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A Learning Village: Utilizing a Holistic Approach to Create Connections between Community College Pre-Engineering Students and Iowa State’s College of Engineering

Abstract

As part of a 5-year NSF grant, the partnership between Iowa State University (ISU) and Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) resulted in the Student Enrollment and Engagement through Connections (SEEC) project. This project is driven by five distinct Objective Teams (O-Teams) with each responsible for achieving specific objectives. These objectives are directly aligned with the project’s goal of increasing the number of students entering and earning an engineering degree at ISU. The SEEC project provided the opportunity to model and build a “learning village” based on ISU’s nationally recognized learning community foundation, and to increase student connections between these Iowa educational institutions. The intent of this paper is to chronicle the accomplishments of one of the O-Teams, the Learning Village Team, in the quest to achieve its overarching objective of “building a learning village that enhances student connections and creates ISU connections for community college pre-engineering transfer students.”

Introduction

In response to the 2006 study by a National Academies committee, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future”1, the SEEC project is vital to our economic success, both at the state and national level, in order to produce more scientists and engineers. A 2007 report published by the U.S. Department of Labor2 states that:

STEM fields have become increasingly central to U.S. economic competitiveness and growth, and long-term strategies to maintain and increase living standards, and promote opportunity will require coordinated efforts among public, private, and not-for-profit entities to promote innovation and to prepare an adequate supply of qualified workers for employment in STEM fields. (U.S. Department of Labor, 2007, p.1)

In reviewing the work of Handel3 and a 2005 National Academies4 report, the team decided to focus their activities on some these recommended approaches to a successful community college student transfer process. With this in mind, the Learning Village Team felt that a key part of success in increasing the number of engineering students from a pre-engineering pool of potential transfer students hinged on building connectivity and a “sense of community”. In our view, these vital connections would enhance community college students’ engagement, and thus lead to an increased likelihood of a successful transfer and transition to ISU’s College of Engineering.

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Baughman, J., & Mickelson, S., & Darrow, M., & Chrystal, L. L., & Goodwin, M., & Castleberry, P., & Garrett, J., & Gruenewald, D., & Mina, M., & Jedele, R., & McMaken, H., & Saunders, K., & Smith, R. (2009, June), A Learning Village: Utilizing A Holistic Approach To Create Connections Between Community College Pre Engineering Students And Iowa State's College Of Engineering Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--4590