Student Characteristics and Academic Variables Associated with STEM Transfer Students from Community College

The Obama administration has been investing and promoting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. In the federal 5-year STEM strategic plan, community colleges are proposed to play a key role in recruiting and preparing future scientists and engineers, especially among students from traditionally underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. Through a grant from the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Education Grants Program, the STEM Center was established at a community college in Northern California. The STEM Center integrated all STEM student support services within STEM academic study. Through leveraging multiple grants, the STEM Center provides a set of comprehensive student support services, including study groups, tutoring, STEM-specific academic counseling and career exploration, and information on internships and scholarships. The STEM support services are strategically planned and provided with the goal of increasing the number of STEM students at the college, and preparing them for transferring to 4-year institutions. This paper presents results from an exploratory examination of the impact that the STEM Center has had on increasing the number of STEM students who are transfer-ready and who transferred to a 4-year institution over a 5year period (from 2009-10 to 2014-15 academic years). The results indicated that Cañada has increased the number of transfer-ready STEM students, particularly of minority students, male students, and students ages 18-24. In addition, results from three logistic regression analyses examining which specific academic and student support services were important in getting a student to transfer, indicated that transfer-ready STEM students who were younger, have earned transferable credits between 60 and 90, and have accessed some level of STEM-specific support services were more likely to transfer to a 4-year institution within a reasonable time frame.