SUNY Seamless Transfer Initiative

The SUNY Seamless Transfer Initiative enhances the existing SUNY Seamless Transfer policy and SUNY's leading transfer support programs. The SUNY Seamless Transfer Initiative will introduce new high-impact practices and approaches to improve transfer admission, retention, and graduation.

At the direction of the Chancellor and the SUNY Board of Trustees, the Office of Student Success and the Office of the Provost collaborated with leadership from the University Faculty Senate and the Faculty Council of Community Colleges to convene a Transfer Task Force. This Task Force was charged with conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the transfer landscape across the SUNY system.

Launched in Fall 2023, the Task Force undertook a rigorous review of SUNY’s existing transfer-related policies, procedures, and programs. This work was informed by both internal data and national best practices, with the goal of developing a forward-looking strategy to enhance transfer student success and improve overall student outcomes.

In fall 2024, the SUNY Transfer Task Force released the Recommendations Report, which outlined specific recommendations organized under four strategic objectives. The report received unanimous endorsement from the SUNY Board of Trustees in December 2024, signaling strong institutional commitment to advancing transfer reform across the system.

Advisory and Implementation Teams
We've assembled expert faculty and staff from every region and SUNY sector to provide expertise, oversight and energy.

Transfer Task Force
Learn more about the work of SUNY's Transfer Task Force and read the full report.

Transfer Events, Training and Webinars
Review our upcoming and past transfer training sessions and events occurring statewide.

SUNY-Wide Transfer Success Metrics

Metric	Goal
Double the overall 6-year transfer graduation rate for the 2025 cohort. SUNY institutional reporting tools will be used to perform annual assessments which will be supported by SUNY-provided data dashboards. The current SUNY rate of 21% will be doubled for the 2025 cohort.	40% Cohort Graduation Rate
Reduce the number credits not that are not articulated. Using student-level transfer credit acceptance figures, SUNY will achieve 80% average acceptance, in contrast to the current 56-60% national average. Preliminary assessments indicate SUNY has 64-67% acceptance, slightly higher than the national average.	80% Average Credit Acceptance
Raise the SUNY-to-SUNY segment of the transfer-out rate to over 60%. SUNY data from SIRIS and SUNY institutional reporting tools will be used to assess and target a 10% improvement in the transfer admission rates (transfer-out) to demonstrate that added efforts to publicize Transfer Paths and SUNY options have an impact on enrollment.	10% Improvement Within 6 Years
Reduce average excess credit. Reduce excess credits accrued by at least 6 credits on average. Current data indicates that SUNY was able to reduce excess credits by 1.16 credits through the implementation of Transfer Paths.	6 Credits Average Reduction Within 6 Years
Reduce average time to degree by ½ semester. Reduce the time to degree students experience by ½ semester on average. Currently, transfer students spend an average of 3.1 years at the 4-year institution after transferring.	1/2 Semester Average Reduction Within 6 Years

Metric

Goal

Double the overall 6-year transfer graduation rate for the 2025 cohort.

SUNY institutional reporting tools will be used to perform annual assessments which will be supported by SUNY-provided data dashboards. The current SUNY rate of 21% will be doubled for the 2025 cohort.

40%

Cohort Graduation Rate

Reduce the number credits not that are not articulated.

Using student-level transfer credit acceptance figures, SUNY will achieve 80% average acceptance, in contrast to the current 56-60% national average. Preliminary assessments indicate SUNY has 64-67% acceptance, slightly higher than the national average.

80%

Average Credit Acceptance

Raise the SUNY-to-SUNY segment of the transfer-out rate to over 60%.

SUNY data from SIRIS and SUNY institutional reporting tools will be used to assess and target a 10% improvement in the transfer admission rates (transfer-out) to demonstrate that added efforts to publicize Transfer Paths and SUNY options have an impact on enrollment.

10%

Improvement Within 6 Years

Reduce average excess credit.

Reduce excess credits accrued by at least 6 credits on average. Current data indicates that SUNY was able to reduce excess credits by 1.16 credits through the implementation of Transfer Paths.

6 Credits

Average Reduction Within 6 Years

Reduce average time to degree by ½ semester.

Reduce the time to degree students experience by ½ semester on average. Currently, transfer students spend an average of 3.1 years at the 4-year institution after transferring.

1/2 Semester

Average Reduction Within 6 Years

Media and Additional Information

Learn more and share the news about the SUNY Seamless Transfer Initiative by downloading and sharing the media below. You are free to make these available to stakeholders on your campus and make use of the digital assets provided.

Infographics


Seamless Transfer Initiatives Summary (PDF)	SUNY Transfer Equivalency Platform (PDF)

SUNY Transfer Metrics (PDF)	SUNY Transfer Steps (Resource Page)

View additional media resources, assets, and downloads on the Transfer Hub.

The Seamless Transfer Initiative and the Academic Momentum Campaign

SUNY is advancing two systemwide initiatives focused on improving outcomes for two important student populations: first-time freshmen and transfer students moving from SUNY community colleges to state-operated campuses. While each initiative employs a distinct strategy, they are purposefully aligned and designed to reinforce one another. Their goals are complementary, not competing, and together they reflect SUNY’s commitment to ensuring that all students are fully supported as they enter and progress through their undergraduate degree programs.

The SUNY Academic Momentum Campaign, formally launched in Fall 2025, establishes systemwide academic momentum, retention, and graduation goals for the entering Fall 2026 freshmen cohort. Campuses will develop individual action plans that amplify existing successful campus efforts and integrate evidence-based practices to realize campus targets that roll-up to sector and system goals. The SUNY Office of Student Success will provide technical assistance to campuses to develop and implement their plans and create standardized data infrastructure to monitor progress.

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