Highlights of Over a Decade of University/Community College Partnerships

In 2002, an NSF sponsored (# 0123146) S-STEM academic scholarship program for upper division engineering and computer science (designated as ENGR) students materialized at Arizona State University with about half of the students being transfer students. This directed attention to the need for more support for potential and actual transfer ENGR students. After working with six local Community Colleges (CCs) for several years (2003-2007), in 2008 the authors began working with three non-metropolitan CCs. This program grew to five nonmetropolitan CCs and was supported by an NSF STEP grant (#0856834). This program worked in partnership with the Academic Scholarship and Professional Development Program which had been established through NSF S-STEM grants. During this past year we have added four additional CCs, all HSIs, to our program through a supplement to an NSF S-STEM grant (#1060226). The authors describe the highlights on this ongoing program and the primary lessons learned both in the administration of such a program and in working with CC students. Included are main research results obtained through focus groups and surveys. These findings are noteworthy because scholarship students in this program are graduated at a 95% rate and 50% of them continue right on to graduate school. These rates are much higher than the usual 70% graduate rate for upper division transfer students and the less than 15% who go right on to graduate school. Sustainability is also addressed, including how the academic and professional development course is now offered to all transfer students through the Dean’s Office. Future plans for the program as the grant monies come to a close are addressed.