The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 41, No. 2 & Volume 42, No. 1 - 180

THE EXPERIENCE OF LATERAL
TRANSFER STUDENTS
Traditional ﬁrst-year students who live on
campus have greater access to social support
and resources that help them feel connected to
their new campus (Astin, 1993), a connection
that has repeatedly been shown to increase
ﬁrst-year student retention and degree completion (Astin, 1993; Bean, 2005; Schudde, 2011;
Tinto, 1993). Flaga (2006) was among the ﬁrst
to discuss residential life experiences for transfer students. In interviews with vertical transfer students about their academic and social
adjustment, Flaga found that living on campus
provided increased opportunities for these students to integrate into their new environment.
Vertical transfer students who lived on campus
were more likely to be involved in cocurricular
activities and to attend campus events more
frequently. Participants in Flaga's (2006) study
attributed this increased engagement to close
proximity to campus and campus events, as
well as a supportive and encouraging residence
hall environment. The current study adds to
our understanding of the role of residence
life and housing in transfer student integration by examining this experience for lateral
transfer students. Doing so provides a richer
understanding of the socialization process
for these students and illuminates the differences between the lateral and vertical transfer
student experience.

Transfer Student Integration
When transfer students arrive at a new institution, they begin a new transition and
integration process. They must learn to
navigate a new campus, experience a new
campus culture, and build new relationships.

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However, transfer students are often left unsupported by their institutions because the
programs and opportunities for socialization
that are designed to ease the transition of traditional ﬁrst-year students are often not available to them (Kuh, 2003). In addition, transfer
students face institutional barriers, such as
transferring credits, late class registration,
and negative stigmas from peers, faculty, and
administrators. These are all examples of the
formal and informal systems that often lead
to an institution neglecting the needs of these
students (Tobolowsky & Cox, 2012). Both
lateral and vertical transfer students face integration challenges and institutional barriers;
however, how a student reacts to these challenges may be different depending on their
previous collegiate experience.

Preparation for the Transfer Experience
Varying levels of preparation and expectation
about the new institution inﬂuence transfer
students' ability to adjust to and cope with
the new campus environment (Kirk-Kuwaye
& Kirk-Kuwaye, 2007). Vertical transfer students often enter college with the intention of
transferring and have the institutional support
to do so. Most vertical transfer students expect
a more rigorous environment at their new institution and recognize that they will need to
cope with changes to their social and academic
environment (Kirk-Kuwaye & Kirk-Kuwaye,
2007). Therefore, they may be more prepared
for the transfer experience and aware of the
challenges they will encounter.
A lateral transfer student, on the other
hand, is more likely to have started at their
initial institution with the intent of graduating
from there. For these students there is often
something that occurs or changes during the

THE JOURNAL OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENT HOUSING

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 41, No. 2 & Volume 42, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 41, No. 2 & Volume 42, No. 1