The 'transfer grid' as a qualitative interview tool to more fully understand the transfer student trajectory

Transfer students navigating the path from an associate degree granting institution to a bachelor's degree granting institution have unique and complex trajectories. In this poster we introduce a qualitative artifact, called the 'transfer grid', to allow researchers to better understand and explore these transfer student narratives. This tool makes visible a more complete narrative of the transfer student experience. Through mapping important moments before and during this transition, we provide researchers a method to: (1) support relationship building between the interviewer and participant; (2) discover what the participant sees as important to their transfer trajectory; (3) and generate a rich narrative with which to ground findings in context itself. This work was generously supported by the IMPACT STEM Transfer Network and Michigan State University.