Community College Transfer Pipelines
West Texas A&M University
Overview of the Practice
Developing an Intentional Transfer pipeline from Community College to University-based EPP: Badgers2Buffs
Badgers2Buffs is a structured, partnership-based transfer pipeline between Amarillo College (AC) and West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) designed to support future teachers as they transition from a community college associate’s degree into WTAMU’s Educator Preparation Program (EPP).
The practice combines early advising, articulated degree pathways, and an annual formalized “signing day” celebration to increase motivation, commitment, and continuity for aspiring educators. Badgers2Buffs has been in place for approximately 5–6 years and is sustained through shared leadership, and financial support from both institutions.
The purpose of Badgers2Buffs is to create a cohesive and intentional transfer experience for teacher candidates moving from Amarillo College to WTAMU.
Prior to the development of this practice, transfer students often entered four-year programs without sufficient advising, degree-plan alignment, or connection to the EPP—resulting in delayed certification timelines and stop-outs for some candidates.
In the past, some transfer students who were eligible for EPP admission needed additional guidance on the transfer process and intentional support to develop a connection to the university’s EPP. Badgers2Buffs was developed to address this gap by making the transfer pathway visible, supported, and celebrated.
The targeted audience for this practice is potential teacher candidates at the local Community College who are interested in pursuing a career in education.
Badgers2Buffs is not a single event, but an ongoing set of activities which prepares community college students to transfer into the WTAMU EPP. The key components include:
- Early and Aligned Advising (EPF Lever: Strategic Recruitment & Selection)
- WTAMU education advisors meet with AC students on the AC campus to provide early guidance on:
- Transferable coursework
- Certification pathways
- Degree-plan alignment
- Advisors from both institutions collaborate regularly to ensure that students receive accurate, consistent, and certification-aligned guidance.
- WTAMU education advisors meet with AC students on the AC campus to provide early guidance on:
- Articulated Transfer Agreements (EPF Lever: Coherent Program Design)
- WTAMU and AC strive to ensure that:
- Courses transfer efficiently
- Students do not lose time or credit
- Certification timelines are clearly communicated
- WTAMU and AC strive to ensure that:
- Annual Badgers2Buffs Signing Day (EPF Lever: Candidate Support & Persistence)
- Each April, AC and WTAMU co-host a signing-day-style celebration that includes:
- Certificates of commitment
- Mascots from both institutions
- Leadership speeches from both institutions
- Participation by WTAMU’s Maroon Platoon student organization
- Advising and program tables for direct student engagement
- Each April, AC and WTAMU co-host a signing-day-style celebration that includes:
- Ongoing Relationship-Building (EPF Lever: Candidate Support Systems)
- WTAMU EPP leadership, faculty, and advisors meet annually with AC’s Teach Club (student organization) to answer questions and provide support for transfer students.
- AC students also visit the WTAMU campus each year. These planned experiences ensure that transfer students know:
- Where to go for assistance
- Who to contact with questions
- How to access support
- This annual event that builds belonging, motivation, and institutional identity for transfer students has been in place for 5-6 years.
Planning, Implementation, and Monitoring
Badgers2Buffs originated from an Amarillo College transfer initiative and was co-designed by leadership teams from AC and WTAMU. The practice was initially supported through grant funding and is now sustained through shared institutional investment.
- Planning includes:
- Marketing and registration by AC Admissions
- Event logistics and run-of-show coordination by AC
- Scholarships, incentives, and engagement resources provided by WTAMU
The primary success indicator for Badgers2Buffs is the percentage of participating students who successfully transfer from Amarillo College to West Texas A&M University and enroll in the Educator Preparation Program or a related certification pathway.
Additional indicators include event participation rates, completion of advising milestones prior to transfer, and persistence into at least the first semester at WTAMU. These indicators were selected to align with the EPF focus on strategic recruitment, candidate persistence, and coherent program entry by tracking whether the practice leads to timely, supported, and sustained enrollment of future teachers.
Planning teams meet beginning in February to plan for the event that is held in April. AC leads student outreach and logistics; WTAMU provides:
- Scholarships
- Door prizes
- Mascot and buffalo appearances
- Buff-themed materials and engagement
- Structures supporting consistency include:
- Structures supporting consistency include:
- Annual debrief notes
- Refinement of timelines and logistics
- Contingency planning (e.g., weather)
- Some lessons learned from our experience:
- Contact the transfer students several times before the event. Set flexible deadlines to allow for maximum participation.
- Have an alternative setting in case of bad weather.
- The entire event is only about 45 minutes long, yet students and faculty/staff can mingle and talk longer.
- Debrief after the event to make notes for next year while the details are fresh on everyone’s minds.
The first year we had certificates with each transfer student’s name preprinted for them to “sign” as a symbol of commitment. This took a lot of time and the audience’s attention waned. So, we adjusted to have blank certificates that students signed at the appointed time in the program with WTAMU pens.
Last year, we added the Maroon Platoon Student Organization and that really added more energy and excitement to the event.
While the main focus remains the Department of Education, other departments and colleges across the university have been added because they see the benefit of helping support a cohesive and intentional transfer process between AC and WT.
This practice monitored and evaluated through:
- Leadership teams from both institutions review:
- Event attendance
- Transfer and matriculation data
- A prior analysis showed that all but one Badgers2Buffs participant transferred to WTAMU for at least one semester, indicating strong effectiveness in supporting persistence into the EPP.
An organic student-driven outcome of the practice was the creation of the Teacher Troup, a peer-support group led by former transfer students to help new candidates navigate the transition into the EPP.
Impact on Teacher Preparation
The Badgers2Buffs practices directly supports the following EPF Levers:
| Lever 2: Talent Recruitment and Management | Builds an intentional, data-driven pipeline from AC to WTAMU for future teachers |
| Lever 1: EPP Leadership and Planning | Clearly articulated transfer agreements preserve certification timelines and reduce credit loss |
| Lever 2: Talent Recruitment and Management | Provides advising, mentoring, campus visits, and peer networks |
| Lever 1: EPP Leadership and Planning | Uses attendance and transfer data plus annual debriefs to refine the practice |
This practice strengthens program coherence, candidate readiness, and long-term persistence, ensuring that teacher candidates who transfer from a community college into the EPP are on track and feel supported.
Sustainability Benefits of the Badgers2Buffs practice include
- Formal articulation agreements between the two organizations
- Annual institutional planning cycles
- Shared leadership between AC and WTAMU
We believe that this practice is highly sustainable and scalable for other EPPs that are seeking to strengthen transfer pipelines into teacher preparation.