When Ivan Carrillo transferred from a local community college to study at UC Davis, he doubted his ability to make the grade and, at first, had difficulty making friends.

Since then, the Elk Grove resident has led the student body government, earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and been named the top male graduate in the 2009 class.

As broader efforts are made to increase the number of California community college students who, like Carrillo, go on to earn a degree from a four-year university, the campus is taking major steps to recruit transfer students and support their successful graduation.

“Transfer shock is the biggest issue many transfer students face,” said Phil Knox, assistant director of Advising Services.

For the first time in many years, Student Housing will this fall guarantee housing for transfer students. Advising Services proposes to spend $30,000 to provide a center for transfer students. And Undergraduate Admissions is partnering with three area colleges to reach out to college-bound high school seniors.

A joint task force of the Academic Senate and campus administration (of which Carrillo was a member) has been a catalyst. “It’s been a very productive task force,’’ said Fred Wood, vice chancellor of Student Affairs. “We have been able to implement a number of initiatives to help these students and dispel a number of misconceptions about transfer students.” Wood and Professor Tom Famula, chair of the senate’s Undergraduate Council, are co-chairs of the task force.

Increasing numbers

The long-range plan for enrollment increases the proportion of transfer students in the entering class from 30 percent this year to 35 percent 10 years from now. While budget cuts have overtaken that plan, said Robert Agee of Resource Management and Planning, the campus still aims to grow the share of transfer students among new undergraduates.

This academic year, UC Davis enrolled 1,930 fall and 205 winter transfer students among 7,110 new undergraduates. UC Davis plans to enroll about 2,100 transfer students this coming fall alone.

More broadly, the University of California, California State University and California Community Colleges established a joint task force this spring to develop plans to increase the number of students who transfer to four-year universities. Wood serves on the task force.

“Expanding the opportunity for a four-year education is a critical need for California,” UC President Mark Yudof told UC regents in Feburary.

California lags in the production of four-year degree recipients relative to its population. And while the state Department of Finance projects a decline of about 7 percent in the number of high school graduates by 2015, the number of students at community colleges is projected to increase substantially.

Guaranteed housing

Among the major accomplishments of the campus task force, Student Housing set aside spaces for 300 students in residence halls and leased about 280 apartments from three Davis complexes.

“A guarantee of housing,” said Emily Galindo, director of Student Housing, “assists these students who otherwise would have to navigate the Davis housing market when many apartments are already leased to continuing students.”

Transfer student center

Advising services has asked for $30,000 to create a center for students who transfer to UC Davis, resume their education as older students or are military veterans. Knox said the proposal would increase peer counseling hours and provide support for skills workshops and other events. A long-term proposal envisions a lounge with computers and lockers for commuting students.

“The center would give them a place to connect, meet other students, get referrals,” Knox said. “ It’s really important to provide transitional support.”

Transfer students must quickly adjust to UC Davis’ fast-paced quarter system and transition to more rigorous upper-division courses, Knox said. They do better the more quickly they become involved in the life of the campus, he added.

Reaching out locally

UC Davis and three Los Rios community colleges will conduct joint admission activities to promote community college attendance and university transfer. The UC Office of the President has provided $90,000 in annual funding.

“We are more systematically reaching into the 10 largest high schools in the area to really broadcast the message that students can be very successful transfer students,” said Michael Dang, an associate director of Undergraduate Admissions.

The program aims to promote a college-going culture, help high school seniors and community college students develop individual educational plans and connect them with existing services. UC Davis students will make academic presentations and host prospective transfer students on campus.

UC Davis already offers the largest Transfer Admission Guarantee program in the UC system, and its admissions advisers regularly visit 18 community colleges in the Sacramento and San Francisco areas.

Misconceptions

The campus task force is also correcting misconceptions that overestimate admissions requirements for transfer students and underestimate their success. UC Davis has fostered faculty-to-faculty connections and hosted meetings with leadership from four community college districts.

An otherwise qualified transfer applicant is highly admissible with a 2.9 grade point average from college studies, Dang said. The average high school GPA for students admitted to freshman status for fall 2009 is 4.0.

Research shows transfer students also persist with their studies and fare as well after graduation as high school entrants. In a study of 2004-05 baccalaureate recipients, Student Affairs Research and Information found that more than one-third of transfer students pursued postgraduate studies, about 65 percent were employed full time one year after graduation, and their average salary, at $41,500, was slightly above that of graduates who came straight from high school.