Facilitating Transfer Student Success in an Engineering Baccalaureate Program

Abstract This evidence-based practice paper presents research investigating if programmatically promoting transfer student involvement is an effective institutional strategy for improving engineering transfer student retention. Community colleges play an important role in the educational experiences of college graduates in science and engineering fields, with 50% of graduates having attended a community college previously (Mooney & Foley, 2011). Transfer to universities provides an access point for many underserved students, who represent a large percentage of community college students. Transfer students therefore are an important pool to complete baccalaureate degrees in engineering, to fulfill workforce needs and to diversify the field. Transfer students typically have little access to student supports such as orientation, retention efforts or scholarships as they transition to a four-year institution. Without supports, the transfer experience can be a challenge as students adjust to campus life, leading to slower degree progress and attrition. For instance, the six year transfer student graduation rate from X School is 59%, below the rate for first-time freshmen. Institutions are beginning to recognize the importance of their role in STEM transfer student retention and provide additional supports to this group. Astin’s (1995) developmental theory of student involvement, posits that academic and social involvement in higher education supports success. (Program name), a scholarship and support program, was developed for transfer students in the Science and Engineering College at X School to improve the STEM transfer experience and to increase retention and success. Forty-four students in three cohorts participated in the program for up to two years. Participants were selected based on merit and financial need. Demographics of the participants were: 44% engineering majors, 48% female, 33% from underrepresented minority groups, and 43% first-generation college students. Students received a two-year scholarship and participated in a seminar course during their first semester of transfer. Follow-up supports included mentoring and advising, and funds for conference travel. In this mixed-methods study, the overarching research question was: How do the supports provided by the (program name) affect STEM transfer experiences? Student experiences were examined through participant and non-participant surveys and exit interviews with 30 2nd-year program participants. Academic outcomes of retention and time to graduation were also examined. A post-program survey tracked and described STEM careers of participants. Deductive coding using a framework was used for analysis of qualitative data. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicate that participants identified both academic and social involvement as important for their success. Participation in professional opportunities within their field, such as undergraduate research and internships, was identified as particularly critical. Overall, two-year program retention was 80%, retention at the home institution was 89%, and retention in a STEM major was 93%. Lessons learned, including the challenges of completing the engineering degree program as a transfer student in two-years, were identified. Based on evidence of effectiveness, the seminar course promoting student involvement was sustained as a successful program element.