Project Overview

A joint project of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) and Hezel Associates, with funding from Lumina Foundation for Education, Best Practices in Statewide Articulation and Transfer Systems seeks to develop a deeper understanding of how states coordinate their articulation and transfer programs for students who move from two-year to four-year institutions, focusing in particular on those policies and strategies that have proven effective at increasing access to higher education and making student success and degree completion more likely.

In addition to surveying all 50 states and developing in-depth case studies of selected state systems, WICHE and Hezel Associates will examine how state colleges and universities use web portals in the articulation and transfer process to determine the characteristics that make them effective and if similar models can be used in other states. The project will also examine how well states promote, market, and disseminate information about articulation and transfer to students, faculty advisors, admissions staff, and other administrators.  

Upon completion of the initial research and case studies, WICHE and Hezel Associates will distill key findings into a “Best Practices Guide” featuring clear recommendations for policy and decision makers. WICHE and Hezel Associates will also collaborate to create a set of products that compare the effectiveness of statewide web portals and disseminate the findings through the EduTools website. Additionally, information from the project will be presented to a national policy audience as part of the State Policy Inventory Database Online (SPIDO).

Ultimately, the goal of Best Practices in Statewide Articulation and Transfer Systems is to guide policy and practice within state higher education organizations, particularly the state higher education executive offices.  Along with regional and national meetings specifically focused on articulation and transfer, the project’s findings should be a valuable resource to SHEEOs and other policymakers as they confront issues related to postsecondary access and affordability in the years to come.