One-year research experience for associate’s degree students impacts graduation, STEM retention, and transfer patterns

Abstract

The CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP) provides a yearlong faculty-mentoredresearch experience to associate’s degree students. The program takes place at all 10associate’s degree–granting colleges within the City University of New York system. Wereport on a mixed-methods study of 500 students who participated in the program duringits initial 3 years. Quantitative longitudinal assessments revealed that students who engagedin CRSP were more likely to be retained in a science, technology, engineering, andmathematics (STEM) discipline or to graduate with a STEM degree than their counterpartsin a matched comparison group. Furthermore, students who participated in CRSP demonstratedan increased likelihood of transferring to the more research-intensive 4-yearschools within the CUNY system and to R1 universities outside the CUNY system. CRSPstudents reported an increased sense of belonging in college based on survey data, andfocus groups with their mentors provided insight into the factors that led to the gains listedabove. These combined results—of student data analysis, student surveys, and mentorfocus groups—provide evidence that early research experiences for associate’s degreestudents contribute to their academic success.