Enhancing Community College Pathways to Engineering Careers: A Guide for Key Actors

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the National Research Council Board on Higher Education and Workforce (BHEW) are establishing an ad hoc study committee to oversee a series of fact-finding activities that describe the evolving community college pathway in engineering education. Two committee meetings are being held with expert presentations to review the background information and to guide discussions and deliberations. Key stakeholder groups including two- and four-year college faculty, public officials, educational administrators, industry managers, and leaders of professional societies are being interviewed. The Academy is also collecting and analyzing existing data engineering graduates who have community colleges in their pathway to a degree. After the period of fact-finding and analysis, a two-day conference showcases programs that have demonstrated the ability to successfully produce engineering graduates with community college experience. The conference focuses on (1) the success of students that transfer between community college and four-year engineering programs, (2) effective management of intermittent matriculation at community college campuses, (3) mutually beneficial interactions between community college and four year engineering school faculty, (4) the curricular content of community college engineering programs, (5) data collection requirements for effective program evaluation, and (6) effective use of community college campuses to achieve student and faculty diversity goals in engineering education. INTELLECTUAL MERIT: This NAE/NRC project is identifying key research questions that will inform funding and policy officials who wish to carry out activities that strengthen community college pathways leading to baccalaureate and doctoral degrees in engineering. BROADER IMPACT: The project is developing a plan to leverage the unique qualities of our community college infrastructure to achieve engineering workforce objectives. Current enrollment statistics support the fact that community colleges provide meaningful economic and educational supports for women, racial minorities, and non-traditional students. Each of these groups is underrepresented among the current pool of baccalaureate and doctoral graduates in engineering.