Research Associate University of Colorado Boulder, United States
Program Abstract: The transfer pathway from community colleges to universities has not fulfilled its potential to increase access to STEM bachelor’s degrees for students from underserved communities (Bahr et al., 2017; Dowd, 2012; Reyes, 2011). Indeed, throughout the transfer process, students face barriers in accessing social, academic and career-related support (NASEM, 2016; Wang, 2021). We will present a research-based framework to improve STEM transfer student outcomes. The student-centered framework connects to students’ developing academic, cultural, and professional identities. Useful to both two-year and four-year institutions, the framework highlights practices that can improve STEM transfer student outcomes at each stage of the transfer process—as students prepare for transfer during community college, adjust to university after transfer, and transition into careers or graduate school after completing their degree. Participants will gain an understanding of the institutional interventions that support transfer students’ academic success and career readiness.
