Publications

Executive Summary

Research has identified numerous information sources that students use to learn more broadly about their possibilities for transfer and the transfer process. While studies have also begun to consider the interplay between information sources, almost all of the existing research is situated within the American transfer context, which focuses heavily on student transfer between community colleges and four-year universities. In Ontario, our postsecondary system is distinct, and postsecondary institutions offer numerous types of credentials with the possibility for students to transfer in myriad directions. For these institutions, knowing the information sources that students access and how they use this information is crucial for developing effective transfer policies and practices. To support the sector in this endeavour, in this report, we examine the process through which students gather information as they make decisions about transferring. Importantly, by focusing on the pre-transfer stage, we can identify not only the information sources students use but also how they combine and make sense of potentially conflicting information and fill information gaps.