Unparallel Pathways: Exploring How Divergent Academic Norms Contribute to the Transfer Shock of STEM Students

The overarching purpose of this study was to explore the post-transfer factors contributing to transfer shock. More specifically, this study sought to understand what academic normative differences exist between community college and transfer institution contexts and how these differences induced transfer shock. The study focused on STEM majors due to existing research showing they experience the greatest shock and increasing policy emphasis on students in STEM fields. Unlike existing literature that focuses on student characteristics associated with transfer shock, this study used a human capital frame to highlight the role of institutional contexts and norms in relation to shock. Participants in this study were transfer students who hailed from 17 geographically diverse community colleges across five states and completed semi-structured interviews. Results highlight substantial normative differences in terms of faculty interactions, divergent exam norms, and expectations of independent learning. Findings underscore the presence of a disjuncture in academic norms between community colleges and four-year transfer universities that helps explain transfer shock and transitional academic issues transfer students experience.