Board 277: Enhancing the Transfer Experience through a Collaborative Cohort Program for Engineering Scholars, Years 3 and 4 of an NSF S-STEM

Claire L. A. Dancz; Elizabeth A. Adams; Nihal Orfi; Carol Haden; Yushin Ahn

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topics: Diversity and NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 25
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--42745
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/42745
Download Count: 96

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Paper Authors

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Claire L. A. Dancz Clemson University orcid.org/0000-0003-4359-8041

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Claire L. A. Dancz, Ph.D., M.P.A. is a Research Associate for Education Systems at Watt Family Innovation Center, Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Engineering and Science Education, and Faculty Director of the Grand Challenge Scholars Program at Clemson University.

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Elizabeth A. Adams Cuesta College

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Dr. Elizabeth Adams teaches full time as an Engineering Faculty member at Cuesta College. She a civil engineer with a background in infrastructure design and management, and project management. Her consulting experience spanned eight years and included extensive work with the US military in Japan, Korea, and Hawaii. In 2008 Elizabeth shifted the focus of her career to education and academia, later receiving her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with a focus in Water Resources. Her work highlights a commitment to undergraduate engineering education and its improvement through best teaching practices. Her research efforts target ways to support and encourage diversity among students and how to create an inclusive learning environment. Professional interests include undergraduate research opportunities, service learning, STEM outreach, team teaching and learning communities, critical thinking and problem solving, active and experiential learning, teaching teamwork and leadership skills, water resources sustainability, and urban infrastructure sustainability.

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Yushin Ahn received the B. Eng. Degree in civil engineering and the M.Sc. degree in surveying and digital photogrammetry from Inha University, Korea in 1998 and 2000, and the M.sc. and Ph.D. degree in geodetic science from the Ohio State University, Colum

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Abstract

This submission reports on activities and outcomes from years three and four of a 5-year NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) award at a two-year college. The college is a minority-serving institution located in a metro area with high rates of concentrated poverty and low levels of educational attainment. Through the program scholarships are awarded to cohorts of students majoring in engineering selected each fall semester from applications collected the previous spring. After completing transfer preparation curriculum at the two-year college, select scholars who transfer to the local four-year university may remain in the program for continued support. Students in each cohort, including those who remain in the program after transfer, are supported with annual scholarships of up to $6000, depending on financial need. In addition to scholarship money, students participate in a variety of program activities throughout the school year in the form of academic seminars, extracurricular events, professional development, faculty mentoring, peer mentoring, academic advising, and undergraduate research opportunities. Noteworthy elements of the program in years three and four include 1) the selection and award of the fourth and final cohort entering the program, 2) a transition of leadership to a new principal investigator for the program at the two-college, and 3) the increase in number of students who have continued with the program after transfer to the local four-year university.

During year three of this five-year program, the first cohort of students successfully transferred and completed a full year at their new four-year university. Supplemental funding has enabled the program to expand support for additional students at both the two-year college and the four-year university after transfer. This has reduced financial burdens and addressed the unanticipated challenge that some students would need more than two years to transfer due to delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Program evaluation findings identified requests from students that would enhance the program approach and further prepare for transfer. These included establishing a transferred student panel for students preparing to transfer, seminars on maintaining a positive work/life balance and differences in university systems, further support for peer mentorship for both mentors and mentees, and additional opportunities for collaboration across engineering disciplines. Research findings from interviews conducted with transferred students identified several opportunities to further enhance the transfer preparation approach and support structures needed for success at their new institution. These include intentional preparation for establishing membership in a new community, identification of systems and processes for support at their new institution, including how these may differ from their previous institution, and opportunity to serve as a mentor and engage with students preparing to transfer. In addition, this year program leadership transitioned due to a new role at new university and more students support requests have been made of leadership at both the two-year college and the four-year transfer university than were originally anticipated. This has resulted in reflection on the program administration and the people and structures that sustain it. This poster will include summaries of scholar activities, transition in and impact on program leadership, program evaluation results, and research findings from the first cohort of students that have transferred and completed a full year at their new institution.

Citation
Format

Dancz, C. L. A., & Adams, E. A., & Orfi, N., & Haden, C., & Ahn, Y. (2023, June), Board 277: Enhancing the Transfer Experience through a Collaborative Cohort Program for Engineering Scholars, Years 3 and 4 of an NSF S-STEM Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42745

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This submission reports on activities and outcomes from years three and four of a 5-year NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) award at a two-year college. The college is a minority-serving institution located in a metro area with high rates of concentrated poverty and low levels of educational attainment. Through the program scholarships are awarded to cohorts of students majoring in engineering selected each fall semester from applications collected the previous spring. After completing transfer preparation curriculum at the two-year college, select scholars who transfer to the local four-year university may remain in the program for continued support. Students in each cohort, including those who remain in the program after transfer, are supported with annual scholarships of up to $6000, depending on financial need. In addition to scholarship money, students participate in a variety of program activities throughout the school year in the form of academic seminars, extracurricular events, professional development, faculty mentoring, peer mentoring, academic advising, and undergraduate research opportunities. Noteworthy elements of the program in years three and four include 1) the selection and award of the fourth and final cohort entering the program, 2) a transition of leadership to a new principal investigator for the program at the two-college, and 3) the increase in number of students who have continued with the program after transfer to the local four-year university.

During year three of this five-year program, the first cohort of students successfully transferred and completed a full year at their new four-year university. Supplemental funding has enabled the program to expand support for additional students at both the two-year college and the four-year university after transfer. This has reduced financial burdens and addressed the unanticipated challenge that some students would need more than two years to transfer due to delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Program evaluation findings identified requests from students that would enhance the program approach and further prepare for transfer. These included establishing a transferred student panel for students preparing to transfer, seminars on maintaining a positive work/life balance and differences in university systems, further support for peer mentorship for both mentors and mentees, and additional opportunities for collaboration across engineering disciplines. Research findings from interviews conducted with transferred students identified several opportunities to further enhance the transfer preparation approach and support structures needed for success at their new institution. These include intentional preparation for establishing membership in a new community, identification of systems and processes for support at their new institution, including how these may differ from their previous institution, and opportunity to serve as a mentor and engage with students preparing to transfer. In addition, this year program leadership transitioned due to a new role at new university and more students support requests have been made of leadership at both the two-year college and the four-year transfer university than were originally anticipated. This has resulted in reflection on the program administration and the people and structures that sustain it. This poster will include summaries of scholar activities, transition in and impact on program leadership, program evaluation results, and research findings from the first cohort of students that have transferred and completed a full year at their new institution. 

AU  - Claire L. A. Dancz
AU  - Elizabeth A. Adams
AU  - Nihal Orfi
AU  - Carol Haden
AU  - Yushin Ahn
CY  - Baltimore , Maryland
DA  - 2023/06/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Board 277: Enhancing the Transfer Experience through a Collaborative Cohort Program for Engineering Scholars, Years 3 and 4 of an NSF S-STEM
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/42745
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--42745
ER  -