Engaging Transfers: Construct Validity of NSSE Indicators in the Post-Transfer Environment

Despite significant policy and practitioner attention to transfer, scholarship on post-transfer experiences at the four-year institution is limited. In this study, we used confirmatory factor analysis to explore the model fit of the 2013 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) indicator model for persisting transfer students at a single four-year higher education institution. Our findings offer mixed construct validity evidence for the use of the NSSE themes and indicators to measure the engagement of transfer students overall and across three differing types of transfer: horizontal, vertical, and swirling. We provide implications for institutions about using the NSSE data to improve transfer student engagement and suggest that survey content and administration adjustments may be necessary to capture the engagement experiences of the transfer population. Research and practical efforts can be made to ensure transfer students are engaged, persist, and realize their goal to attain a four-year degree.