Transfer Trouble

A look at how CUNY will create a pathway to graduation for transfersThe first paragraph of this recent New York Times article accurately sums up the frustrations many CCNY transfer students face:"For as long as anyone can remember, students who have tried to transfer within the City University of New York system - from, say, a community college to a four-year school - have run into delays or denials in getting their course credits accepted. Many have wound up spending additional time and money to secure their degree, while others have simply given up."Ashley Fleming didn't give up, but she knows the frustrations firsthand. She says she left Lincoln University in Pennsylvania to attend City College because it was too far. "My transfer experience was hard, " says Fleming. "I had trouble getting all of my credits to transfer."MCA graduating senior Joselina Salazar says she had the same problem. She transferred from Westchester Community College two years ago. Getting in was easy, and on "transfer day," she says she was excited by the campus, especially the Great Hall."It was so beautiful and amazing and they made the school sound like gold," states Salazar.But then the problems started. "They wanted me to take core classes at CCNY that I had already taken at my old school," she says.  "I had already taken creative writing and literature. I felt like I didn't need world humanities again… It was repetitive. At the time I was just really happy to be coming into The City College."To help students like Fleming and Salazar, CUNY has proposed an overhaul to help make the transfer of credits between its schools smoother. This Pathways Project would create a core curriculum at all CUNY colleges and reduce the number of credits needed for graduation.In announcing the plan, CUNY chancellor Matthew Goldstein said the project would " help students complete their degrees by creating clear pathways responsive to their needs."