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ASSETS - Academic Intervention, Social Supports, and Scholarships for Engineering Transfer Students is an NSF sponsored program at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga designed to help engineering transfer students overcome known academic and social barriers that impede retention or prolong graduation time following transfer from two-year community colleges into four year colleges. ASSETS is now in its fourth year of implementation. Several focus groups conducted among these scholars have consistently ranked the scholarship received as the number one contributing factor to their success. Other secondary but important factors have also emerged, suggesting that these students perceive the four-year institutions as lukewarm at best and hostile at worst to their ability to acclimate. These secondary factors indicate that these institutions need to become more welcoming by adopting strategies that are intentional in addressing the needs of these students, given current situational needs placing all the burden on them to adapt to their new environment. We conducted attitudinal surveys among students and faculty to gauge how pervasive these negative perceptions are among engineering transfer students. The survey analysis revealed that many faculty members do not differentiate between transfer students and traditional students and may therefore not be sensitive to their unique needs. However, faculty members associated with the ASSETS scholars, through serving as faculty mentors, were found to be aware of these differences and are already implementing measures that reflect a shift in mindset benefiting transfer students. This paper presents the findings of the surveys and the outcomes of the new mindset toward providing support to and enhancing the success of engineering transfer students. 

This Research-to-Practice full paper presents findings from the ASSETS program – a comprehensive support ecosystem developed to improve retention and reduce time to graduation for engineering transfer students. ASSETS builds on the momentum established by two statewide initiatives in Tennessee that place transfer students at the forefront: (1) Tennessee Promise – a nationally recognized scholarship program launched in 2015 that provides last-dollar scholarships for low-income students to attend any state community college, and (2) Tennessee Reconnect – a lastdollar grant established in 2018 that allows adults who do not have an associate degree to attend a community or technical college tuition-free. With over 100,000 students enrolled in these programs to date, the number of students transferring to four-year institutions is expected to increase exponentially in the coming years. Historically, transfer students have been at higher risk of attrition due to known academic and social barriers. This is especially true for the Engineering disciplines. In an effort to address these obstacles, we have developed the Academic Intervention, Social Supports, and Scholarships for Engineering Transfer Students (ASSETS) program. In its third year of operation, with 35 enrolled ASSETS scholars, the program is well underway. Among our findings, we have recognized the critical importance of nurturing a community of transfer students that emphasizes equity, diversity, and inclusion. Establishing such a community involves more than just adopting established best practices. It requires a shift in mindset on behalf of the student regarding what is required to succeed, as well as on the part of faculty on what is expected of incoming students. This paper presents the findings and outcomes of the ASSETS program towards providing support to and enhancing the success of engineering transfer students.