Concurrent Session: What does it take to help students transfer successfully in the sciences? Dean Livelybrooks & Kate Hulpke, University of Oregon Cathy Fernandez-Weston, California State University-Fullerton Sang Lee, University of California-Berkeley Carmen Zafft, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Anne Bullerjahn, Owens Community College Vero Guajardo, University of Washington Jane Roads, Moberly Area Community College Jason Miller, Truman State University January 28, th 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

Background: NSF STEP STEP = STEM Talent Expansion Program (STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) Goal of NSF STEP: Increase the number of STEM baccalaureates graduating annually (increase domestic STEM workforce) K Various approaches: High school ‘bridge’ programs Undergraduate course & program revisions 2-year/4-year collaborations supporting transfer

Background: 2Y/4Y Workshop Who: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 critical part of U.S. education system >Unique challenges of 2Y/4Y joint efforts >Unique challenges of STEM transfer

STEP 2Y/4Y Workshop Participants 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 Workshop Workshop 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 - Example Creating research opportunities for CC students VISION: 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 - Example Creating 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 - Example Creating 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 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

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!