Let’s Talk Transfer: Highlights from the July 2025 discussion

Revisiting the topic of creating, maintaining, and promoting articulation agreements

On Tuesday, July 15, CollegeSource hosted another session of the Let’s Talk Transfer community discussion series, where all transfer professionals (regardless of whether they use CollegeSource products) are invited to share their expertise and ask questions on transfer-related topics. Over 216 staff members from institutions of higher education tuned in live to participate in the conversation.

A breakout discussing articulation agreements at 4-year institutions at the June 15, 2025, session of Let’s Talk Transfer.

Topic of discussion

Back by popular demand, this month’s discussion again focused on articulation agreements. Summer is often an ideal time to review these agreements since institutions are also updating equivalencies due to changing curricula.

An attendee started off the conversation by asking what tools institutions use to display articulation agreements. People from multiple institutions indicated they share articulations as PDFs on their websites. Others noted using the following to share agreements with the public:

• • TES Group Reports
  • Transferology Pathways
  • Assist
  • Google Docs

The conversation shifted to who at the institution initiates articulation agreements (e.g., faculty or staff) and the processes that the colleges and universities use to guide those creating them. Several attendees noted having an annual review, maintenance, and reapproval process for articulations.

Multiple people shared that they found it beneficial to have an intake form or instructions on their website for creating articulation agreements. A representative of Portland State University shared the link to their articulation agreement website, which connects to their document imaging system and signals a notice of intent to create an articulation when submitted. In addition to having a clear process in place, attendees stressed the need to socialize and create awareness about the guidelines to be followed.

Articulation agreements proved to be a popular topic of discussion. In addition to the above, the conversation also touched on:

• • How to approach re-reviewing all of an institution’s existing equivalencies in the face of course numbering changes. Tim suggested creating a crosswalk table between old and new course numbers.
  • Whether institutions focus more on creating 2+2 agreements or transfer guides, and whether agreements are used more so to convey situations over and beyond course-by-course articulation.
  • Incorporating reverse transfer into agreements, which the hosts noted they were happy to see implemented due to the benefits it gives students and two-year institutions.

Breakout rooms

After 45 minutes of group discussion, attendees headed into the breakout rooms hosted by the CollegeSource Client Advisory Board. Attendees gathered in two rooms, one for two-year institutions and another for four-year institutions, to further the discussion with staff at similar schools. Others remained in the main room for general discussion with the hosts.

The conversation steered towards the topic of creating and mapping processes for articulation agreements. Tim and Sarah shared that, in addition to working in transfer at their past institutions, their roles in creating and maintaining degree audits helped them identify how curriculum changes impacted articulation agreements. From there, they were able to work with faculty to help them understand how curriculum changes impact the agreements and to keep them up to date. Sarah and Tim also talked about some difficulties with managing multiple forms, tracking and reporting on articulations, and the importance of addressing policy and admissions requirements in agreements.

Watch the recording

Register now to access the July 2025 recording, including the transcript, chat log, and breakout session recordings.

Upon accessing the recording, please see the sidebar transcript for the link to view breakouts.

Join us again in September

The next session of Let’s Talk Transfer will take place on September 16, 2025, and will focus on transfer policies.

If you previously registered for the series, the Zoom link provided can be used to access all future sessions in 2025, and you will receive email reminders about the individual sessions. If you haven’t yet registered, see the link below. Recordings will be available for those unable to attend.