A Transformative Project between Two-State Colleges and a-4-year Institution for Student Success in STEM

ABSTRACT

The session will report on the success and lessons learned from the five-year implementation of a collaborative DOE project between two Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) State Colleges and an HSI university with a combined 140,000+ undergraduate students. The session will also report on revising a Systemic, Evidenced-Based, and Student-Centered (SE-SC) framework due to the COVID-19 situation over the last two years. The original aim of the SE-SC framework was to maximize the number of academically-talented, Hispanic students who complete their AA degrees at State Colleges and transfer to a 4-year institution to complete their BS degree and are career-ready to enter engineering and computer science (ECS). The revised SE-SC framework addresses the online education challenge of the project due to the COVID-19 situation. The session will report on how the professional relationships among three large post-secondary institutions have evolved and how the partners have become more intentional about project outcomes. In addition, the design and implementation of articulation agreements have increased programmatic alignment, a more seamless and easy-to-navigate transfer process for students. Furthermore, the collaboration to reach out to industry partners has increased the authenticity of experiences provided to the students across all three institutions. The session will also report on the faculty's adaptation of their instructional practices to include using newer digital technologies for hybrid and remote learning while maximizing student interests and motivating degree completion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Project success has been assessed by applying quantitative and qualitative measures, informal assessments, and anecdotal records. The institutional infrastructure in supporting diverse student interests and success in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science degree programs and their career pathways are presented. Other institutions interested in promoting STEM programs may replicate the implemented model due to its effectiveness, as reported in the session. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2022.