2009 Performance Accountability Report Vol. 2 - Maryland Higher ...

Transferring credits to another college or university is the main reason credit students give when
asked about their goal for attending CSM. Performance at the institution of transfer is below the
benchmark for indicator 12a, the percent with cumulative GPA of 2.0. The mean GPA after the
first year dropped slightly from 2.71 in academic year (AY) 2006-07 to 2.69 in AY 2007-08; this
is below the benchmark of 2.75. Among the various efforts to smooth the transition from CSM
to institutions of transfer is the Maryland Transfer Advantage Program (MTAP). MTAP is a
partnership between four Maryland community colleges and the University of Maryland College
Park(UMCP). The other community colleges are Anne Arundel Community College,
Montgomery College and Prince George's Community College. Last spring, the College of
Southern Maryland joined forces with the UMCP to guarantee the transfer of students to the
university. MTAP guarantees University of Maryland College Park admission to qualifying
community college students who complete the program requirements.
CSM's partnerships with four-year institutions provide students the opportunity to earn their
bachelor's degrees. These programs allow students to easily transfer between institutions with
minimal risk of wasted credits, and while saving thousands of dollars on tuition, fees, housing,
and transportation costs. In addition, with ARTSYS, CSM students intending to transfer may
learn more about which courses transfer to their intended program and institutions. Other steps
CSM is taking to smooth the transition from CSM to institutions of transfer are workshops such
as, Transfer Tips for Business Majors, Financial Aid for Transfer Students, Transferring to a
Historically Black College or University, Transfer Tips for Students with Disabilities, Transfer
Tips for STEM majors and Preparing Your College Application. Each month, admissions
representatives from private and state schools visit each campus to recruit and advise students of
their transfer options. Some of these schools offer instant, on-site admissions for students who
have a completed application and transcript. Also offered are free college tours of various
colleges/universities in the state and out of state, and a TRANSFERmation Help Desk: The
transfer staff takes their office to various locations on campus. The college hosts a Transfer
Awareness Week, when various activities having to do with transferring are scheduled. All
transfer activities are posted on CSM’s website, the Transfer Website and the college’s electronic
newsletter, the Hawk Talk.
Diversity
With growth, CSM has realized an increase in the diversity of its student population. As
reported in the Student Characteristics portion of the report (Indicator F), the student
racial/ethnic distribution shows an increase in minority student representation at CSM over the
years reported. Enrollments for English Speakers of Other Languages increased from 18 to 28,
slightly more than a 50% increase over the 2007 cohort; and the student racial/ethnic distribution
declined for the Caucasian segment with increases for African American, Asian, Pacific Islander,
and those classified as Other. Within the past four years, the college has achieved an ethnic
breakdown more diverse than the Southern Maryland region, specifically for Asians, African
Americans, and a small but growing Hispanic population (Indicator 14). CSM exceeds the
benchmark established for this indicator. In fiscal year 2008, the percentage of non-white
student enrollment (31.7%) reflects a fourth year of growth for this segment. The college’s
Diversity Plan is written in alignment with the Institutional Strategic Plan embedding minority
student recruitment and retention throughout the goals, objectives and action items.
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