Transfer student pathways to engineering degrees: Progress and preliminary findings from a multi-institutional study based in Texas

In 2015 President Obama introduced America’s College Promise, a new $80 billion proposal to make two years of community college free for individuals willing to earn the benefit. To maximize results from such a substantial investment, it is important to address and resolve existing challenges related to degree completion and upward transfer for community college students, especially within engineering. In this paper, we provide an overview of preliminary data from our current National Science Foundation study focused on transfer students in Texas that is aiming to better understand the transfer process in engineering so that the transfer student pathway to an engineering bachelor's degree may become better enhanced. Following a mixed methods research approach and using a conceptual framework of transfer student capital to organize the study, we use qualitative data from semi-structured focus groups with students, administrators, faculty, and staff to extend quantitative findings from an engineering transfer student survey that was administered to more than 7,800 engineering transfers students at four 4year institutions in Texas. This study uniquely combines engineering transfer student survey responses with education outcome data (i.e., student records) to increase understanding of the complete transfer pathway experience. The sample is unique because it is comprised of a disproportionately large percentage of Hispanic students, which is the fastest growing demographic in the country and a subpopulation that engineering is seeking to attract and support. We envision that our research findings on what helps and hinders the transfer process can be used to 1) make improvements and revisions to existing policy, and 2) serve as a guide for states and institutions seeking to adopt new policies that promote upward transfer in engineering. Background & Objectives For decades, there has been a strong demand for STEM professionals in the U.S. workforce. Based on national rhetoric, it is clear that the demand for skilled professionals in STEM fields will continue to be on the upswing for many years to come. To meet both current and future workforce needs, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology projects that that the United States will need to produce an additional 1 million STEM professionals by 2025. As we think creatively about how to identify and train human talent to the meet this demand, great potential exists among the growing population of students who begin their pursuit of a higher education within the community college system. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 41% of first time freshmen in undergraduate education, and 46% of all U.S. undergraduates during Fall 2013 were enrolled in 2-year public colleges; the headcount total for that academic year was 12.4 million students. In addition to sheer numbers of students that reside within 2-year institutions, the diversity of that student body composition offers another compelling reason to investigate ways to better cultivate and support this population as a potential source of STEM talent for the U.S. workforce. Profile characteristics for students enrolled in 2-year institutions tend to be more diverse than students who matriculate directly into 4-year public and private colleges and universities from high school in terms of socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, gender, age, and prior work experience. Moreover, research on teamwork and problem solving indicates that teams comprised of diverse members who have different backgrounds and perspectives have the potential to achieve increased levels of creativity during the ideation process—this outcome is greatly desired and much needed in a 21 century STEM workforce faced with global challenges that require innovative, equitable, and sustainable solutions. In summary, not only is tapping into the diverse talent pool of students enrolled in 2-year institutions a reasonable and effective approach to meet future workforce demands, it is also a promising approach that offers great potential to broaden participation in STEM disciplines that can ultimately lead to increased creativity and innovation in the U.S. workforce. The purpose of this study is to develop a clearer understanding of how to support students moving through the transfer student pathway with the ultimate hope that the efforts can provide a potential means to broaden participation in engineering. This research joins and expands the small body of literature on engineering transfer students and provides data to institutions and systems of higher education as they consider policies and practices that impact students as they make the transfer to 4-year engineering institutions. Specifically, the broad investigation addresses the following research questions: 1. How does transfer student capital relate to academic achievement and degree attainment for transfer engineering students at 4-year institutions? 2. How do Hispanic and non-Hispanic transfer students compare on measures of transfer student capital and its relation to academic achievement and degree attainment? 3. How do students decide to transfer into engineering at a 4-year institution? In this paper we provide an overview of the rich data set that has been generated from this project as well as findings from preliminary data analyses.