By Connor Lālea Hampton, Feb. 11, 2025
Cal Poly Pomona signed a memorandum of understanding with Mt. San Antonio College Jan. 22 to simplify the transfer process for students by sharing student data and providing tools for success
CPP has consistently been a top destination for transfer students graduating from Mt. SAC compared to other schools, according to a transfer outcome report.
CPP put out a statement clarifying the intentions of the new MOU, emphasizing three specific goals:
- Streamline the transfer process to enhance student completion rates
- Collaborate to promote and support students participating in the dual admission program
- Share data to support student success and guide informed policy decisions
“I always say it’s a lot of legal jumbo, but what it does is it establishes ground rules for an agreement,” said Brandon Tuck, the interim vice president for community partnerships and expanding access. “What I like about the MOU is we outline that these are the things that we can do, and that MOU forces us to deliver on those things.”
The plan focuses on both schools working together by developing partnerships that could create a more seamless pathway for students to transition from one school to the next. According to Dora Lee, the assistant vice president of academic engagement and success, that means potential transfer students will have more opportunities to connect to CPP earlier, and more access to CPP services beforehand.
The MOU intends to demystify the process of transferring by giving students the proper education and tools they need to succeed.
“If students get denied, do they even know they have a chance to appeal?” Lee said. She said the majority of their work is focused on opening doors by providing students with more information.
Transfer student Betuel Rocha, who is a psychology major, said he fully supports the initiative.
“I feel like students nowadays don’t know what their goals are,” Rocha said. “Maybe it’s because of their fears. They don’t know what they’re getting into. They don’t know what the future is going to be like. Educating students about the transfer process will make them feel like it’s not some big scary college thing, it’s actually really simple when you get the hang of it.”
By sharing data, Tuck said, the MOU aims to guarantee a more personalized take on the transfer process. It pushes a summary of academic performance and major demographics from both schools.
“From our end, we want to know more granular… we want to know their contact information so we can invite them to our events,” Tuck said. “We can reach out to help them make sure that they’re on track to graduate on time and then transition to CPP. It takes a lot of the guesswork out.”
Tuck said this data sharing process was important to be better equipped when it comes to serving students in underserved communities.
“We should meet with (underserved) students, offer resources and help just like we would anybody else, but we can be intentional on how we do it,” said Tuck. “If someone is sharing information with you, why wouldn’t you meet them at their level and speak to them in a way they can understand?”
It’s not just about numbers, Tuck said. It’s about immersing students into the CPP experience so they can make informed decisions and genuinely choose to stay.
“We want to get more of their students on our campus to experience CPP and get a feel for what it’s like here,” Tuck said. “I think once we get people here and they experience it, they want to come.”
Jann Pataray-Ching, the chairperson of the education department and program coordinator, said in an email to The Poly Post that Mt. SAC’s Teacher Preparation Institute and her department had made attempts to solidify a partnership in the past. However, they were not able to continue due to budget constraints.
Tuck said he is not worried about this being an issue, adding he’s confident in his team and doesn’t view different budget iterations as a hinderance, but as an opportunity to get creative.
“I do feel confident because there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit,” Tuck said. “There’s just basic things that we can do that we haven’t done before that are low-cost or nocost at all. We need to have face time with students. We need to have face time from faculty to faculty, chair to chair, dean to dean.”
Tuck said this work will not stop at Mt. SAC, as CPP plans to continue to establish MOU’s with as many community colleges as possible to make the transfer process easier for all.
Feature image courtesy of Connor Lālea Hampton