Reducing Transfer Shock: Developing Community and Collaborations to Support Urban STEM Transfer Students

Portland State University, Portland OR

Investigators

Abstract

The National Science Foundation's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program will fund the Reducing Transfer Shock: Developing Community and Collaborations to Support Urban STEM Transfer Students project. This project will support low-income students with demonstrated financial need and academic promise to succeed in STEM disciplines at Portland State University (PSU) project. Over five years, this project plans to provide scholarships to 36 students who are pursuing bachelor's degrees in STEM. The specific aim is to improve successful transfer of urban STEM students from two-year institutions to baccalaureate STEM programs at PSU. To accomplish this goal, the program will implement: (1) A summer S-STEM bridge program; (2) A course-based undergraduate research experience for students during their first year; and (3) Direct placement of S-STEM Scholars in internships and/or independent research experiences in their second year. The project will provide students with financial support, training in professional skills (communication skills, teamwork, ethics, etc.), and research opportunities necessary for success in STEM. In addition, the project will cultivate a sense of belonging among the Scholars to support students as they transition into a university environment. The project goal is to increase the number of low-income, urban STEM students who transfer from a community college, graduate with a STEM bachelor's degree, and pursue graduate degrees and/or gain employment in STEM careers. The project will: (1) Improve the processes for recruiting and successfully transitioning urban transfer students from two- to four-year STEM programs; (2) Provide financial, academic, and social support to STEM transfer students; (3) Evaluate project activities that lead to STEM transfer success; and (4) Disseminate project outcomes. To evaluate if students successfully transition and reach their highest potential, the project will use mixed-methods, quantitative and qualitative approaches to assess program outcomes, including monitoring academic progress, administering pre/post surveys, and conducting focus groups. Students? sense of belonging will be measured to determine how participation in the program results in changes to this important affective attribute. If so, the investigators will explore the relationship of this change to mitigating transfer-shock, which can constrain transfer students from persisting to graduation. A survey will measure three constructs known to be associated with success: attitude toward STEM, career goals in STEM, and sense of belonging. Furthermore, focus groups will contribute to an in-depth understanding of the student experience. The project will measure perceptions and success within three groups of students: Scholars, non-Scholar STEM transfer students, and four-year STEM students. Comparisons among these groups will support understanding the efficacy of the project's activities to help students achieve academic goals (e.g., timely graduation), mitigate transfer-shock (provide scaffolding for building a sense of belonging in STEM), and give Scholars tools for success (i.e., strong letters of recommendation, internships). Evaluation data will inform education research about what does and does not work to mitigate transfer-shock and facilitate success in baccalaureate STEM. The project has the potential to produce a sustainable institutional road-map for mitigating transfer shock, and improving overall persistence, graduation, and success for underserved STEM students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.