| Abstract: | Enhanced enrollment, reflected in both quality and quantity of students, is a strategic initiative for Washington State University. While our focus on recruitment of new students was paying off with increased numbers of freshmen, the number of incoming transfer students was not keeping pace. Our President urged us to do whatever was necessary to attract transfer students for the following semester. Two top questions that potential transfer students always ask are: "How will my classes transfer?" and "How long will it take to finish my degree program?" We were told that some competing institutions in our state attempted to provide that information 30 minutes after the student came to their office with transcript in hand. Could we leverage technology to do better? We had a transfer course equivalencies database and an automated degree audit system in place (WSU's implementation of the Degree Audit Reporting System from Miami University of Ohio). Academic advisors and students already enrolled at WSU could request transfer course equivalency and/or degree audit reports via the Web. Requests were processed in batches (with a 15-minute or 24-hour turnaround) and the reports were returned by e-mail. The challenge, then, was to leverage the existing transfer equivalencies database and automated reporting system to provide quick and convenient information to prospective transfer students.
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