Journal of College Orientation, Transition, and Retention

All Swirl Is Not The Same

Examining Differences Across Degrees of Swirl Intensity

Diane Elliott

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Sally Hyatt

Kutztown University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/jcotr.v31i1.5686

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Abstract

Swirl, or the back-and-forth transfer across multiple colleges, has been the focus of policy-makers, practitioners, and researchers alike because of its empirical connections with retention and degree completion. However, one significant limitation in the existing literature is the treatment of swirl in a dichotomous manner, that is, students swirl or they don’t. Such a perspective ignores differences that exist across the spectrum of swirl, or gradients of swirl intensity. This study specifically explored differences in attendance patterns, student characteristics, and institutional structural factors across degrees of intensity of swirl (students who moderately and significantly swirl). Descriptive and inferential analyses highlighted unique attendance patterns associated with swirl and prevalent differences across degrees of swirl intensity. Implications for practitioners and future research are discussed. With the onset of COVID-19 which has propagated more serial transfer behaviors, a pressing need to more comprehensively understand swirl exists.