Transfer Success - UAB

Shelton State Community College Students Transferring to
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Summer 2002-Spring 2003
A Research Brief

Prepared by The Office of Institutional Research
Michele G. Jarrell, Ph.D., Coordinator

During the Summer 2002 through Spring 2003, 38 students transferred from Shelton State to the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  During their first semester, these students obtained a significantly lower GPA than they had earned at Shelton State.  However, during the 2002-2003 academic year, the average academic performance in undergraduate courses at the 300 level and above was a 2.82 for all students at UAB, and it was 2.75 for the 111 Shelton State transfers enrolled in undergraduate courses.  Although the Shelton State students show a decline in GPA during their first semester, they adjust quickly and perform at a level comparable to that of the native students and other transfer students.  The Shelton State students also attempted and earned more credit hours than any other transfer students or the native students.

Among Shelton State students, those who transferred 60 or more semester hours earned the highest GPA at UAB (3.12).  Those transferring between 24 and 59 hours earned a GPA of 2.87 at UAB, while those transferring 15-24 hours earned a GPA of 2.71.

In a comparison of GPA at the two-year schools and at UAB during the initial term of enrollment, 3 Alabama College System (ACS) schools had higher correlations between the two-year GPA and the UAB GPA than Shelton State; one ACS school had a similar correlation; and the other 15 had much lower correlations.  When the GPA was calculated without regard to initial term of enrollment for all students enrolled in Summer 2002 through Spring 2003, only one ACS school had a higher correlation between the two-year GPA and the UAB GPA; 3 ACS schools were similar to Shelton State=s results, and 16 ACS schools had lower correlations.

The following grade distribution represents the grades received in all courses taken by Shelton State transfer students in their first term.  The >Other= category includes grades of >passing,= >no grade,= and >incomplete.=

Table 1 shows the degrees received by the 15 Shelton State transfers who graduated from The University of Alabama in Birmingham during the 2002-2003 academic year.  These students graduated with an average GPA of 3.17.  Our students received degrees in 13 majors.  The areas with multiple students graduated, with two graduates each, were: Criminal Justice and Respiratory Therapy.

Table 1
Shelton State Transfers to UAB Graduating 2002-2003