We Must Build Structures That Make Collaboration the Default

"During National Transfer Student Week, I had the opportunity to present my dissertation findings. I was eager to share insights and connect with others doing similar work. Yet my excitement quickly gave way to disappointment: Multiple organizations were hosting overlapping events. Would anyone attend my session if there were other opportunities? That moment clarified, for me, a larger truth about the transfer ecosystem."

"Despite our shared commitment to improving outcomes for transfer students, we often work in parallel rather than in partnership. True, sustained collaboration remains one of the missing links in creating a more coherent and equitable transfer experience. Collaboration should be the connective tissue of the transfer ecosystem. No single institution, system or organization can solve the challenges of transfer alone. When institutions, state agencies, employers and organizations work together, they have a better chance of building workable and successful pathways."

Overlapping events and fragmented efforts illustrate persistent parallel work across the transfer ecosystem, undermining outreach and shared learning. Collaboration is necessary because no single institution, system, or organization can solve transfer challenges alone. Joint work among institutions, state agencies, employers, and organizations improves the likelihood of building workable, successful pathways. Research and initiatives such as Aspen's Tackling Transfer and both versions of the Transfer Playbook recommend strengthening partnerships, using shared data, and aligning goals. Professional associations are shifting toward collaborative platforms: the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers launched The Assembly, and the National Association of Higher Education Systems leads system-level transfer initiatives.

Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs