Publication Date

Spring 2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

Advisor

Deanna Fassett; María Ledesma; Rudy Medina

Abstract

Community college transfer students represent a vital source of diversity for public four-year institutions; at the same time, declining enrollments heighten the need for stronger, more functional transfer pathways between community colleges and four-year universities, especially given the significant vertical transfer gap and the unique barriers transfer students face in student leadership roles. This semi-structured interview study explored the experiential knowledge of 14 first-generation transfer student orientation leaders to understand how they navigate institutional barriers in their on-campus employment. Findings reveal that these leaders navigated institutional barriers by relying on peer networks and drawing heavily on their navigational capital. Furthermore, institutional support structures, specifically those that honor student decoding work and expand peer mentorship, serve as critical mechanisms for building transfer student success. As such, five recommendations emerge for transfer-receptive university cultures: sustained mentorship; growth-oriented normalization of discomfort; strategic reinvestment to expand access; institutional recognition of decoding labor; and the professionalization of complex content delivery.

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