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WIP: Mitigating Transfer Shock for Undergraduates in Engineering to Increase Diversity

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Conference

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Location

Virtual On line

Publication Date

June 22, 2020

Start Date

June 22, 2020

End Date

June 26, 2021

Conference Session

Minorities in Engineering Division Technical Session 8

Tagged Division

Minorities in Engineering

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

7

DOI

10.18260/1-2--35561

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/35561

Download Count

445

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Paper Authors

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Claire Duggan Northeastern University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-0676-9406

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Claire Duggan is the Director of The Center for STEM Education at Northeastern University. While serving in this role she has supported the design and implementation of multiple National Science Foundation initiatives including but not limited to ATE, GK12, ITEST, REU, RET, S-STEM, and STEP grant initiatives.

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Rachelle Reisberg Northeastern University

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Rachelle Reisberg is Assistant Dean for Engineering Enrollment and Retention as well as Director of Women in Engineering at Northeastern University. Prior to joining Northeastern University, Rachelle held a wide range of management positions in IBM, Hanover Insurance, and was the President of a high tech start-up company.

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Richard R. Harris Northeastern University

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Assistant Dean for Academic Scholarship, Mentoring & Outreach;
Director of Multicultural Engineering Programs; NELSAMP internal Co-PI and Coordinator

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Brad Lehman

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Russell Faux

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Russell Faux, Ed.D. studied philosophy at the Universities of Chicago and Wisconsin before turning to education and completing his doctorate at Boston University. He taught language and literature for six years at the University of Padua in Italy. After a year as a Spencer Scholar at Stanford University, Dr. Faux returned to Italy as a research consultant for Bolt, Beranek, and Newman. Dr. Faux held senior research positions at TERC and Riverdeep Interactive (perhaps best known for the Carmen Sandiego software) before starting Davis Square Research Associates in 2001. His work encompasses qualitative and quantitative methods, including grounded theory, instrument development and validation, quantitative modeling, and social network analysis. DSRA clients have included the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, Purdue University, the University of Maine, Tufts University, the Boston Museum of Science, Boston University, the University of Massachusetts, the U.S. Department of Education, Houghton Mifflin, Verizon, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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Luis Rafael Frias II

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Abstract

As part of its response to the anticipated workforce needs in STEM fields, the National Science Foundation S-STEM initiative provides essential scholarship support to academically talented and diverse students with interests in STEM careers. Success for this initiative is essential to support the broadening participation of underrepresented students in STEM fields across the nation. While supporting more traditionally matriculated students remains an abiding commitment, the S-POWER (Student Pathways Opening World Energy Resources) initiative at Northeastern University has turned toward the expansion of URM students transferring from Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as regional community colleges. The development of the S-POWER program has entailed a complex set of efforts involving a broad set of stakeholders both within Northeastern University and between Northeastern and the program’s partner schools. This paper will map out the multilevel, multifaceted strategies for the creation and maintenance of a program supporting transfer URM students in engineering.

This has considerable implications for the STEM professions, such as engineering, where racial/ethnic minorities, first-generation, women, and the socio-economically disadvantaged make up a disproportionately low percentage of the workforce. As a result of this talent development challenge, colleges and universities around the country are placing a growing emphasis on programs that allow students to gain work and research experience and are beginning to define success by more than just academic learning.

A holistic integrated approach to the recruitment, selection, and support of transfer students into engineering is essential to ensure academic and career success. The theoretical framework of Bandura’s Self-Efficacy model, along with the implementation of Chickering’s Student Development Theory is shown to be meaningful and impactful through this process. The model utilized at Northeastern University prior to and during selected student’s undergraduate experience includes but is not limited to the following.

Pre-enrollment 1. Pre-transfer identification 2. Two-way Institutional visits 3. Cross-institutional peer-to-peer student interactions 4. Experiential learning opportunities (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) 5. Application and Financial Aid support Transition 1. Summer Bridge

During 1. Course selection support 2. Academic Advising / Persistence Advising 3. Expanded Advising/Mentoring (Faculty/Senior Administrator) 4. Peer-to-Peer networking/support 5. Tutoring/Supplemental Instruction 6. Workforce Development and Preparation

The program is mentoring and supporting a cohort of 100+ STEM Scholars across 5 institutions, which consists of community colleges, an HBCU, and PWI.

The focus of this project/paper/presentation will be based on Exploratory Research. This paper will discuss the essential elements of the program. As a result of Exploratory Research, the paper will address the following research questions: 1. What compilation of academic and social supports are essential to help mitigate transfer shock in STEM? 2. What pre-transfer elements increase the likelihood of bachelor’s degree completion in STEM? 3. How can essential program components addressing the mitigation of transfer shock be institutionalized?

This paper will also share results to date of the program, as well as the analysis and visualization of these results.

Duggan, C., & Reisberg, R., & Harris, R. R., & Lehman, B., & Faux, R., & Frias, L. R. (2020, June), WIP: Mitigating Transfer Shock for Undergraduates in Engineering to Increase Diversity Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--35561

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