1. copyright Shutterstock.com/semisatch Do Two-Year College Transfers Face Different Challenges Working on their Bachelor's Degree than Students who only Attended a Four-Year Institution? Carolyn Wilson, American Geosciences Institute Kaatje van der Hoeven Kraft, Whatcom Community College Benjamin Wolfe, University of Kansas

2. AGI’s Exit Survey Purpose Extending to the Two-Year College community Additional questions 704 bachelor’s graduates only attended a 4-Year University in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 309 bachelor’s graduates transferred from a 2-Year College in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 (30%)

3. Demographics

5. Decision to Major in the Geosciences

6. Quantitative Skills

7. Financial Aid

8. Seeking Work in the Geosciences?

9. Conceptual Framework Institutional Barriers Course scheduling conflicts Advising issues/poor advising Faculty/administrator issues Pre-requisite/degree requirements Transfer conflicts/loss of credits upon transfer Self-Regulation Motivation Unclear goals/maintaining focus Emotions (panic attacks, test anxiety, etc.) Lacking self-confidence Stereotype threat Academic Challenges Mathematics courses and pre-requisites Chemistry and/or physics Specic geoscience courses Thesis Academic rigor of courses Writing Personal Challenges Financial/money issues Time management Family obligations Working while attending school Life-changing event

10. Self-Regulation Mentioned by approx. 9% of 2-year college transfers vs. 7% of students originating at a 4-year institution Quotes from students originating at a 4-year institution: “Personal motivation to focus on difficult coursework in allied science classes such as chemistry and physics.” “Entering my junior year of college, I began to suffer from academic burn-out. I also wasn't sure where I wanted to go with my degree(s) and what kind of work I wanted to do.” “Lack of confidence in my ability to do science.”

11. Academic Challenges Mentioned by approx. 30% of 2-year college transfers vs. 37% of students originating at a 4-year institution Quotes from students originating at a 4-year institution: “Having to take non-geology related coursework such as Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics. I feel I would have done better in those courses if they were offered with respect to geology.” “The largest obstacle I faced was coming from a background of little to no science background in earth sciences.” “Completing my thesis was the most difficult challenge. I often thought I wouldn't be able to do it or would have to take time off and graduate a year later.” “Completing the Earth Science requirements in time after switching my major so late in my undergraduate career.”

12. Institutional Barriers Mentioned by approx. 24% of 2-year college transfers vs. 13% of students originating at a 4-year institution Quotes from students originating at a 4-year institution: “Courses were sometimes offered at large intervals of time, so timing had to be right for registration.” “Dealing with professors that do not care about the students.” “Coming from a liberal arts college, completing gen-ed requirements was the hardest”

13. Personal Challenges Mentioned by approx. 38% of 2-year college transfers vs. 21% of students originating at a 4-year institution Quotes from students originating at a 4-year institution: “Learning how to manage time between work and taking classes.” “Managing my time while playing a sport and completing the research project” “Paying for college has always been my greatest obstacle for completing. My family did not help me pay for it or anything, thus I have a lot of student loans.” “Dealing with my physical disabilities while balancing work and school.”

14. Field Camp, in particular Unique to the Geosciences Organizational Culture issue Money Time Location Etc.

15. Recommendations Purposeful student-faculty contact Peer assisted learning Academic and career advising Increased communication between students and department/institution

16. Questions? Thank you to Jordan Ellington, AGI’s Fall Data Intern, for help with the coding