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The Student Pathways in Engineering and Computing for Transfers (SPECTRA) program is a newly funded S-STEM program in South Carolina, expected to run through 2026. The program is envisioned to provide a streamlined academic pathway for transfer students from 2-year programs within South Carolina into Clemson University, and provide programming to aid their academic success and social integration. To achieve this, SPECTRA will create cohorts of students at two community/technical colleges (Spartanburg Community College and Trident Technical College) and then support that cohort as they transitioned together into Clemson University. This cohort would then be mentored in how to navigate Clemson University’s academic environment, utilizing available programming such as academic tutoring, field trips to see local engineering companies, etc. A unique component of the SPECTRA program is the requirement that scholarship recipients at Clemson University enroll in two semesters of research, in addition to their participation in social and academic programing. Through this Work in Progress paper, the experience in designing and facilitating these research courses while matriculating through their graduate programs is documented by the authors. Specifically, the design constraints of the research courses, the topics developed for the 2021-2022 cohorts and the envisioned assessment are discussed.
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Navigating Transfer “Pivotal Points” in Challenging Contexts: A Longitudinal Investigation of STEM Transfer Students’ Pathways During COVID-19
Community colleges have long been touted as a pathway to increase social mobility through their transfer function, yet this promise has not always been realized. This study uses the lens of community cultural wealth, particularly the concepts of aspirational, social, and navigational capitals, to understand vertical transfer students’ experiences and outcomes during the pandemic. Longitudinal interviews were conducted with 27 students over a four-year period as they moved through the transfer pathway in STEM majors. Students who transferred to a university immediately prior to or during the pandemic experienced greater academic and navigational challenges and reported diminished access to social capital. Students employed multiple, informal navigational strategies and drew on social networks, when possible, to maintain their academic progress. Findings also reveal the importance of the transfer-receiving department, especially access to supportive institutional agents, in sustaining STEM transfer students’ progress during COVID-19.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1761185
- PAR ID:
- 10401698
- Publisher / Repository:
- SAGE Publications
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice
- Volume:
- 27
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 1521-0251
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 178-202
- Size(s):
- p. 178-202
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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