this whole thing works.

1:24:41

You know?

1:24:41

I mean, only about 5% of faculty when they were tested on this, and administrators got transfer questions right, meaning 95% either didn't know or got it wrong.

1:24:52

You know, so the level of knowledge within the faculty and and and administrative staff is really lacking today.

1:24:58

But as a result, students just don't know what they don't know.

1:25:01

I mean, about a quarter of all CUNY students when they are surveyed, and it only happens once every 2 years.

1:25:06

But they they describe advising as really lacking, you know.

1:25:09

Now for many students, it's working, but for that, you've kinda heard in the previous testimony, that kind of 20 or 25% figure, the students who need more.

1:25:16

You know, that is reflected in those survey in that survey data But the reality is those students are, you know, over represented among those students that don't make that transition.

1:25:24

And a quarter of all students is a lot.

1:25:25

So I think the number one issue is that knowledge gap, and we have a few recommendations aligned with that particular challenge.

Eric Dinowitz

1:25:31

And it was knowledge you're gonna put the faculty, you said.

Jen Gaboury

1:25:34

Right.

1:25:34

Which is where kind of students

Eli Dvorkin

1:25:35

are getting their knowledge.

1:25:36

From.

Eric Dinowitz

1:25:36

Yeah.

Eli Dvorkin

1:25:37

No.

1:25:37

Nobody come rules against me understanding how transfer is supposed to work, but they need to get that information from advisers, peer advisers from faculty and from administrators.

1:25:45

And right now, there's a big challenge there.

Eric Dinowitz

1:25:46

Yeah.

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Testimony by Eli Dvorkin, Editorial and Policy Director of Center for an Urban Future, on CUNY transfer students

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Addressing the need for faculty education on transfer requirements