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1. A Preliminary Factor Analysis on the Success of Computing Major Transfer Students

   Wang, Xiwei; Rayana, Shebuti; Bogle, Sherrene; Aggarwal, Palvi; and Wan, Yun (June 2023, 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition)

   In STEM education, many 4-year colleges and universities now get most of their students from community colleges. Students who transfer from community colleges, especially those who are underrepresented, often face problems, such as deciding whether or not to transfer, getting academic and non-academic support during the transfer, and finding a job. Also, program advisors at both 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities face problems because they need to know how their students make transfer decisions and how to help them be successful post-transfer. A data-driven and survey-based study will help establish a solid understanding of the underlying elements contributing to these challenges. In this paper, the researchers first conduct a literature review to identify the critical personal and academic factors that influence the transfer decision, particularly for students from traditionally disadvantaged groups. Secondly, an exploratory analysis of these factors was performed by inviting a small group of computing major students from both community colleges and universities to participate in a survey that includes a wide range of questions, from demographics and pre-transfer decisions to post-transfer performance. The preliminary findings indicated that financial challenges, university reputation, university location, job prospects, and family expectations are the primary factors influencing student transfer decisions. The findings of the study can be beneficial to underrepresented transfer students, their advisors, and other stakeholders in higher education. 

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2. Engineering BRIDGE Program to Enhance Transfer Students’ Sense of Belonging

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--46829  

   Woo, Jeyoung; Cho, Jinsung (June 2024, ASEE Conferences)

   The State of California, which has the largest four-year public university system in the United States, does not have an associate degree for transfer (ADT) in Engineering. Therefore, most engineering students who transfer from community colleges do not take lower-division engineering courses and, on average, transfer students must attend two to three additional years of college to obtain a degree at four-year institutions. To identify the gaps in engineering education for transfer students and to increase their success, the research team will focus on a “transfer-ready” curriculum and a faculty learning community. The BRIDGE team, including three partnering institutions, collaborates on identifying the critical success factors (CSFs) for the transfer student’s success, the development of the transfer pathway program, and the Engineering BRIDGE Program to enhance academic preparations for transfer students. This paper summarizes the findings from the Engineering BRIDGE Program during the Summer of 2023 from August 7 - 11, 2023 (five days). A total of 22 incoming transfer students (to Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering) participated in this program, assisting in the transition and ensuring academic/career success by enhancing transfer students’ sense of belonging, and addressing course content gaps between institutions. From the analysis of the pre-/post-surveys of the Engineering BRIDGE Program, the program significantly improved—in terms of transfer readiness—students’ conceptual understanding, technical communication, and higher-order cognition. 

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3. On Transfer Student Success: Exploring the Academic Trajectories of Black Transfer Engineering Students from Community Colleges

   Berhane, B; Hayes, S; Koonce, D; Salley, C (June 2019, ASEE Annual Conference proceedings)

   According to the National Science Foundation, 50% of Black engineering students who have received a bachelor’s and master’s degree attended a community college at some point during their academic career. However, while research highlights the importance of supporting underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities (URMs) in STEM disciplines, there is a dearth of literature focusing on URMs in community colleges who pursue engineering and other science/math-based majors. Further, Black undergraduates in community colleges are often homogenized by area of study, with little regard for their specific major/discipline. Similarly, while engineering education research has begun to focus on the population of community college students, less attention has been paid to unpacking the experiences of racial subgroups of community college attendees. The engineering student transfer process has specific aspects related to it being a selective and challenging discipline (e.g., limited enrollment policies, engineering culture shock) that warrants a closer investigation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of a small population of students who have recently transferred from several community colleges to one four-year engineering school. Specifically, we will present preliminary findings derived from interviews with three Black students who started their academic careers at several community colleges in a Mid-Atlantic state, before transferring to the flagship institution of that same state. Interview transcripts will undergo a thorough analysis and will be coded to document rich themes. Multiple analyses of coded interview data will be performed by several members of the research team, as well as external evaluation members who are leading scholars in STEM and/or transfer education research. This research is part of a larger-scale, three year qualitative study, which will examine the academic trajectories of two distinct groups of Blacks in engineering majors: 1) Blacks born and educated in the United States and 2) Those born and educated in other countries. By looking at these populations distinctly, we will build upon past literature that disaggregates the experiences of Black STEM students who represent multiple identities across the African diaspora. Through this lens, we hope to highlight the impact that cultural background may have on the transfer experience. The theoretical framework guiding this study posits that the persistence of Black transfer students in engineering is a longitudinal process influenced by the intersection of both individual and institutional factors. We draw from the STEM transfer model, noting that the transfer process commences during a student’s community college education and continues through his/her transfer and enrollment in an engineering program at a four-year institution. The following factors contribute to our conceptualization of this process: pre-college background, community college prior to transfer, initial transfer to the four-year university, nearing 4-year degree completion. 

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4. Tapping into early PhD aspirations to advance gender equity in computing: predicting PhD interest among upward transfer students

   https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-06-2023-0057  

   Blaney, Jennifer M; Feldon, David F; Litson, Kaylee (February 2024, Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education)

   PurposeSupporting community college transfer students represents a critical strategy for broadening participation in STEM. In addition to being a racially diverse group, students who pursue STEM degrees by way of community college report frequent interests in graduate study and academic careers. Thus, supporting and expanding transfer students’ PhD interests can help to diversify the STEM professoriate. This study aims to identify the experiences that predict PhD interests among students who transferred into the computer science major from a community college. Design/methodology/approachRelying on longitudinal survey data from over 150 community college transfer students throughout their first year at their receiving four-year university, we used regression analysis to identify the post-transfer college experiences that predict early interest in PhDs. FindingsWe found that receiving information about PhDs from a professor strongly predicted PhD interest among transfer students. Relationships with other variables indicate that the provision of information about graduate school was more likely to occur for students who participated in undergraduate research experiences than for those participating in internships. Descriptive data document inequities in who has access to these types of experiences. Originality/valueThis paper provides new insight into how STEM departments can develop targeted efforts to ensure that information about PhD training is equitably available to all transfer students. Working to ensure that faculty equitably communicate with students about PhD opportunities may go a long way in countering potential deterrents among transfer students who may be interested in such pathways. 

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5. The Motivation of Low-Income Engineering Transfer Students that Influences Choosing and Pursuing a Baccalaureate Degree Attainment in Engineering

   Salgado, Leo (January 2020, Proceedings of American Society of Engineering Education)

   The transfer pathway in engineering disciplines, especially for low-income students, is often seen as an opportunity to expand the science and engineering workforce, particularly when transferring from a two-year community college to a four-year institution. This study focused on low-income transfer students’ motivational factors that led them to choose and continue to pursue an engineering baccalaureate degree(s). This studied used Eccles's (1983) expectancy-value theory of motivation as the guiding theoretical framework to show the relationship between competence and value beliefs as the motivated actions towards earning an engineering degree. It relates competence to, “Can I earn an engineering degree?” and task value beliefs to, “Do I want to earn an engineering degree?” Twenty students (12 first-year and 8 second-year low-income engineering transfer students) were interviewed about their experiences in engineering. Additionally, these twenty students completed a survey collecting data on their demographics, recognition, social belongingness, performance, and value beliefs. A qualitative analysis showed that students mainly chose to pursue a baccalaureate degree in engineering due to the financial reward, family influences, faculty support, and early childhood interest. Furthermore, students’ motivation to continue to pursue an engineering degree was attributed to prestige, engineering experiences acquired, financial and academic support, faculty and peer support, and gain of engineering knowledge throughout their academic journey. Implications of the study were: a) a set of small samples of data was analyzed, and b) examination of students belonging to a specific cohort. This cohort was provided with financial and academic support to navigate through their studies. Future studies could consist of various topics. For example, a longitudinal research study is required to track students’ motivation and how it transitions over time. Also, a study that compares two-year community college students transferring to a four-year institution who received financial support by applying for it versus students that were provided with a full financial tuition package. Furthermore, a research study about low-income engineering transfer students who do not belong to a cohort and are not receiving financial support. Overall, the study intended to further explore low-income engineering transfer student’s experiences, in terms of motivation, which led them to choose and continue to pursue engineering. 

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