Concurrent Session:

What does it take to help studentstransfer successfully in the sciences?

Dean Livelybrooks & Kate Hulpke, University of OregonCathy Fernandez-Weston, California State University-FullertonSang Lee, University of California-BerkeleyCarmen Zafft, University of Nebraska-LincolnAnne Bullerjahn, Owens Community CollegeVero Guajardo, University of WashingtonJane Roads, Moberly Area Community CollegeJason Miller, Truman State University

January 28, 20108th Annual Conference of the

National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students

This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-0949030.

Background: NSF STEPSTEP = STEM Talent Expansion Program(STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics)

Goal of NSF STEP: Increase the number ofSTEM baccalaureates graduating annually(increase domestic STEM workforce)

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Various approaches:High school ‘bridge’ programsUndergraduate course & program revisions2-year/4-year collaborations supporting transfer

Background: 2Y/4Y WorkshopWho: Eleven STEP projects nationwide -

teams of PI + CC partners + staff

When: October 8-10, 2009

Where: Belknap Springs, Oregon

Why: > Growing recognition of CCs as a criticalpart of U.S. education system

> Unique challenges of 2Y/4Y joint efforts> Unique challenges of STEM transfer

STEP 2Y/4Y WorkshopParticipants defined 5 focus areas in advance:1. Ensuring success of STEM transfer students

2. Creating undergrad research opportunities for more CC students

3. Choosing and tracking impact measures

4. Fostering CC-U collaborations

5. Sustaining & institutionalizing a multi-school project; disseminating results

STEP 2Y/4Y WorkshopWorkshop model: For each focus area,• State our vision• Summarize current conditions & challenges• Exchange / compile / discuss effective strategies• Exchange / refine measures to assess strategies• Identify unresolved challenges and set

(concrete!) team goals to address them

STEP 2Y/4Y Workshop - ExampleCreating research opportunities for CC studentsVISION: All CC STEM students who would like to do

research should have the opportunity.

CURRENT REALITY: Research is not CCs’ mission, hence no infrastructure for research at CCs($, space, equipment, time, support).

STRATEGY: CC students AND faculty could do summer research at U with faculty there. (Requires building CC-U faculty collegiality.)

STEP 2Y/4Y Workshop - ExampleCreating research opportunities for CC students

METRICS:> % of CC STEM students involved in research

> Compare transfer, persistence, & grad rates of students who do research vs. those who don’t

> Track incentives for CC student research & CC-U faculty collaboration (credits, $, release time)

STEP 2Y/4Y Workshop - ExampleCreating research opportunities for CC students

ACTIONS (real examples from Team Goals!):> Identify CC and U faculty interested in

collaborative summer research

> Offer U course credit at CC tuition rate for summer research (through CC-U agreement)

> Increase # of student presentations at discipline-specific professional conferences (visibility)

Your turn!Choose a focus area:1. Ensuring success of STEM transfer students2. Creating undergrad research opportunities for

more CC students

3. Choosing and tracking impact measures

4. Fostering CC-U collaborations

5. Sustaining & institutionalizing a multi-school project; disseminating results

Your turn! (fast forward to…)Form a Working Group:(20 minutes)> Digest relevant section of handout> Discuss strategies already identified -

Questions? Clarifications? Critiques?> Contribute other effective strategies> Share knowledge of studies addressing

individual strategies, useful metrics, etc.

Your turn!Set a concrete individual goal:(10 minutes)(Can work in smaller units within Working Group)Example: “By 3/1/10, I will contact someone from

Truman State and find out how they use peer mentoring to support transfer students.”

A few volunteers to post their goal to the STEM Pipeline Wiki…

Thank you!