Q&A
Support services for transfer students at CUNY institutions
1:07:08
·
151 sec
CUNY officials discuss the varying support services available for transfer students across their institutions and their plans to standardize and improve these services. They highlight the importance of early intervention and clear communication.
- Support services vary across CUNY institutions, with some offering wraparound services and peer mentoring programs
- CUNY is developing a model for a standard level of care across all schools, including support before enrollment
- The use of chatbots and targeted communication is being implemented to address 'transfer melt' and help students navigate the transfer process
Eric Dinowitz
1:07:08
Are they targeted with any specific or special support That is perhaps different than someone entering the 4 year institution as a freshman with no credits.
Wendy Hensel
1:07:19
It varies fairly dramatically by institution, which is part of the challenge that we are now addressing is identifying some things that should be in place at every institution if you wanna talk about some of those supports?
Alicia Alvero
1:07:34
So, yes, the supports vary.
1:07:36
Substantially, and EBC Hensel alluded to, for example, the academies that are that that that exist at some of the the senior colleges.
1:07:45
So some of them have the wraparound services that begin when the students are at the community college.
1:07:51
So even before that transition support, Queens College launched a peer mentor transfer support for that transitional period.
1:08:01
So what we are doing is taking a look at all the different things that are being done across the colleges that already have the support services.
1:08:08
And developing a model that should be the standard level of care across all of the schools that include that first before they even enroll because sometimes what we're finding is something term transfer melt.
1:08:23
They'll apply, they get admitted, and then they never show up.
1:08:27
And one thing that's reported by students is they're bombarded with information.
1:08:31
They get so many emails they get overwhelmed.
1:08:32
They don't even know what to do next.
Eric Dinowitz
1:08:34
If only they had a chatbot talking to them, they'd be.
Wendy Hensel
1:08:37
That actually is the solution.
Jen Gaboury
1:08:38
That is what the solution
Wendy Hensel
1:08:40
is.
1:08:40
We can tell who has submitted what forms, and so you you begin to target communication only to the person who needs to receive the communication.
1:08:49
So it actually significantly reduces that external noise.
1:08:54
You sound skeptical, but I assure you, there's actually data that shows is a quite effective technique to actually direct target the right person at the right time in order to convey the information that's needed.
Alicia Alvero
1:09:06
And if they need help that can't be answered, they're immediately connected with person to be able to help them.
1:09:13
Because some of the questions they have, they're very embarrassed to ask a person.
1:09:16
And they feel most confident asking the questions to a chatbot or at 2 o'clock in the morning.
1:09:23
And so finding that balance between when is it they need to be connected to a person and giving them the opportunity to chat in a way in which they feel comfortable asking those questions that they wouldn't wanna ask a human is something that we are working on.