Institutional Transfer Logics: Belief Systems and Understandings of Recommended Course Sequences Among Transfer Personnel at Public College and Universities

Using interviews with transfer personnel at five community colleges and seven public universities, we examine competing institutional logics—or belief systems—for how personnel approach vertical transfer and implement statewide reforms that call for transparency in programs’ recommended course sequences. Personnel using developmental logic viewed degree plans as customizable to individual needs, whereas those using functional logic viewed degree plans as a rigid sequence of courses. These two logics illustrate key tensions for vertical transfer, with important implications for competing recommendations for practice, even within the same institution.