A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF THE USE OF THE ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE DEGREE FOR TRANSFER BETWEEN PUBLIC COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WITHIN FLORIDA

A quantitative and descriptive assessment of the applied associate degree (the AS degree in Florida) being utilized as a transfer credential into baccalaureate work within Florida's State University System (SUS) between the academic years of 1978-79 and 1984-85. The study's analysis focused upon Florida's twenty-eight public community colleges and nine state universities wherein 8,922 AS degree holders matriculated from lower- to upper-division institutions. Specific findings and recommendations are related to: (1) observed trends in the number of students who received an applied associate degree and, subsequently, transferred into the SUS; (2) observed trends in the baccalaureate majors being selected by these transferees; (3) observed trends in the AS to BS transfer flows from specific community colleges and into specific universities; (4) identifiable program or curricular activities within Florida's public community colleges or state universities which either supported, simulated, or retarded such AS to BS transfer trends; (5) department heads' identification of perceived precursors which impacted upon the Florida's AS degree becoming a transfer credential; and, (6) educational policy implications for the state or institutional levels perceived by community college and university department heads. Study findings and recommendations were based upon the analysis of both data from the State Board of Regents' Student Data Course File, and, a survey instrument administered to 259 selected department heads within Florida's public community colleges and state universities.